Winds of Change Newsletter, February 2006     See sidebar for table of contents

Coalfield Residents Banding Together to Save School From Impoundment

Interested in social and environmental justice? Would you like to put your school work to use, supporting one of the most compelling grassroots struggles of our time, working with an inspiring community organization in the Appalachian coalfields?

Coal River Mountain Watch with organizations in and beyond Appalachia is forming the Save Marsh Fork Elementary Coalition Project.

Marsh Fork Elementary School sits only 150 feet away from a coal silo, a few more feet away from a coal processing plant and only 400 yards away from a sludge impoundment, where a leaking dam is holding back 2.8 billion gallons of toxic coal waste.

Citizens of Coal River have dedicated their lives to

protecting their children and holding King Coal (in this case, Massey Energy), responsible for its impact on their community.

Children are sick; coal soot in the ventilation system is in their lungs. Residents suspect that exposure to certain chemicals in the air and water has caused cancers and other disorders. This is no environment for children.

We are looking for capable, self-motivated students with a heart for justice and a mind to make change. We need information. People interested in contributing their skills and research in any of the following areas are encouraged to apply:

• Environmental Policy
• Public Educational Materials
• Toxicology/ Public Health
• Children’s Educational Programs
• Sociology
• Sustainable Energy Production
• Chemistry
• Art/Visual Production

Work may be done at the Coal River Mountain Watch office or from your college or university. Funding may be provided by your school’s internship office, and research may be counted as credit.

Please Contact Patricia Feeney at (205) 617-4420 if you are interested.