Tour Aims to Show Mountaintop Removal Not a "Blast" for WV
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Kayford Mountain, WV – People will have a chance this weekend to see the landscape destruction that results from mountaintop-removal strip coal mining. The West Virginia Sierra Club is giving a tour of such a mining site at Kayford Mountain this weekend.
Coal company interests say that, when done right, land removed for strip coal mining can be turned into an economic and environmental asset. However, the Sierra Club's Jim Sconyers says that's not what he sees at sites like Kayford. He says the tours are important because it's difficult for anyone not living there to appreciate the scale of destruction that's happening.
"Down in the Southern and Western Virginia coal fields, devastation on an epic scale is taking place. We just hope to help people to witness that and to start to get some kind of a gut feeling for what's actually going on there."
Sconyers says the damage from mountaintop removal is significant and it's time to get serious about finding new energy alternatives.
"Coal costs us way too much in so many ways, and the future is in clean, green energy. We really ought to start heading that way as soon as possible."
The day-long tours will run July 19th, August 16th and September 13th, with passengers boarding in the Morgantown and Charleston areas. To sign up, call 603-969-6712.
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