A vital public comment period is set for a surface mine permit at the Blair Mountain battlefield. This is for the Corps of Engineers portion of the permit, and we have a strong chance at the federal level to stop this permit. So, we are asking you to send letters asking for this permit to be denied. They have to be received no later than Feb. 22^nd 2012.

We have provided a sample letter below, but remember that it is always stronger if you put it in your words. So, do what you’re able and it will be a huge help. All the relevant information is below.

Remember letters must be RECEIVED BY FEB 22!!!

Sample Letter (with address to send it to):

—-

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District
ATTN: LRH-OR-FE Public Notice No. LRH-2008-1104-GUY
502 Eight Street
Huntington, West Virginia 25701-2070

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my concern over the proposed operations on Pine Fork, referenced as LRH-2008-1104-GUY. My concerns encompass three distinct issues – 1) environmental cumulative impacts, 2) human health impacts, and 3) the immense significance of the Blair Mountain Battlefield.

To begin, the area around Pine Fork has already been heavily mined, with even more permits just starting up. Pine Fork is right now providing freshwater dilution to Dingess Run, which is already noted as a severely impaired stream. The coal seams in this area are also high in selenium, and if more gets into the waters it will have a significant negative impact on both wildlife and local residents.

Even more significant than environmental impacts, there is a growing body of scientific evidence correlating mining activity with adverse, long term human health impacts. Impacts are present from birth through adulthood, often resulting in a higher risk of disease related mortality. Many diseases have been shown to be present at elevated levels in adults compared to non-mining communities, including respiratory, kidney, cardiopulminary, hypertension, musculoskeletal, urogenital, and gastrointestinal diseases. Cancer rates are doubled in these areas.

The Pine Fork permit is one of five permits that impact the Blair Mountain battlefield, which is eligible for listing on the National Register. The Pine Fork area has not had systematic archaeological work conducted at it. In addition, the very topography of the battlefield is an artifact in that is a critical element of the dynamics of the battle. In general, the Blair Mountain battlefield is one of the most important historical sites in the United States, and the Pine Fork will negatively impact the battlefield. All the other permits around the battlefield should be taken into consideration. Once an archaeological site is destroyed, it can never be replaced.

Because of these extremely significant issues with this permit, I respectfully request that it be denied. Thank you very much for your time.

This profit comes from externalizing true costs onto the workers and communities involved in their operations. Arch Coal has completely de-unionized their operations. At their Mountain Laurel showcase mine near Blair, WV, they keep their workers on staggered shifts, where miners do not get regular sleep schedules. On August 15, 2011, a 46 year old miner was killed at Mountain Laurel.

In the town of Blair, WV, our community has almost been completely destroyed by a mountaintop removal operation in the late 1990s. This poisoned our drinking water, and we have seen a higher increase of cancer. Peer-reviewed scientific studies are starting to verify that these surface mining operations are driving this increase in cancer. But, in Arch Coal’s statements to community members, they were either going to come over us, under us, or through us. They were going to get the coal no matter what, no matter who is hurt or killed in doing so. Now, Arch is coming back through with the same approach.

In our community, we have many disabled and retired miners. The Arch coal machine spit out these workers at the age of 45-50, like a broken and spent piece of equipment. These miners — who spent their life energizing the rest of the country — live with chronic pain, emotional scars, and in poverty. If they have union cards, they at least have the health care and retirement benefits the UMWA has fought hard to gain.

Right now, Arch Coal is planning on longwall mining under the town of Blair, potentially destabilizing the ground beneath Blair and sinking our water table. They are planning more surface mines above our town, right on the historic Blair Mountain battlefield where the largest labor uprising in US history took place.

If Arch were really ‘Good Neighbors’ as their PR campaign states, we wouldn’t have poisonous drinking water. They would not use their workers like pieces of equipment and spit them out. They would not externalize the true costs of mining onto the surrounding communities. They would not be killing us with cancer. They would not create a situation where we have to go buy our water with money out of our pockets, just to be able to drink clean water. If they were good neighbors, our town would not be dying, instead they would be working with us to build up our local economy. All this is truly where their profit is coming from.

