Mountain Top Removal and Valley Filling

 the Greatest Threat to All We Hold Dear in Appalachia

The goal of Virginians for Wilderness is not only setting aside pristine areas for protection, but also treatment of every acre of land and every trickle of water as sacred - and this includes places where people live as well as untrammeled nature. Mountain Top Removal and Valley Filling seriously harm nature and humans indiscriminately, whether at the site of operation or for many miles down - stream. The following is a statement to Judge Haden in the original court action.

Sept 7, 1999
Route 1, Box 250
Staunton, Virginia 24401

Chief U S District Judge Charles Haden II
PO Box 3924
Charleston West Virginia 25339

Dear Judge Haden:

I am a 75 year old geologist/mineral chemist who taught at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Chicago. In my last position I did research on the environment and on planetary lithospheres and atmospheres at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

In the early 50s I worked as a mining geologist, among other places ,in the iron fields of the Adirondacks. At that time the large mining company I worked for, a company not particularly noted for environmental sensitivity- and this was the 50s after all- frequently expressed concern about its tailings piles washing into the river during rains and even about wind-blown dust! Now, here in the 90s , I see coal companies deliberately trying to not only pollute, but destroy streams that are probably more biologically diverse than those of the Adirondacks! Has the economic "bottom line" lowered the bar of environmental standards this much despite the clear laws that protect our streams and the environment?

Judge Haden, no excuse of job - creation can justify violation of these clear laws. Drugs create millions of jobs around the world but my experience tells me that the legacy of environmental abuse is at least as dire as that of drugs. In any case the massive technology of mountain top removal and valley fill will in future years create more jobs in environmental restoration, pollution control and treatment of related illnesses than it ever will in tearing down our beautiful mountains and soiling our life-giving waters. My training tells me this is a simple consequence of thermodynamics.

The political corruption of politicians and criminal greed of the coal industry are destroying the most precious fabric of an entire region. That is why it is so important how you decide in West Virginia. Mountain top removal and valley filling must eventually be banned everywhere. You can set us on this path.

Sincerely,

Robert F. Mueller PhD

In this action the opponents of Mountain Top Removal originally prevailed. However. Judge Haden's decision was subsequently reversed by an ignorant and biased appeals court. Consequently these horrendous practices continue, albeit with steadily mounting opposition.

We here draw your attention to several excellent groups that are in the forefront of the fight against Mountain Top Removal and Valley Filling. Their web sites and newsletters contain a variety of information on these practices, the status of the campaign of opposition, legal actions and updates. Perhaps the lead group is the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, which may be found on the Web at www.ohvec.org and whose postal address is PO Box 6753, Huntington, West Virginia 25773 - 6753. Almost as active is the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, whose Web and postal addresses are www.wvhighlands.org and PO Box 306 Charleston, West Va. 25321 respectively. A particularly effective local group is the Coal River Mountain Watch at webpages.charter.net/crmw/mission.htm Also important in this struggle is Appalachian Voices at www.appvoices.org and 703 West King Street, Suite 105, Boone, North Carolina 28607.Finally, the Citizen's Coal Council at www.citizenscoalcouncil.org is a national umbrella group. Finally, we salute Julia Bonds of Coal River Mountain Watch, who was a recipient of the prestigious Goldman Prize for her work to protect her community and the mountains from Mountain Top Removal.