March For Zeb Mountain

Sunday, July 20, 2008 at National Coal Corporation's Zeb Mountain mine in Campbell County, Tennessee, four protesters were arrested in solidarity with United Mountain Defense, Three Rivers Earth First!, Mountain Justice, Christians for the Mountains and coal-impacted residents of Appalachia.

These brave individuals gave speeches of hope for solidarity amongst miners, activists and entire communities that are affected by the devastations of surface mining for coal. Holding hands and singing Amazing Grace along with more than 50 protesters behind them, they crossed the line onto National Coal's property. Once across the line police calmly handcuffed and arrested them.

Having already destroyed more than 1,300 acres of Zeb Mountain, Knoxville-based National Coal has set its sights on other peaks across the state. Among the places it wants to mine is land in Sundquist Wildlife Management Area, a public game preserve that drains into Nashville's drinking water supply.

One of those arrested yesterday was Eric Blevins of Grandview, Tenn. "I crossed an artificial line today because Appalachia is my homeland, and its life is being destroyed far faster than it can regenerate," he said. "I wanted to open people's minds to how insane it is that we allow corporations to own land without loving it and keeping life sustainable."

The march began with a prayer led by Christians for the Mountains and included political theater, giant puppets, speeches, and renditions of "Rocky Top," one of Tennessee's state songs. It was organized by United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice and Three Rivers Earth First!.

www.mountainjusticesummer.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• mountain
• justice
• top
• removal
• MTR
• Zeb
• Mountain
• Appalachia
• Appalachian
• Christians
• for
• the
• Mountains
• Unite

[kymtnjustice]

And, honestly, myself? I'm for the strip job miner that hates tearing up his ramp patch, is sick to his stomach when his boss makes him disturb graves like those up in Raliegh Co. WV, who has to tear up his hunting grounds and the land of his family to make a living. I'm for his family that grieves his too-soon death and his children that are broken hearted.

I even understand why you hate us. But don't accuse us of not knowing the facts. Many of us live in the coalfields and see it first hand.

[kymtnjustice]

Please understand I mean the big guys, the ones in offices in Richmond, Knoxville, and Louisville. I don't even mean the local foremen or the small operations that don't have the power the big ones do. I don't make 20 dollars an hour. I wish I did. Many of us don't. I don't hate on you or miners or wish any of you all dead. But I do wish these corporate big wigs would stop sacrificing miners and my neighbors, compromising the future of this place and our water, and what is left for our kids.

[kymtnjustice]

Their kids don't go to school below slurry ponds or breathe coal dust from the silos next door. Their kids don't have to worry about losing mom or dad in an accident. They don't get black lung, they make millions, and they lay off their workers at the drop of a hat. Remember Matewan? The attack on the UMWA in Harlan County in the 70s? The 90s where they ran out the union in WV? Where are these big wigs when disasters at Sago, Blue Diamond, Mannington, or the spill in Inez? SomewhereSAFE.Nothere.

[kymtnjustice]

Another thing people seem to forget is that these companies and their employees don't care for the working man. They don't protect your jobs, they don't always keep things safe, they ran off the unions, they have you working LONG and dangerous hours, they abuse the truck drivers with paying by the ton, not the haul, the list goes on. And the worst part, more of them don't live in the region than these "hippies" you are angry about! They will never have to drink the poisoned water

[kymtnjustice]

We are for the present and the future residents of the coalfields. I'm for my elderly neighbor who can't drink her water b/c her well got contaminated by a strip job above her. I'm for the child over in VA that was crushed in his sleep by a rock off a strip job. I'm for the woman I met in a coal camp that can't go outside b/c of her asthma from dust that rains on them after a blast. I'm for the miner that HATES his job but does it b/c he loves his children more and can't find other work.

[kymtnjustice]

If coal companies hadn't run off other opportunties that people might have had for work, people here wouldn't have to depend so much on these dangerous jobs that are harder and harder to get. No "hippy" takes away your jobs, but the companies doing surface mining has taken MANY of the deep miners jobs and many underground miners have lost out to continuous miners and other mechanization. Some of us are the children and grandchildren of coal miners. Some of us are even ex-miners.

[bydatrax]

It's not a great way to make a living if you're an investor in NCOC. They're about to be delisted from NASDAQ. They've lost money EVERY quarter of their existence. This mountain was cursed the day it was stolen from the Douglass, Hill and Sharp families. Just ask the ghost of Zeb Lay. Where is his coal company today?

[1099951801]

Well said, mountain top removal is a great

way to make a living and the environmental impact is grossly exaggerated. These enviro-hippies need to go back to the cities where they danced from or back to Big Daddy Al who made

them believe an inconvenient lie.

[jonmak85]

The roads the miners put in sure are handy. Thanks guys!

[kymtnjustice]

LiquidEdge41568,

I am sorry you feel that way. Many of us are much more sympathetic to the issue than you are giving us credit for. I, myself, a member of KYMJ, live in southeastern KY. I would help you on the side of the road and I am concerned about the growing number of people who don't have coal jobs and have no other options. No one is against you, whatever your bosses say. But I live below a giant strip job and worry about my and my neighbor's safety, as well as yours.