Citizens Arrest Warrant Delivered to Don Blankenship and Christopher Blanchard

This morning in Pettus, West Virginia, three activists entered Marfork Coal Company’s office to deliver a citizen’s arrest warrant to Christopher Blanchard, the company’s president and Don Blankenship, the CEO of Massey Energy. Marfork Coal Company is a subsidiary of Massey Energy – the coal company responsible for blowing up dozens of mountaintops throughout Appalachia.

The activists issued their citizen’s arrest warrant which, in short, stated that these mountaintop removal operations are endangering people’s lives by setting off explosives in close proximity to homes and by poisoning the air and water. Since 1994, Marfork has committed over 100 documented permit violations. You can read the full citizen’s arrest warrant on climate ground zero’s website here.

Marfork and Massey did not think the citizen’s arrest was as clever as I thought it was and issued their own press release about the matter. They referred to the activists as “criminals clad in fatigues” and “domestic terrorists.” I am personally very tired of anti-environmentalists referring to people who take part in nonviolent direct actions as “terrorists.” I think it’s time for Marfork and Massey to re-examine who the real terrorists are as they continue to blast dangerously close to slurry dams that could breach and put many people’s lives at risk.

After the three activists stated their demands this morning, they locked themselves down and refused to leave until blasting operations were suspended. The activists were arrested and charged with conspiracy, trespass (asked to leave), and obstruction. They are currently being held on a combined cash-only bail of $17,500. That is quite a bit of money, but fear not – Mike Roselle, one of the activists arrested today stated, “I won’t stop breaking the law until they do.”

Photo by Cheshire/Climate Ground Zero

Mike Roselle, Joe Hamsher, and Tom Smyth walk with purpose towards the Marfork Coal Company office this morning. The three activists peacefully entered the office to deliver a citizen’s arrest warrant for Christopher Blanchard and Don Blankenship, the CEOs of Marfork and Massey, who are responsible for the destruction of Coal River Mountain and for numerous violations on their sites.