WV Gov. Joe Manchin, King Coal’s Friend in Court
King Coal sighed a big breath of relief last week, their friend and flunkie, WV Gov. Joe Manchin joined the coal industry as a friend of the court opposing two federal court rulings that would impose new regulations on mountaintop coal mining.
Let me say that again, Joe Manchin came out against federal regulations that would prevent companies like Massey Energy from dumping waste rock and dirt into WV rivers and streams. The same Massey Energy with a long history of union busting. The same Massey Energy that has “modernized” the coal industry, leading to the number of miners in WV dwindling from 150,00 to 20,000 (there are more florists in WV than miners today). The same Massey Energy that continues to operate a coal processing plant and lake of coal sludge 225 feet from Marsh Fork Elementary.
Friend of the planet, friend of the people? No, more like friend of a dying industry that pollutes communities and the climate, blows the tops off of mountains, threatens and intimidates environmentalists, destroys forests and species habitat and is implementing cultural genocide on Appalachia.
Way to go, Joe.
If you want to know more, check out Mountain Justice Summer; Coal River Mountain Watch
and Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
5 Responses to “WV Gov. Joe Manchin, King Coal’s Friend in Court”
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December 16th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
I’m from WV and it’s good to see national attention being brought to this problem!
December 17th, 2007 at 11:13 am
You can also see where the Bush administration has tapped a Massey Energy exec to a top position in the Dept. of Energy.
If there were ever any questions about the revolving door between the Bush administration and the fossil fuel industry, they keep getting answered over and over with the same sickening response!
http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/259041.html
December 26th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
[...] and anti-mountaintop removal advocates are under constant pressure by the coal industry and state authorities that support [...]
December 27th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
[...] and anti-mountaintop removal advocates are under constant attack by the coal industry and state authorities that support [...]
March 13th, 2008 at 8:06 am
fuck joe manchin he sucks bob wise is way better