"Temporary Disruption" in Boone County

Look closely at these two photos. Both were taken from Jim Foster's back yard in Bob White, West Virginia. Last week I stood in the yard with Jim and his neighbor Maria Gunnoe. She lives at the base of the mountain. Jim said that the coal company would put off a blast at 4:00. Sure enough, at 4:04 - KABOOM!

Flashback: Brenda Breslauer, reporting for Bill Moyers' "Now" in August 2006, interviewed WV Coal Association president, Bill Raney, about the impact of Mountaintop Removal.

Raney said, "Does it harm it? No, we don't think it does. Temporary disruptions, yes, you do have that."

Fast Forward: Look at these two photos again. No Harm? Temporary Disruption? Tell Jim Foster that. Tell Maria Gunnoe that. Tell the people of West Virginia that! Bill Raney and the plutocrats seem to think that we just fell off the turnip truck. He says, "We feel like the impact is absolutely minimized." WHAT? He says, "We make every attempt to prevent any kind of negative impact."

Here's their Prevention Plan! They blew off the mountain - shoved it down over the hill where it buried part of the stream. Then the rains came and the floodwater pounded through Maria Gunnoe's yard and parted it like the Red Sea. It wiped out everything except her house. The barn is gone - the stream's path was rerouted - her well is worthless - she can't drive across the access bridge to her house - and the coal company refuses to take responsibility.

From where I sit that all sounds like NEGATIVE IMPACT! I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would line up behind Bill Raney and his assessment of the impact of Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining! Oh, except for the plutocrats!