For Immediate Release
February 8th, 2011

Contact:
Mari-Lynn Evans, Evening Star Productions, 330 867-7443, mlevansesp@aol.com
Brandon Nida, Friends of Blair Mountain, 304-369-9800, nidabrandon@gmail.com
Sean Sarah, Sierra Club, 202 548-4589, sean.sarah@sierraclub.org
Joe Stanley, 304 486-5826, jmustang69mach1@aol.com
Vivian Stockman, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, 304-360-1979, vivan@ohvec.org
Maria Gunnoe, 304 245-8481, wvhollowgirl@gmail.com

Is Arch Coal About to Mine Historic Blair Mountain?
Local and National Groups Rally to Townspeople’s Defense

Logan, WV - Residents of Blair, West Virginia have noticed increased activity from mining company Arch Coal around the historic Blair Mountain Battlefield site. Members of the town have become more and more concerned about Arch’s activities and fear they are moving forward with plans to mine the Blair Battlefield site. There have been reports of proposed buy outs of resident’s property, increasing industrial activity in the area and other preparations indicative of a move towards mining operations on the battlefield itself. Blair Mountain is the site of the largest civil insurrection in American history since the Civil War. In 1921 more than 10,000 coal miners fought forces backed by mining interests in an attempt to organize unions in Logan and Mingo County.

“In the late 1990s, Arch Coal came through and destroyed much of Blair with one mountaintop removal mining operation. The town went from about 700 people to about 90 today. Mountain top removal poisons the drinking water, destroys communities and makes people sick.” says Friends of Blair Mountain executive director, Brandon Nida, who currently lives in Blair. “For the sake of all that is good and right, we must save the people in this town, protect their homes, and save this historic mountain from the decimation and poison of mountaintop removal mining.”

Arch Coal, the second largest coal producer in the United States, has four planned operations that intrude into the Blair Mountain battlefield. They have already begun operations on the Left Fork surface mine, which sits directly adjacent to the battlefield.

According to retired coalminer Joe Stanley, “We know that they are moving quickly in the Blair area. We know that they have land agents trying again to buy from people who have already refused them. And we know they are blasting on the Left Fork permit. So, time is running out for the people of Blair and the battlefield.”

Appalachian filmmaker and Friends of Blair Mountain board member Mari-Lynn Evans says, “Arch Coal is moving the chess pieces in so that they can come in and blast away our heritage. If we wait until they are on the battlefield, it is too late. And they know that.”

The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest civil uprising after the Civil War, fought due to protracted grievances between coal miners and the coal operators. It was finally brought to a halt after five days of heavy fighting along the Logan-Boone county lines. Federal troops were called in to quell the conflict.

“Blair Mountain is a national treasure and a critical piece of America’s history,” said Mary Anne Hitt Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “Workers fought and died on its slopes for the simple right to represent themselves and win fair working conditions. We will not stop our fight to defend that land and their memory no matter what tactics Arch Coal may use to try and destroy it.”

“Not only is our rich West Virginia history being destroyed by out-of-state coal operators, but the people around me here in Blair are being sickened, blasted, and generally run out of town. It’s not easy watching a town being killed, and unless something is done soon to stop the out-of-control companies, there won’t be a Blair left in six months, or a Blair Mountain,” says Brandon Nida.

###

The coal companies are once again expanding their surface mining operations toward the Blair Mountain battlefield, and have submitted yet another permit for review. We need your help to stop this encroachment, and you can do so by writing a comment letter to the WV Department of Environmental Protection. We will also be requesting a public hearing, and will keep you informed about when that will be.

