Funeral for the Mountains outside Coal Industry Reception in Richmond

by: glenbesa

Thu Jan 26, 2012 at 19:06:43 PM EST

Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices hold Funeral for the Mountains Outside Coal Industry's Legislative Reception in Richmond

"We're here today to tell the coal industry, Governor McDonnell and legislators that we oppose subsidies to the coal industry in Virginia," said Glen Besa, Virginia Director for the Sierra Club.  "Today, in southwest Virginia, coal companies are blowing up mountains, destroying communities and displacing families and getting Virginia taxpayers dollars to subsidize these actions."

Mountaintop removal coal mining is a form of mining in which the tops of mountains are blown up with explosives and then huge earth moving equipment is used to push the debris or overburden into adjacent stream valleys so that the miners can get to the thin coal seams in the mountain at the least expense.  More than 2000 miles of streams have been destroyed in Appalachia as a result of mountaintop removal coal mining.

Before the General Assembly yesterday was legislation that would end the tax credits for the coal industry (HB 446 by Toscano) and which would extend the coal tax credits (HB 1192 by O'Quinn).  A subcommittee of the House Finance Committee voted yesterday to extend the coal tax credits that amount to over 30 million of taxpayers' dollars per year through 2020.

"The coal tax credits are simply tens of millions of dollars a year in corporate welfare," said Tom Cormons, Virginia Director for Appalachian Voices.  "Virginia needs to dedicate these funds to economic diversification efforts that actually create jobs rather than giving them away to the shareholders of big coal and utility companies."

Demonstrators outside the Omni Hotel in Richmond held a mock funeral for the mountains complete with a casket and bag piper playing "Amazing Grace". Governor McDonnell was to address the Coalfields Regional Legislative Reception at the Omni Hotel in Richmond as the demonstration took place. Demonstrators read the names of the more than sixty mountains that have already destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining.  

"Virginians do not know that their tax dollars are being used to blow up mountains in southwest Virginia," said Besa. "We're here to shine a light on this practice and let Governor McDonnell know this is not right."

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