Wise County, VA: the Story of Kathy Selvage

[zLOSTNOMOREz]

I hate that they are doing this. Go up to Flag Rock and look across.there used to be a mountain there! People get on there soap box and want to defend this practice but they never give a second thought to the number of Jobs that surface mining takes away from their community. This is done so that greedy mine owners can put more money in their pockets while those are these areas suffer for it!

[lrwwolf]

Almost Heaven, West Virginia... Not if the Coal Companies have their way!

[tiffanynl1]

I wonder if any of my comments are going to be posted. This country is supposed to be about freedom of speech. You posted your video with your opinion now let everyone see the opinions of those that watch it.

[funkster22657]

fuckit were all going to get dirt in the face in a six foot hole. i say use up the earth the cheapest way quickest way.fuckit were all doomed the bible is bullshit by the way,prayers dont work for amputees does it.

[kevindepriest]

there are lots of things that suck about this place trust me i live here u should see the ponds and strems around some of thow strip jobs where they just blast off the whole mountian. this whole county and sw va in no mans land

[laurelfan1]

Yeah I know what you mean. It's awful. I live in Weber City---right next to the train tracks!

[Hunterkirk]

A question if they did not buy your coal what jobs would you have?

[kevindepriest]

you cant even git a job in the mines round here ne more and who would wont do that

[1984vrs]

@b0rm0re actually the end of strip mining especially all coal mining in SWVA even more all of the U.S. would open virtualy innumerable opprotunities for new industries and causing jobs to come for centuries such as alternative energy, Increased tourism, Increased hunting and fishing opprptunities causing an increase in sales of hunting and fishing supplies, more natural beuty and outdoor recreation people should think about possibilities and consequences before they support projects like this

[3046825269]

I was born in Harlan Kentucky raised in Southern West Virginia. My Dad was the most honest precious man I have ever known and he was a strip miner. That is the only job he could find it put beans on our table, I grew up very poor but very happy childhood no cell phones no cable tv just good honest parents. My Dad died from Black Lung in Oct.1990 He had just retired that August. Strip miners Daughter

[dwt66]

I worked in the coal buss. and if you only knew what we buried you would understand.

[jammineddie]

Nobody has the right to tear down these mountains, rip up the land and leave a bunch of pollution and crap all over the place!!! Even if you live in West virginia or not these mountains belong to the citizens of the USA, NOT CORPORATIONS!!! And those that do live there, can't YOU PEOPLE SEE THAT YOUR DESTROYING THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE!!!??? YOU COULD GET MILLIONS IN TOURISM DOLLARS!! in those mountains!

[tiffanynl1]

@jammineddie Please explain how SWVA could actually get millions in tourism. I don't see it happening. Even Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge cut down mountains to clear off for hotels restaurants and shopping. Face it not a lot of people travel just to look at mountains. GET REAL!

[teheitsjessica]

I grew up in Wise county. I miss it SO much!

[skip208]

u people like the coal and what it produces,u just don't like the dirt. 22% poverty will be 55% poverty if not for the coal mines. Do u people think GOD put it here for us to use? if not what do u wanna do with it? Most of Wise Co. is built on old strip mines,u people like the mountains,we do to! we like to hunt in them,but u people say that is crulity to animals,look back a hundred years,what did people do then? stand up for something worth while,youll still have water to drink,its gonna be ok!

[surfaceblaster33]

The only reason that they bitch about it is because they are getting paid to bitch. They don't care about Wise county only about getting paid.

[chufuss]

Thats not true

[SiKWiDiT06]

I totally agree with skinny.

[SkinnyLegHumper]

All you tree huggers are against coal fire power plants but at the end of the day you still enjoy turning on you tv and computer and taking a hot shower with energy provied by burning coal. you call for wind and water energy but you would bitch if the windmills covered your beuatiful mountain or the waters flooded your valley. You would also be against nuclear power. the best thing all you tree huggin hippies could do is become amish and leave dominion alone sw va needs the jobs

[1984vrs]

@SkinnyLegHumper Actually enviormentalists arent saying that coal hasnt provded energy and jobs but what they are saying is that there should be a clean renewable energy based power system and economy thst would provide by far many more jobs and much more enrgy than coal and oil ever could and that doesnt mean shut down every power plant overnight that means a transition that will replace the old

[taylorbrooke1122]

@SkinnyLegHumper Finally someone who speaks the truth!!

[turborabbit1114]

@SkinnyLegHumper I would not be for wind farms, you are right on that, but there is alot of abosulute dessert out west that could have solar colectors that would not bother anyone. Nucler is fine too, also I think it is not the coal mineing that is that much of a problum, it is all the overburden that is removed to get it. just make a tunnel into there, takeout the coal and leave all the rest of the mounten in one piece. ya it is more expensive but it is worth it.

[mattsmusicstudio]

I live closer to that site than the woman in the film, and the mining does not bother me at all, I felt a shake once a day, but it wasn't no big deal, them people mining there went bankrupt awhile back...They don't even do anything over there now...LOL, the noisest thing in Stephens is all the dogs all over the place.....

[woodward7710]

the 22% poverty rate is due to drug problems in your region.

[CelestialEngel]

its not due to drug problems more like the other way around

[teheitsjessica]

you're very wrong, i grew up there, and thats not the case at all (:

[surfaceblaster33]

The job they show at 1:28 IS NOT MTR. I worked there and the majority of work done was second cut and reclamtion due to pre 1970 mining. I wish iI had nothing better to do than go around stir up trouble and get a check from App voices or these other tree hugging groups. Ilovemountains may think they have great spokes people in Kathy and Larry but all they have are 2 clowns in the community that 95% of the people laugh at. If I truly belived in a cause so much they would not have to pay me for it

[lois228gmail]

That coal sludge is killing everything in it's path. Right now you can only see the tip of the iceberg. Below it is moving into the water table and will effect more and more land. Soon no living things will be growing there if it doesn't stop. The blue ridge mountains are so beautiful. Wind and water energy isn't that expensive. So it must be someone doing it for cash that doesn't really care what happens as long as they are receiving their checks.

[n4aud]

This video really shows what is happening in wise county to our beautiful mtns.  I also know about being kept up till 3:00 am in the morning because of the strip mining near us & seeing the aftermath that breaks my heart. I pray that the new plant in Va city does not go up & spew that awful smoke like in this video into our lungs & kill the foliage in our mountains! Thanks for this video & all your hard work - Kathy.

[TonyBeazley]

Thanks for this video.....I hope people understand coal is not the answer...

[shootnbull]

This story is devastating! The way that mountaintop removal is affecting families in Wise County is not known to most people. My father who should be enjoying his retirement is now waiting for the day when he is going to be ran off of his own land due to MTR. It is ridiculous that we are forced to sacrifice our health and homes for Dominion. I strongly oppose the Coal Fired Power Plant that is planning on being built in my county. Please go and see just what this is doing to our land!