Mountain Justice Spring Break 2014

Sun setting over Doddridge County Park, West Virginia. Fracking and mountain top removal processes from over these mountains release harmful chemicals such as methane and silica into the air. 500 mountains have disappeared in the Appalachian region due to mountain top removal.

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Panel: Identities in Appalachia: Appalachian Cultural Awareness discussion.<br />
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From Right to Left: D Steele of Southern West Virgina, Adam Hall of Raleigh County West Virginia and Crystal Good of Charleston, West Virginia.<br />
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Dedicated to a brighter future for West Virginia by fighting extreme earth extraction, military recruitment and lack of opportunity.

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Crystal Good, an Appalachian poet performs to MJSB

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Paul Epstein. Charleston, WV local musician. <br />
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300,000 residents lost access to drinkable water after a leak was discovered at a chemical storage facility operated by Freedom Industries on January 9, 2014. 10,000 gallons of a chemical mixture used in the coal production process leaked into the Elk River.

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The Extraction in Appalachia Panel. <br />
From right to left: Host Annie Jane Cotten, Veronica Coptis of "The Center for Coalfield Justice," Robin Mahonen of "Wheeling Water Warriors," Diane D'Arrigo of "Nuclear Information Resource Science", & Elise Keaton of "Keepers of The Mountain."

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Bo Webb is a 6th generation resident of the Coal River Valley in West Virginia. He spoke to the morning MJSB session about his personal experience of living directly below a mountain top removal site, as well as the steps he and the A.C.H.E. team are taking to pass legislation in Washington, D.C. <br />
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The Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act urges you to contact your member of the House of Representatives and insist on having them sign on to HR 526 by visiting this link acheact.org/take-action/ ( http://acheact.org/take-action/ ) <br />
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Mountain Top Removal Coal Mining means surface coal mining that uses blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia.

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Bo Webb points to an aerial view of the sludge pools of chemical coal waste storage. The Cancer rates in some mountaintop removal mining communities are twice that of non-MTR communities. <br />
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This team has extensive research backing the bill HR526, such as the fact that non-smoking MTR residents have a 10x greater risk of giving birth to a child with respiratory birth defects than that of smoking mothers who are not living in an MTR community.

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Bo Webb explains "The Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act," or the ACHE Act that would require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support a comprehensive study on the health impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on individuals in the surrounding communities. Contact your member of the House of Representatives and insist on having them sign on to HR 526 by visiting this link acheact.org/take-action/ ( http://acheact.org/take-action/ )

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Sandra Kim, founder of "Everyday Feminism" hosts a workshop on maintaining energy in the activist movement through practicing self care.

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Sandra Kim, founder of "Everyday Feminism" hosts a workshop on maintaining energy in the activist movement through self care practices.

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Diane D'Arrigo from N.I.R.S. shares information on the dangers of nuclear power.

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Bunker Seyfert of Project Survival Media interviewing MTR participants.

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The Extraction in Appalachia Panel. <br />
From right to left: Elise Keaton of "Keepers of The Mountain", Diane D'Arrigo of "Nuclear Information Resource Science", & Robin Mahonen of "Wheeling Water Warriors." Extraction in Appalachia.

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Panel on the West Virginia Water Crisis featuring Joanna de Graffenreid, Tyler Cannon, D Steele and Brooke Drake

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Miranda Brown of "The Listening Project" explains the first step in community organizing.

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Michael Kline of "Talking Across the Lines: Worldwide Conversations," is an oral historian and folklorist. He and his partner Carrie Nobel Kline work with students and communities as they seek to give voice to a wide range of views on historical and current events.

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Johanna de Graffenreid gave a discussion about the Care Campaign, covering the failings of the West Virginia DEP as well as the citizen enforcement of SMCRA. (The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977)<br />
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SMCRA provides that a violation of permit conditions on a mining site is subject to a fine of $5,000.<br />
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Sites are visited once a month to receive these violations. The yearly profits of coal companies such as ALPHA are in the billions.

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Michael Kline and Carrie Nobel of "Talking Across the Lines: Worldwide Conversations." They work with students and communities as they seek to give voice to a wide range of views on historical and current events.

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Michael Kline and Carrie Nobel Kline wrap up the evening with old and new labor organizing songs.

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Michael Kline and Carrie Nobel Kline wrap sing "You'll Never Leave Harlan County Alive."

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Brooke Drake of Charleston, WV speaks about the chemical spill in Elk River that was detected on 1/9/14. 5 days later the "Do not drink order," was lifted. <br />
The water still has traces of MCHM. Donations are needed for water distro donatenow.networkforgood.org/keeperofthemountains ( https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/keeperofthemountains )

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The site of Larry Gibson's family cemetery.

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Larry Gibson's family grave site. He fought to conserve this cemetery as many residents are forced to due. Mountains used to rise 500-800ft past this point on each side.

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A wider view of Larry Gibson's family grave site. All of the surrounding sand like surface is what used to be mountains that used to surpass this point by 500 - 800 ft. His family has lived on and around this mountain since the 1700's.

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Bunker Seyfert films the large cracks in the Earth caused by nearby Mountaintop removal.

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One the cottages on Larry Gibson's property. 3,000 ft above sea level.

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Bullets were often shot at Larry Gibson for not complying to the coal companies wishes.

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Larry Gibson was a leading activist in the Mountain Justice movement. By refusing to sell his property to the coal company he was able to conserve this look out on to the major destruction caused all around him by MTR.

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Coal companies have a long history of having a firm hold on West Virginia's economy.

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It is important to mark old family cemeteries in this region to avoid disruption from the ongoing extraction.

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Elise Keaton talks to the MJSB group about the recently departed Larry Gibson. A hero in the Mountaintop Removal fight. He refused the large sums of money from coal companies to sell this land.

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A cottage on Larry Gibson's property. 3,000 ft above sea level.

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Earthquakes caused by the explosives used on nearby Mountaintop Removal sites.

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Elise A Keaton carries out Larry Gibson's legacy by teaching visitors about the massive destruction being caused by Mountaintop Removal.

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Elise A Keaton carries out Larry Gibson's legacy by teaching visitors about the massive destruction being caused by Mountaintop Removal. This reclamation site is merely a gravel and sand pile. These trees were planted by activists who were arrested for trespassing.

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Mountaintop removal sites are often turned into golf courses, prisons or large outlet stores.

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Coal can be found on the ground of these mineral and coal rich mountains.

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$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

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$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

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$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mounain-justice-spring-break-2014_13...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

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$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

$Activists with Mountain Justice Spring Break in 2016 monitor and bear witness to natural gas fracking sites and infrastructure in West Virginia$

mountain-justice-spring-break-2014_1...jpg

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