Action Alert: Save Coal River Mountain!

Jun 2, 2011

This summer, the Bee Tree permit – the only active surface mining permit on Coal River Mountain so far – is up for renewal. Take action to ask the federal Office of Surface Mining not to allow the permit to be renewed.  

There are currently two approved mining permits and two pending permits on Coal River Mountain that, in total, cover nearly 5400 acres of the mountain. Blasting and mining have already started on the Bee Tree permit. Residents are particularly concerned that blasting is occurring within 2000 feet of a coal slurry impoundment – an earthen dam that is holding back 5.5 billion gallons of toxic liquid coal waste. The federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) needs to step in and require the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to seriously study the impact of mountaintop removal mining on Coal River Mountain, rather than automatically renewing the permit. Please click here to ask the OSMRE and DEP to take community concerns seriously and not renew the Bee Tree permit.