Wednesday, January 28th

Concerned citizens from across Wise county, Va braved the elements last night to present their concerns about a 1400 acre surface mining permit that would bury nearly 3 miles of streams, erode property value, air quality and put hundreds of people’s well being at stake.

The town of Appalachia lies at the base of Ison Rock Ridge, which runs northwest to the top of Black Mountain and the Va,/Ky boarder. Along the base of the ridge lie the communities of Andover, Inman, Derby, and Arno, “coal camps” from the days of deep mining. The proposed surface mine, parts of which are within the town limits of Appalachia, would impact all of these communities.

Over twenty people, ranging retired miners, town council members, concerned citizens and environmentalists all lined up to present comments the Department of Mined Lands Reclamation bureau (DMLR). Of all the comments presented to DMLR, none were in favor of the permit being issued.

People’s concerns included diminished property value, threats to quality of life, zoning issues, and impacts on the already stressed ecosystems of the area. Residents of the coal camps expressed their concerns of the dangers associated with increased coal truck traffic, fly rock, flooding, and the mental stress of living so close to a dangerous mine operation.

This event was one part of a 2 year struggle to protect Ison Rock Ridge. In the fall of 2008, Virginia courts ordered a halt to logging on the Ridge when a judge ruled logging as pre-mining activity, a major victory for opponents of the proposed mine.

For more information or to find out how you can help protect Ison Rock Ridge from being lost forever, contact Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards: samsva@gmail.com, www.samsva.org.