OVEC Action Alert - May 17, 2004

PROTEST MASSEY TOMORROW, MAY 18 

Reminder: Please join Friends of the Mountains and EarthCop for some fun street theatre outside the Massey Energy shareholders’ meeting. Join us at 9:15 a.m. outside the Charleston Town Center Marriott, 200 Lee St. East, Charleston.

Let the shareholders know how you feel about Massey Energy’s mountaintop removal mines!

If you want to volunteer be part of the street theatre, please get there a little early. We need Massey “stockholders” to “arrest.”

See the ad about tomorrow’s event that OVEC ran in the Sunday Gazette Mail and today’s Charleston Gazette. 

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN'T MAKE THE EVENT--you can still help! We'll be handing out flyers (see text below) You can take the action described here:

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Massey Energy’s corporate attitude is destroying the quality of life, culture, and economy of southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. The numerous crimes against the people and the Earth are economic insanity. Here are a few examples:

Massey subsidiary Martin County Coal was responsible in 2000 for the 300,000,000 gallon slurry spill that has been identified as the single worst environmental disaster east of the Mississippi River. Clean up costs exceeded $50 million and penalties exceeded $3.25 million.

Massey subsidiary Independence Coal was fined $45,000 in 2001 by WV Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) for creating an illegal coal waste impoundment near Van, WV.

Massey subsidiary Marfork Coal was ordered in 2002 to shut down for 14 days by WV DEP for repeated water pollution violations

Massey subsidiaries Omar Mining and Independence Coal admitted in 2003 that they are guilty of criminal violation of the Clean Water Act. Each company was fined $200,000 and given 5 years probation.

Massey subsidiary Elk Run Coal was ordered to pay the citizens of Sylvester $473,000 for damage to their properties caused by excessive coal dust from the stoker plant.

Massey subsidiaries Independence Coal, Marfork Coal and Green Valley Coal Co. all had their permits suspended in 2003 for a total of 35 days.

Massey Energy according to a SEC filing paid $6.9 million in 2003 to settle a lawsuit over delinquent Worker Compensation premiums.

Massey subsidiary Independence Coal is currently blasting the mountains above Marshfork Elementary where there is also a huge coal silo and slurry lake endangering the children in the school.

In 2004 Massey subsidiaries will destroy tens of thousands of acres of valuable hardwood forests, bury miles and miles of biologically crucial headwater streams, and blast the tops of numerous, irreplaceable Appalachian Mountains.

We need your help to stop this destruction of our quality of life, culture and economy. Please take the time to write or call one or more of the following members of the Massey Energy board of directors urging them to stop the destruction of our quality of life, culture and economy.

E. Gordon Gee
211 Kirkland Hall
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN 37240
615-322-1813/fax 615-322-6060

Bobby Inman
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
The University of Texas at Austin
P.O. Box Y
Austin, TX 78713-8925
512-471-6716

Dan R. Moore
23 Fox Chase Road
Charleston, WV 25304
304-925-3801
Martha Seger
4810 E. Scarlett St.
Tuscon, AZ 85711
520-326-5485

THANK YOU, FROM THE MEMBER GROUPS OF FRIENDS OF THE MOUNTAINS