Just Say NO to Mountaintop Removal / Valley Fills in Papua, New Guinea

Larry Gibson recently had the pleasure of hosting four community members from Papua, New Guinea, on Kayford Mountain: Grace Koa, Poin Caspar, Wina Kayonga and Patrick D. Pate. They were traveling with two companions from the World Wildlife Fund.

Larry Gibson talks about the destruction
caused by mountaintop removal mining
near his home with new-found allies
from Papau, New Guinea.
photo by Anita van Breada of the World Wildlife Fund

Visiting the U.S. compliments of the World Wildlife Fund, the island folks were here to learn about serious issues U.S. citizens are facing. In addition to talking with homeless people in San Francisco and spending time with the Hopi and Navajo people, these travelers wanted to see a mountaintop removal site in West Virginia.

Asked how they found out about mountaintop removal, someone said that when they typed the word "moonscape" during an Internet search, up popped OVECs website and Kayford Mountain!

Mining plays a major role in the economy of New Guinea, but unlike residents in West Virginia, people there primarily own the land.

Like many people here, New Guineans live close to and depend upon their land to sustain them. They came here just to see whether or not they would want to allow mountaintop removal mining in their own country.

As we drove up the road to Kayford, we paused near a massive valley fill and discussed both on- and off-site impacts of burying streams on wildlife and water quality and the potential for increased flooding and pollution downstream.

We toured the Stanley Heirs cemetery, where graves are sinking (from undermining?). As we gazed across the barren, flattened landscape, Larrys guests were bewildered that anyone would systematically destroy the land on such a large scale.

When Larry said, "My mother gave me birth, but these mountains gave me life," their response was: "We have a similar saying: We feed from the breasts of our Mother (Earth)."

Needless to say, after seeing the large-scale destruction caused by mountaintop removal/valley fill mining here, our new friends are resolved NOT to let this happen in their country. They may even host Larry Gibson in their community to share his powerful story with others.