Fall 2007 Student Summit
By: Adam Stephenson
The Following is a write up of the Fall 2007 Student Summit by Marshall
student Adam Stephenson. Thanks to all the folks at SEAC, the
Souther
Energy Network, and OVEC for helping make this
possible. And also to Adam for his beautiful writing:
Something Adam's Hoosier eyes had never
seen.
On the drive up, I was a little afraid. My experiences with summits, especially those with good, forward-thinking causes, is that those who hold them are generally inhospitable and slow to accept a new arrival as a soldier for their cause. This was not the case at all. We arrived after nightfall, and were immediately greeted by several of the people running the event. We were shown around, picked a tent, and saw the last few minutes of a workshop about oppression.
The event primarily took place on Ford Addition, which is more or less a drive with three or four houses along its path. A man named Matt lives in the house where we primarily gathered and spoke, as well as ate. There was a large circular campfire behind one of the houses, fueled by enormous stockpiles of reclaimed wood. There were containers with recyclable goods, as well as organized piles. Food was composted, and water was conserved to everyone's best ability. I was, needless to say, in heaven here.
We ended the night with a s'more roast, as well as lots of introductions and dialog about who we were, where we were from, and so forth. I was particularly gleeful about the vegan marshmallows, though I must admit, they don't cook quite as well as regular marshmallows over a campfire.
The next morning, we gathered around Matt's house for a morning introduction, since everyone had finally arrived. After quickly going through everyone's information, food was served, and workshops were announced. A media workshop was being held at the campfire, a community organization group met behind the house, and there was an "MTR 101" session inside. Since I was vaguely familiar with MTR, thanks primarily to people like Briana and my English professor, Victor Depta, I decided to go to one of the other workshops. And, since I had decided to make an effort to meet new people, I went to the community organization workshop, since Briana had chosen Media. I figured at this point I was bugging her by following her around constantly.
So many great points were being brought up at the workshop. We discussed the ownership of power, and a concept which I had not formerly considered, "inherited oppression." I began to learn why Mountaineers are so resistant to outsiders, and indeed they have every right to be. Since the state's foundation, we outsiders have only proven to be leeches to these people and their beautiful land.
We then had lunch, and, afterward, headed up to Kayford Mountain. This was the experience I had been looking forward to the most. I was going to get up close and personal with a real MTR site.
Larry Gibson at Kayford
Mountain.
We began the day by hearing prayers and songs from various clergymen and women, and then heard a speech by Larry Gibson himself. I have never had to fight so hard to hold back tears as when this man explained the struggles he has endured to keep his land, as well as the reasons behind his constant efforts. After being there about an hour, we began the trek to what Larry calls "Hell's Gates." We heard testimony from several people whose lives had literally been ruined by the inconsiderate actions of the coal industry. One woman lost her husband to coal mining, and then found that, with the construction of strip mines was now constantly dealing with coal dust entering her ventilation system. We heard from another woman whose husband had died a slow death in a hospital, only for her to return to her community and find that her water had been proven toxic and unfit for consumption.
It was around this time I realized just how oppressed the people of West Virginia are by the coal industry. Of course, who am I to say anything, being from Indiana of all places? What would happen if strip mining completely disappeared? Thousands of people would be without jobs, but those issues came back later on.
We headed on down the trail, and I noticed that, of all people, Barbara and Ian Castleberry were walking along. These were the wife and son of my voice teacher, Dr. David Castleberry. Barbara explained that she was involved with OHVEC.
Upon seeing the Kayford Mountain removal site, I had some time for hard reflection. I recalled all the reasons that defenders of mountaintop removal had given me. One by one, I conversed with this voice and came to one solid agreement: Mountaintop removal must end.
We then got to see the site of Larry's family burial site. Larry's relatives who had been living on that mountain generations ago chose to give their dead final rest on that spot. Massey energy chose to blow their graves to bits. I was incensed like few times before. Larry spoke to us on the summit where we could see Massey's "reclaimed" MTR sites, sites which had no topsoil, and grew inhospitable greens which local wildlife would never consume. When I saw that site and listened to Larry speak, it was like the Buddha's hand extended to me, and handed to me a sacred treasure on the path to right understanding. I will always keep that in my heart.
I was becoming physically ill. I don't know if it was a psychosomatic issue, or if being at the highest elevation in my life, but I was physically uncomfortable that night.
When we got back, we feasted on some delicious chili, which contained the largest TVP chunks I've ever seen. We heard stories about Marsh Fork Elementary. This is a small school located near Coal River Mountain, and right next door to an enormous coal treatment plant. A man named Ed, who worked years for Coal on projects such as the center near Marsh Fork, told his testimony about his granddaughter, a girl who had been stricken with illness because of the toxic processing chemicals being held near this school. Just how much toxin, you ask?
This is a photograph taken approximately two years ago of the coal processing plant near Marsh Fork elementary.
Figure 1 is a sludge pool containing somewhere in the ballpark of three billion gallons of toxic carcinogen sludge.
Figure 2 is Marsh Fork Elementary school, home to about 200 kids, K-12.
Figure 3 is an earthen dam, shown on multiple occasions to be unfit to hold the capacity of sludge present.
Ed testified to us about his experiences with Massey, how when heavy rains came, he and others would be called to physically pump sludge into a runoff, out of the dam, which eventually went into the water supply. He told us that the compactions, which, by law, should have been created by using 2-foot increments of earth, stamped down by steamrollers, were actually created using 10-foot increments packed down by the passage of carrier trucks and bulldozers.
The gravel road in front of the dam is, itself, one of the over 200 major violations in the construction of this dam. Were the dam to break, 700 residents would have less than one minute to evacuate the Coal River valley, or inevitably perish, either from suffocation, or by the long-term effects of the carcinogens.
We ended the night with a drumming circle around the campfire. I played the digeridoo, several people brought bongos, djembes, and other drums. Briana turned to me and said, laughingly, "We're such a bunch of hippies."
Hippies as we may be, we realize our responsibility, but moreso, we realize the danger that this state faces. We realize the arrogance of companies who attempt to enslave the people of West Virginia.
I saw the best and worst of the land this weekend. I saw the literal majesty of the natural mountains in this state. I saw why Mountaineers love their land. I also saw the truly evil actions of men driven by the acquisition of capital.
People of West Virginia, you do not have to be owned. You are not, as Larry Gibson would say, "some becoming collateral damage in the pursuit of maintaining a comfortable life for many." Coal isn't keeping the lights on, the souls of West Virginians, alive and past, are fueling those turbines.
There is another way. Don't let big Coal fool you. They must be stopped.