West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin was given over 400 kids letters in a surprise delivery by activists from Rainforest Action Network and Coal River Mountain Watch at the South Charleston Chamber of Commerce Groundhog Day breakfast. After evading concerned citizens and attempting to shuffle the activists off to lackey’s lackey the day before, the activists tracked Manchin down and delivered the letters after he gave his state of the state of West Virginia economic forecast carrying a banner that said “Dear Gov. Manchin, Please Rebuild Marsh Fork – In Their Community. Love, 400 kids.” More than 400 schoolchildren from Virginia to Australia had written handwritten letters and colored drawings to Manchin sympathizing with the plight of Marsh Fork’s students.

The shadow on Manchin’s administration is quickly becoming Marsh Fork Elementary School. The school sits next to a coal processing facility, and an earthen dam permitted to hold 2.8 billion gallons of toxic coal waste sludge is 400 yards upstream. Independent studies have confirmed that coal dust permeates the school and is inhaled by children. In addition, a 2006 EPA investigation revealed asbestos in the school’s walls and dangerous anhydrous ammonia tanks 600 feet away. Gov. Manchin has ignored repeated requests to rebuild the school away from the contamination.

One student in Connecticut wrote: “I bet you if that was your school, you would want them to stop it immediately.” Others wrote about how extractive industries fuel global warming and devastate local communities. “Do you want to be responsible for the damage of the children’s lungs?” asked an Australian student, who added “Do you want the climate to rise?”

Today’s letter delivery is part of a week of action against global warming organized by Energy Action’s Campus Climate Challenge with student groups from across the U.S. and Canada. During the week, students will demand real solutions to end our addiction to fossil fuels.

These students recognize the intersection of global warming and the harmful impact that fossil fuel extraction, fueling global warming, has on local communities. Next month, college students will be holding the 1st Mountain Justice Spring Break on West Virginia’s capital grounds. Joining with today’s elementary school students, college students will spend part of that week calling on the gov. to find solutions to Marsh Fork Elementary.