Clear Fork Hearing
By: Lorelei Scarbro
On August 2, 2007 at Clear Fork Elementary, in Clear Fork, WV, approximately 90 citizens attended yet another DEP hearing. This permit, #S302805, if granted will destroy nearly 2500 acres of Appalachian Mountains. Eagle 2 is the second of three projects planned to decapitate Coal River Mountain.I sat and watched as approximately 30 of my friends and neighbors spoke in opposition to this permit. The DEP sat stonefaced and unmoved as people pleaded, cried, and offered alternative forms of energy and economic solutions.
The DEP has no deadline in which to render its decision.
I live 3 miles up in Rock Creek. When I went to the DEP office in an attempt to locate my property I was told I was too far away from the site to be affected. Outside the affected area is .7 miles. We all need to be doing pre-blast surveys. If you are inside what the DEP considers affected they will do this for you and we recommend you follow them in this process and document all that they do. If you are outside this perimeter CRMW will offer to train you to do your own independent survey. We can only hope the DEP does their job and protects the environment. We all need to grasp the concept that it is not okay to poison your neighbor so you can prosper.