Written by Geoffrey Bliss, Graduate Student at
the University of Cincinnati
On
Wednesday April 18th, Donna Branham, Speaker with the Keeper of the
Mountains Foundation spoke at the University of Cincinnati’s (UC) MainStreet
Cinema. UC is a large public research university located in southern Hamilton
County with a total enrollment of 42,421 and the university was a poised to
hear her words. Members of students groups such as UC Beyond Coal, part of the
nation-wide Beyond Coal Campaign, were in attendance as well as others
representing groups working in distinct branches of green initiatives extending
towards green building design, political activism and historic preservation.
The true
cost of Mountain Top Removal, the
process of extracting coal developed in the 1970s in Appalachia is “a
conventional strip mining technique” that involves the clearing, blasting,
digging and extraction techniques necessary to obtain coal, forcibly removing
500-800 feet of mountaintop was made very real, clear and deliberate.
This “cost
efficient form of coal production,” which has innumerable side affects such as decreasing
the number of available mining jobs, furthering economic disparity in the
region, destroying old forests, devastating indigenous fish and wildlife
communities and adding to a host of other problems distressing the health,
safety and welfare of local populations living in close proximity united
students, faculty and staff who absorbed information from an unscripted and
vivid portrait of destruction for the sake of profits.
Donna
shared her story of fighting Big Coal - after decades of suffering, struggle
and personal loss.
She spoke
in a delicate but firm voice, a voice, which echoed the continuing struggle of
thousands. The perils of mountain top removal suddenly became extremely vivid
and real, carried forward by a strong narrative, which mirrored her travels,
her experiences and her longing for social justice. The dangers of fueling the
continuing demand for energy, especially that companion the countless coal
burning power plants, which dominate the countryside in many urban and rural communities
in WV, were suddenly brought within full view. The spectrum of desperation
indeed demands action, now.
Donna
provided a stirring introduction, presenting a slideshow of images recounting
the destruction wrought by Mountain Top Removal in Mingo County WV, which has
affected the livelihood of her family, her friends and her entire community. Mingo
County, as Donna explained was noted to be one of “…the poorest and most
fragile communities in West Virginia,” She then provided audience members with
a short documentary with interviews with residents living in the shadow of
Kayford Mountain, whose once tall peaks have been slowly torn apart since 1986,
which showed images of trees being torn from the ground and blasts devastating
mountainsides, all being set to the harmony of traditional Appalachian cultural
music, whose lyrics pleaded and begged for change.
Her
story was intimate, comprehensive and emotionally moving. Donna, who still
lives on a small farm with her husband, explained how she has through the years
filed numerous petitions and written countless letters against Mountain Top
Removal, making her an both an “outcast”
and a “target” for harassment. “You’re noted to be an enemy if you speak out
against coal.” She explained being pushed around in public, receiving
threatening letters, phone calls and even a standoff between her husband and
the coal company who forcefully demanded to pass through her property without a
proper permit. One could only imagine being treated this way.
The
audience remained speechless. Her presentation continued.
She
exposed the mass efficiency of Mountain Removal, which has assisted in creating
great profits for coal companies, ruining the natural landscape, increasing the
risk for surface runoff of rainwater, causing mass flooding in her community
while poisoning the air and groundwater, thereby increasingly the likelihood
for preexisting conditions such as asthma from air from air and waterborne
illnesses. One could only fathom the following questions: How could coal companies
allow coal production to cause such terrible destruction fully knowing the adverse
affects to health, safety and well-being residents living there? How can they
get away with this? How are coal companies able to continue without sympathy,
remorse or regret? How can I stop the
continuation of this horrendous disaster wrought upon the natural landscape?
Questions
such as this would forever permeate the minds of the audience that day.
Donna
explained to students how they could become involved but many of them had
already filled out or collected advocacy information well before her
presentation finished. You and your colleagues have aroused great hope and
change in Mingo County and other parts of Appalachia. Your successes and the
continuing stories shared through the Keeper of the Mountain’s On the Road
Again campaign were incredibly well received at UC and we look forward to
seeing you again at our campus soon.
We can only hope to see the full return
of the landscape that you so love and are so connected to. Our hearts and minds
are with you and your struggle.
And let
it be known that a group of vey interested UC students are already planning
their visit to Kayford Mountain in coming months!
Thank
you for sharing your story with us at the University of Cincinnati.
Please
stay in touch. We certainly will.
