The People Comment Passionately On
Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

July 24, 2003

Comments by Jack Brown Jr., Walhonda Village, WV

My name is Jack Brown Jr. and I live at 104 Finley Circle in Walhonda Village which is in the Clear Creek Hollow. I am a life time resident of the great state of West Virginia. I was born in 1935 at Edwight, WV and my dad was a retired coal miner. I watched him die of black lung 6 years ago.

When I was a small boy living in the coal camp at Edwight, Whitesville and the surrounding areas there were thousands of coal miners working in the mines, not like today only a few work in the mines.

I have seen the streams run black with coal dust. But not the whole tops of mountains leveled. The sludge dams they have built and the water they have polluted, coal trucks ruining the highways for only a few real jobs? Believe me I am not against jobs.

When they polluted in the old day's at least 10's of 1000's of coal miners had good paying jobs. Then the let down happened; the mines shut down and the coal market dried up, people left the state to find work.

But here we go again big coal companies have found a cheaper way to get the coal. Hot like my dad got it, but by removing 1000's of mountaintop acres, filling in the little hollow streams. I used to catch spring lizards for fish bait. We don't find the wild things in the mountains like that any more.

Big coal has bought and paid for pollutions they own and don't give me much of a say so in the matter. They promise me better but big coal uses their money to change the laws to suit them.

I watched the flood waters wash my brothers house killing his animals and leaving him homeless. I saw what happened to Boger Hollar and Sycamore Hollow when the sludge ponds broke. I watched my friends and neighbors cry wondering what to do next. Now what did big coal do? Not our fault; an act of God; It wasn't our fault the dam busted and you cry babies lost everything you had.

In finishing this little letter I'm going to stay here in my little home and I'm going to fight with the big coal for a decent place to live without a polluted environment like we have now and one law maker to go to bat for me.

I guess I'll be fighting for a long time or at least until someone does something to stop this land raping, polluting the water like big coal is doing. Oh yes before I close, the Governor of our State will only be a one-term governor, so if you can stop the raping of my beautiful mountains and stand up to big coal. Please give me your name. I want to stand behind you and support you for governor.

Jack Brown Jr.