The deadline for comments is February 2, and we have provided a sample letter below (or download pdf version here). It is for the Left Fork permit, which is a larger permit that has already been permitted. What the companies are doing now is submitting smaller additions; this one we are contesting right now is a 109.5 acre addition to a 1308.5 acre permit. In June of 2011, they added 54.55 acres. They are doing this in order to avoid submitting a larger permit that would involve more stringent review processes. This addition is would bring the surface mine right up to the boundary of the battlefield, and would certainly encroach upon the viewshed of the overall battlefield.

So, if you want to help stop this, get your comments in by February 2nd. To be considered, the comment letter must include the following:

Applicant Name: Mingo Logan Coal Company
Application Number: S-5081-87

Address to send it to:
Permit Supervisor
1101 George Costas Drive
Logan, WV 25601

—-

Sample Letter:

To: Permit Supervisor
1101 Kostas Drive
Logan, WV 25601

Re: Permit S-5081-87
Mingo Logan Coal Company

Dear Sir or Ma’am,

I am writing in regards to my concerns about the addition of 109.5 acres to the Left Fork permit. This will further encroach against the Blair Mountain Battlefield and the Area of Potential Effects. This addition will contribute to further cumulative impacts of surface mines in the area, all of which combined should be taken into consideration in deciding the issuance of this permit.

Peer-reviewed science has shown that surface mining is linked to a number of health risks, and the discharge of this surface mine into the Spruce Fork of the Little Coal River will add contaminants to an already highly polluted watershed. This permit has been cited for numerous violations including surface water violations that resulted in contamination of local streams, failures to adequately construct drainage and sediment ponds on the facility, and air quality violations that resulted in excessive release of airborne particulates during blasting. There violations show a pattern of neglect that place local communities in immediate harm.

In addition, no substantial archaeological work has been done in the permit area, and because of the extreme national importance of the Blair battlefield, proper investigations should be undertaken. Even with investigations, the topography of the battlefield and surrounding areas is an artifact in itself since it is integral to understanding the dynamics of the battle. The area should remain undisturbed from surface mining. Furthermore, issuing this permit would disregard the strong objections provided to the WV DEP by the WV State Historic Preservation Office.

In the end, I respectfully ask that this permit be denied for the above stated reasons.

Please take a moment to check out these new lesson plans.  If you are interested in using these lesson plans in the classroom, or know of an educator who might like to use them, please contact Aurora Lights. You can also give feedback on these lesson plans by filling out the Blair Lesson Plans Feedback Form, available on the Aurora Lights web site.

It seems the coal operator forces are mobilizing to be at the hearing tonight in Logan regarding the Camp Branch permit at Blair Mountain (see below for original post with info about hearing). We need as many people as possible there. But if you cannot make it, TRY TO PASS THIS ON, and watch the livestream here (going live at a little after 5PM):

http://www.ustream.tv/user/coalstories

Where: Logan High School Theater
When: TONIGHT at 6:00 (should get there about 5:30)
—

Join us at the Public Hearing for the Camp Branch Permit Renewal on November 17th at 6:00pm at the Logan High School Theater.

We encourage everyone to come and voice their opposition to the Camp Branch permit. Camp Branch is a major surface mine permit that will heavily impact the Blair Mountain battlefield as well as devastate the integrity of a nearby watershed, the Dingess Run. If the permit is allowed, the battlefield would be cut in two from north to south. The permit also intrudes into the Beech Creek area of the battlefield, a very significant portion that has evidence of intense fighting and complex defensive positions. At this point mining has already gotten very close to the Battlefield nomination area, we can not let this permit devastate Blair Mountains chances of becoming a National Historic Park.

Have you written your comment to the DEP about the Camp Branch Permit renewal yet? You still have time! Check out our sample letter and write yours now.

