Day 5 of non-violent civil disobedience against mountain top removal mining

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/3/2010/3695

by Tom Over
January 25, 2010

Since Thursday morning, David Aaron Smith, 23, Amber Nitchman, 19 and Eric Blevins, 28, have interrupted strip mining operations in the Bee Tree Area of Coal River Mountain. Smith, after experiencing numbness in his legs, came down from his tree-sit and was arrested several hours ago. As the protest continues with two tree-sitters remaining, activists with Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice urge people to phone Massey Energy: V.P. of Finance, Jeff Jerosinki, at 1- 804- 788- 1868; President Baxter Phillips at 1-804-788-1807 ; and the company’s main number 1-804-788-1800.

The security staff for Massey Energy has been using flood lights and air horns in an attempt to force down the tree sitters by depriving them of sleep, according to a statement by Climate Ground Zero. Massey officials have not returned phone calls from the Columbus Free Press.

A simple phone call to the police, and those guys should have been arrested and gone in 20 minutes.

I'm not for strip mining, but the fact is we have coal power plants, and we need coal to keep our society functioning.

If it was up to me, I would break ground on 30 nuclear power plants tomorrow, as well as solar and wind, and eventually we would not need coal, but its not going anywhere in the next 20 years.

30 more nuclear power plants, NOT. And sure, there is continued need for coal but there are dam sure better ways to get it than strip mining.