The People Speak

On August 3, 1998, the Governor’s Task Force on Mountaintop Removal held a public hearing. There were forty eight speakers. Some of the highlights:

"I’m here not because I was an activist or an environmentalist but because I am a mother." Logan County resident

"Mountaintop removal leaves land that is useable, appealing, and environmentally sound." Coal industry lobbyist

"During the Legislature the coal industry lobbyists threatened the jobs of the Delegates. Think what they could do to somebody like me." Logan County resident

"People are not here because they have nothing better to do than complain about mining. We’re here because there is a serious problem." Mingo County resident

"We should have some way to take care of damage caused by blasting." Logan County coal operator

"Dealing with a state’s poverty by selling off its mountains is like dealing with a family’s poverty by selling off a couple of sisters." Calhoun County resident

"Spoil materials can improve the streams they are dumped into." Coal company surveyor

"It’s interesting that there has not been a single person who is not employed in the coal industry who spoke in favor of mountaintop removal." Kanawha County resident