The Rally began with retired UMWA miner Joe Stanley, Joe illustrated the historical importance of Blair Mountain, ” Blair Mountain is the birth place of the American middle class; Blair Mountain represents a beacon to working people everywhere, to stand up for their right to fair treatment from their employer” Joe also stressed the possibilities of tourism for Blair Mountain; “I see Blair Mountain being as vital to the West Virginia economy as colonial Willamsburg is to the economy of Virginia .” Joe’s statement comes off the heels of Friends of Blair Mountain’s park proposal, which tangibly answered some questions of what Blair Mountain can become to the economy of West Virginia, if afforded the opportunity.

The Rally not only stressed the economic impacts of Blair Mountain, but the out pour of public support to preserve Blair Mountain; the State Historic Preservation Office was presented with a petition with over 26,000 signatures telling them to preserve Blair Mountain.

With the  rally coming near its end, Mingo County Conservation Officer, Wilma Steele reminded us “The Bullets that are found on Blair Mountain are more then artifacts, they are weapons that pierced bone and flesh. Blair Mountain can now, ninety years later become a place of healing, and most importantly it can be the site where the next generations of West Virginia can learn of their proud heritage.”

Read the Press Advisory for the rally here.

Read the Press Release for the rally here.

To read more articles on the SHPO rally visit our Archives Section.

For more pictures visit our facebook page.

We encourage everyone to come and voice their opposition to the Camp Branch permit. Camp Branch is a major surface mine permit that will heavily impact the Blair Mountain battlefield as well as devastate the integrity of a nearby watershed, the Dingess Run. If the permit is allowed, the battlefield would be cut in two from north to south. The permit also intrudes into the Beech Creek area of the battlefield, a very significant portion that has evidence of intense fighting and complex defensive positions. At this point mining has already gotten very close to the Battlefield nomination area, we can not let this permit devastate Blair Mountains chances of becoming a National Historic Park.

Have you written your comment to the DEP about the Camp Branch Permit renewal yet? You still have time! Check out our sample letter and write yours now.

Blair Mountain Battlefield

November 1st, 12:00 pm -1:00 pm
Culture and History building at the Capitol Complex in Charleston, WV

On November 1st, citizens are coming together to raise awareness of the Battle of Blair Mountain and to call on our state agencies and politicians to preserve the Blair Mountain battlefield and develop it as the significant national historic site that it truly is.

In 1921, ten thousand coal miners joined together to fight for their basic human rights to live and work in safe conditions. They fought for five days on the steep ridges of Blair Mountain until finally federal troops quelled the conflict peacefully.

Currently, Blair Mountain is threatened by imminent destruction from MTR, an extremely destructive form of surface coal extraction. Community members, union coal miners, environmentalists, academics, and many other people have been working to preserve the battlefield.

We have already taken constructive steps to show that heritage tourism is profitable, with the establishment of Coal Country Tours that features Blair Mountain as a stop along a multi-day tour through the coalfields. We have also established a Community Center and Museum in the town of Blair, WV, to celebrate the struggles of coal miners at Blair Mountain as well as larger coalfield culture.

We will continue to build local business around the Blair Mountain battlefield, and continue to honor the heritage of coal mining families. With this press conference and rally at the State Historic Preservation office at the Cultural Center, we are asking our state government to step up and help us preserve and develop Blair Mountain.

We realize it is a difficult political decision due to pressure from the coal industry, but it is one that will preserve a piece of heritage for future generations as well as aid in building local business now. We believe that with all of us working together we can come up with a viable solution where the jobs of coalminers are protected, new and diverse business opportunities are generated in the communities around the battlefield and coal companies can still underground mine the battlefield.

Come join us on November 1, 2011, at 12:00 as we discuss the importance of Blair Mountain and present a petition with over 26,000 signatures from people around the world to the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Officer. Speakers will include noted scholars, mining families, activists, and community members. All are welcome to attend.

If you haven’t signed the petition yet do so here. 26,000 and counting!!

Can’t come to the rally on November 1st or want to do more? Send a letter to the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) telling them how you feel about Blair Mountain and their inaction in saving it.

facebook event