PDWV ENDORSES COAL RIVER MOUNTAIN WIND PROJECT

Proposed wind farm project would provide indefinite source of clean, renewable energy; could initially create up to 200 local jobs.

 

 View of Coal River Mountain from nearby Kayford Mountain, which has been ravaged by a 10,000 acre strip mine. 

 Charleston, W.Va., August 14, 2008 - Progressive Democrats of West Virginia recently endorsed the Coal River Mountain Wind Project.  The project, proposed by environmental watchdog group Coal River Mountain Watch, would bring a wind farm to Coal River Mountain in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

 "PDWV supports the Coal River Mountain Wind Project as a source of clean energy for our country," says PDWV State Coordinator David Nichols.  "This is exactly the sort of forward-thinking initiative that will move West Virginia and the United States away from our dependency on fossil fuels and foreign oil, and into clean, renewable energy."

 Massey Energy has plans to strip-mine 6600 acres on the Coal River Mountain site, or about 10 square miles.  Massey currently holds 2 permits approved by the Department of Environmental Protection, with one additional permit in process.  The proposed mining site would be at the heads of Rock Creek, Horse Creek, Dry Creek, Workman's Branch, and would surround Sycamore Creek.  According to Massey's permit applications, surface mining at the Coal River Mountain site would produce coal and energy for about 14 years.  Mountain top removal mining, strip-mining, and other surface mining methods have a devastating effect on the environment.  Millions of tons of explosives are used to blast the mountain apart, and the resulting rock debris is dumped into the surrounding valleys in a process known as "valley fill."  The valley fill covers up the headwater streams, and chemicals from the rock leach into the drinking water, creating a toxic environment for both wildlife and human residents.

The wind farm, proposed as an alternative to strip-mining the mountain, would:

• Provide about 200 initial local job opportunities during the 2 year construction phase and about 50 local jobs on an on-going basis.
  

• Generate enough energy to power about 150,000 homes indefinitely.
• Create economic potential by allowing for concurrent use of the land for recreation, tourism and other activities.
  
• Preserve the heritage of the area by protecting family cemeteries and other sites located on the mountain.
• Protect the environment and the community by preserving the streams, wildlife habitats and ecosystems of the mountain and the surrounding valleys.
  

 "By continuing to exploit our environment through mountain-top removal and strip-mining, we only continue to tether ourselves to the past rather than looking toward the future," says Nichols.  "Strip-mining at the Coal River Mountain site would provide a short-term source of energy, but would be devastating, both to the surrounding environment, and to any future potential for renewable energy."

The Coal River Mountain Wind Project is being led by concerned citizens residing in Coal River Valley of West Virginia. Work on this project is based at Coal River Mountain Watch in Raleigh and Boone County, WV. Also supporting in this effort are the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Appalachian Voices, and the Student Environmental Action Coalition.

 For more information, contact PDWV at info@pdwv.org.

All photos provided courtesy of Coal River Mountain Watch, used with permission.