For the past four days, three amazing activists have been hanging out in trees near Massey Energy’s Bee Tree Strip Mine. With the treesitters so close to the mine site, blasting is illegal, therefore stopped. The activists – David Aaron Smith, 23, Amber Nitchman, 19 and Eric Blevins, 28, say they will stay in the trees as long as they can or until blasting on Coal River Mountain is stopped.
This map shows where the treesitters are and the close proximity of the Bee Tree Mine to the Brushy Fork Impoundment – which currently holds 8.2 billion gallons of toxic coal waste. Sounds like a great place to use lots of explosives, right?
This youtube video lets the activists tell you exactly why they’ve chosen to take action in saving Coal River Mountain: Treesit Halts Blasting on Coal River Mountain
This action is specifically calling on the EPA to stop mountaintop removal coal mining (MTR). The lack of EPA enforcement on MTR has caused over 100 people in the past year to take action and risk arrest to work towards stopping this devastating practice.
Right at this very moment, the treesitters are on platforms that are about 60 feet up from the ground. This is not an easy feat, as Massey Energy’s security guards are implementing several sleep deprivation tactics that are putting the activists in danger. It has been reported that air horns mounted on trucks are being repeatedly blasted. Also, a large fence has been constructed around the trees, most likely to prevent anyone from getting new supplies to the sitters.
To get updates on how the treesitters are doing, visit www.ClimateGroundZero.org.
Lisa went to school at UNC Wilmington and majored in Environmental Science and Spanish. Since then, she's been fighting the good fight with various organizations, including RAN, Greenpeace, and Rising Tide. She's always been passionate about protecting all aspects of the environment, but she gets downright angry about mountaintop removal mining. Lisa is currently living and working on a small organic farm in Pittsboro, North Carolina.
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RYSE is the youth branch of RAN, Rainforest Action Network, which works to protect the Earth and support human rights through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action.
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Support the Tree Sitters and Call Massey Energy to stop their illegal abuses!
http://climategroundzero.net/2010/01/callmasseyonjan25/
In response to Massey Energy’s harmful abuse of the Coal River Mountain tree sitters, call Massey’s international headquarters Monday, Jan. 25, starting at 9 a.m. and demand they immediately stop illegally using noisemakers to harass the tree sitters.
The phone number is 804-788-1800 (Richmond, Va)
The following is a sample script for the call:
Hi, I am calling to demand that Massey halt the abuse of the three tree sitters on Coal River Mountain. Sleep deprivation tactics are dangerous harassment, and I find this to be unacceptable. Security personnel should stop shining bright lights and employing noise-making machines now. Under West Virginia state law, this could be considered a felony. In the interest of the law and human decency this abusive behavior must stop. I demand that Massey halts the blasting on Coal River Mountain. It is endangering the lives of all people in Raleigh County and WV. Please stop this abuse and halt the blasting.
Once you have made the call, please submit the form at http://climategroundzero.net/2010/01/callmasseyonjan25/
Thank you for standing up for our tree sitters and for Coal River Mountain.
I called and got the swtichboard operator who took my number and hung up on me. BUT, if they are flooded with calls at least they will know how many of us is against this blasting and the abuse of the tree sitters.