Richmond, Virginia-based Massey Energy (NYSE: MEE) has announced plans to begin blasting tomorrow on Coal River Mountain, destroying the site of a proposed wind farm.
Community members are asking West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin to halt the mountaintop removal operation and act on his commitment to renewable energy and to the citizens of West Virginia.
According to Coal River Mountain Watch, research shows that Coal River Mountain has enough wind potential to provide electricity for more than 150,000 homes, forever. In addition the wind farm would provide approximately 50 well-paying, permanent jobs in an area long dependent upon sparse, temporary coal mining jobs.
This opportunity depends upon the mountain being left intact. However, Massey Energy has issued notice for blasting at the site to begin this week. The 10-square-mile mountaintop removal coal mining site will eliminate both the wind energy resource and the resulting jobs, as the mountain ridge will be lowered by over 500 feet.
"We’re asking Governor Manchin for a stay of execution for this mountain,"said Lorelei Scarbro, community organizer with Coal River Mountain Watch, and a resident of Rock Creek, West Virginia. "Once the demolition begins, it will bevery difficult to stop it, and once the mountain is removed, it won’t growback. The potential for wind energy and good jobs will be gone forever, along with our renewable water and forest resources."
"Governor Manchin has stated that he will promote renewable energy projectsto restore West Virginia’s credibility. He can preserve Coal River Mountain as the crown jewel of the Mountain State’s renewable energy future," said Vernon Haltom, Coal River resident and Co-Director of Coal River MountainWatch. "He can provide the courageous leadership that will move West Virginia and the nation toward clean energy and good jobs while preserving communities and citizens’ right to a healthy quality of life."
"The mountaintop removal plans would only provide coal jobs for 14 years,while the wind farm jobs could last forever," said Rory McIlmoil, wind project coordinator for Coal River Mountain Watch. "The wind farm would also create more mining jobs, since much of the coal can still be deep mined."
The Coal River Mountain Wind campaign’s online petition atwww.coalriverwind.org has generated over 8,000 signatures asking Gov.Manchin to rescind the permits his administration has granted.
"We met with the governor’s aide on August 21 and presented the preferable economic alternative, but now, with blasting set to begin in a couple of days, the situation is urgent" added Scarbro. "Gov. Manchin may feel he needs more time to decide, but he needs to stop this blasting so his office can look deeper into these questionable permits."
Coal River Mountain Watch and a coalition of community and environmental groups will stand beside Coal River residents at a Rally for Green Jobs and Healthy Mountains, centered around Coal River Mountain, on September 16th from 5-6:30pm on the steps of the State Capitol in Charleston.
"My family has been here for over 100 years. Now my grandkids are here. If they start blasting our mountain, our grandkids will have nothing to lookforward to. A wind farm would preserve everything we live for," said Emmett Withrow of Colcord. "We think Manchin can and should rescind the permits. We know he has the power."
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