The sun is up and so are the tree sitters. Day two of standing in the way of the destruction of Appalachian mountains and communities begins!
See Climate Ground Zero’s Update Feed Here.
TREE SIT DETERS BLASTING, ENTERS SECOND DAY AT MASSEY EDWIGHT MINE
PETTRY BOTTOM, W.Va. —The two tree sitters forced Massey Energy to cancel blasts on the the Edwight mountaintop removal mine above Pettry Bottom. According to a confidential source, Massey Energy had planned to use explosives to blast off a knob near the tree sitters at approximately four p.m., yesterday. This directly conflicts with statements made by the Edwight site supervisor.
As of sun rise on Wednesday morning, the protesters maintain that they will not abandon their treetop platforms until Massey Energy commits to ending blasting above Pettry Bottom and Peachtree, pays the full healthcare and property repair costs for Pettry Bottom and Peachtree residents, and the Federal Office of Surface Mining commits to the full reclamation of the Edwight mine site.
Mine security called state police to the scene shortly after noon on Tuesday, at which point they arrested Kim Ellis of New Orleans, La., and Zoe Beavers of Hurricane. Ellis and Beavers, an Army veteran, were cited for trespassing and released. According to Ellis and Beavers, they are the only line of communication between the tree sitters and mine security and police.
Following their release, state police asked Ellis and Beavers to return to the tree sit in an attempt to negotiate with the tree sitters. Stocks and Steepleton reiterated their resolve to remain in the trees until their demands are met.
Two state police officers visited the home of Mike Roselle, co-founder of Earth First!, Rainforest Action Network, Ruckus Society, and most recently, Climate Ground Zero. Under the impression that the tree sitters were under his authority, they asked that Roselle recall them, but according to Mike Roselle “We don’t have leaders. All the people who have taken part in acts of civil disobedience, including those who are in the trees today, have done so based on their own personal conviction. Responsible citizens certainly need no orders from me to do their duty in protecting their mountains and communities.”
State police site the tree sitter’s safety as a primary concern as the occupation continues. However, according Climate Ground Zero the tree sitters understand their knots and safety systems, and they’re putting safety first. They’re remaining tied to safety system at all times.
When asked to comment on the protest, Rock Creek resident Ed Wiley said, “If they are worried about the safety of the two tree sitters, they are worrying about the wrong people. What about the 230 little kids at Marsh Fork Elementary School? Those are the ones we need to worry about. They need protection from Massey’s mountaintop removal strip jobs.” Marsh Fork Elementary School is situated under a 2.9-billion-gallon sludge pond and mountaintop removal site. The school is a lightening rod of controversy over mountaintop removal and Massey Energy. Wiley continued, “They are blasting on the ridge that connects to the structure of the dam. Massey is recklessly endangering those kids, and the folks at Pettry Bottom. I’m glad those tree sitters are getting in their way.”
As the sun rises in the Coal River Valley on Wednesday morning, the tree sitters are still on their platforms at the edge of the Edwight mine site.
Twitter Updates
Our family is so grateful of the brave and selfless efforts of Kim and Zoe. Estimates are that there are only 61 trees on earth left per each human being. Each one of these magnificent creatures is so precious. MTR must be stopped! We are planting two trees this fall in our front yard in honor of Kim and Zoe.
Gratefully Yours,
Robert and Sara Frazier
Knoxville, TN
By whatever name you call your higher power, I thank the Great Spirit, God, Goddess, the Creator, for humans who are willing to sit in trees to protect other species and other humans from life-threatening forces.
There Will Be Sludge
“Locally, the venerable Massey name conjures up positive images of cancer centers and philanthropy, the legacy of the family that founded the company in 1916 and later sold its interests.” – http://www.styleweekly.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=1A983B598E58434D9AE65733495D82C7
Th tree sitters are real heroes in my book! This unconsciable blasting must be stopped. I thank them for bringing it to the attention of the world around them, and will stand by them in spirit.
When one is harmed, we are all harmed. When one is Healed, we all are Healed. Thank you Tree Sitters for courageously taking a Stand for the Health, and well being of us all–the Earth, the children, our future generations, and ultimately our own personal Health and abundance. Your courageous actions are similar to a huge “bolder” being dropped into the collective “Pool of Consciousness. Like a pebble dropped into a pond, it continues to ripple–empowering even more people to “Take a Stand” for TRUTH (rather than for greed). But because your “bolder-like actions are so HUGE, the Ripples are generating HUGE waves. Thank you, THANK You.
What strength of character! True heros. Thank you.
Thank you for standing for all humans and the planet!!!