Mission
The mission of Coal River Mountain Watch is to stop the destruction of our communities and environment by mountaintop removal mining, to improve the quality of life in our area and to help rebuild sustainable communities.
History
Coal River
Mountain Watch (CRMW) is a
grassroots organization begun in 1998 in response to the fear and frustration
of people living near or downstream from huge mountaintop removal sites.
We began as a small group of volunteers
working to organize the residents of southern West
Virginia to fight for social, economic, and
environmental justice.
From our humble
beginnings, we have become a major force in opposition to mountaintop
removal.
Our outreach coordinator, Julia
Bonds, was the 2003 Goldman Prize winner for North America.
CRMW's efforts figure prominently in Robert
F. Kennedy, Jr.'s book
Crimes against
Nature.
We have been active in
federal court to challenge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits for valley
fills and made regional news with demonstrations against a sludge dam and
preparation plant near Marsh Fork
Elementary School.
