Massey Energy Subsidiary Denied Permit to Cover Another West Virginia Town with Coal Dust

Homer wont be dusting Peytona anytime soon.

As reported in our last newsletter, Homer III Processing, a subsidiary of Massey Energy, applied for a permit to build a huge plant in Boone County near Peytona to process coal from mountaintop removal mines. The proposed Homer site is only 10 miles from Masseys Elk Run Plant, which has showered the residents of Sylvester with dust (see story on page 7).

After more than five years of what Sylvester resident Pauline Canterberry calls "Black Hell," culminating in a citizen lawsuit which could cost Massey millions, it was surprising to see that Massey would again want to locate a coal processing facility so close to an established community.

According to the permit application, the Homer III plant would emit 5,850 tons per year of controlled particulate matter (dust) including 2,699 tons per year of very fine (less than 10 microns) dust particles. These ultra-fine particles are of particular health concern, as they are able to bypass the human bodys normal respiratory defenses and lodge deeply in lung tissue, where they can contribute to or aggravate lung disorders like asthma.

OVEC, Coal River Mountain Watch and other groups wonder if Massey will ever learn from its past mistakes. The coal industry is always saying how mountaintop removal creates flat developable land for industry and factories, so why dont they locate one of these coal processing plants on an old mountaintop removal site? (Editors note: We suspect that when it comes to real-life investment decisions, even Massey realizes that most old mountaintop removal sites would be prohibitively expensive, if not impossible, to develop.)

Happily for the residents of Peytona, on Nov. 8 the WV Department of Environmental Protection denied Homer IIIs permit application, stating that the plant "does not demonstrate eligibility and compliance."

Residents breathed a sigh of relief as common sense seemed to finally prevail at the DEP. However, the DEP also noted that "issuance of this order does not prevent Homer III Processing from submitting a modification application in the future."

On January 30, DEP held a town meeting at the Peytona Church of Christ to seek citizen input about converting a beloved and scenic rural dirt byway called Indian Creek Road into a coal haul road to service the DEP-denied Homer III plant.

Once again, local residents, led by Paul and Nannette Nelson and Jim Browning, organized Boone County neighbors to fight to save Indian Creek Rd., which follows Indian Creek for miles through the woods, is popular for recreation and has long been used by hikers, hunters, four-wheelers, ginseng and mushroom gatherers.

Coal Rivers Judy Bonds spoke passionately about the importance of these woodlands to the culture of the people of Appalachia, referencing from Dr. Mary Huffords research on the ethnography of the region. Nannette Nelson said, "Ive lived here all my life, and my ancestors lived here 200 years before that!" Bill Price called the proposal "the road to nowhere from a mine thats not permitted to a processing plant thats had the permit denied."

Imagine seeing your favorite road through the woods turned into an industrial corridor!

Massey claims they want to use this back road to keep coal truck traffic off of busy Route 3 and to try and be a better neighbor.

Yet given the past experience of its neighbors in Sylvester, Peytona residents remain skeptical of Masseys stated motives.

If Massey truly wants to be a better neighbor, then that will truly be a happy day for coalfield residents.

Until that, they are best advised to remain watchful.