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August 24, 2016

West Virginia: After 2-Year Struggle, Strip Coal Mine Shut Down
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And in West Virginia, residents are celebrating the permanent shutdown
of a coal mine near a state forest. The announcement by the West
Virginia Department of Environmental Protection comes after a two-year
organizing effort by the Kanawha Forest Coalition, which sought to shut
down the mine over issues of water contamination and other environmental
impacts. This is Daile Rois of Loudendale, West Virginia, whose house
sits less than 2,000 feet from the mine.

Daile Rois: "When I started this journey, I didn't understand the
apathy, the 'you can't fight coal' attitude. Now I do. It's not apathy.
It's weariness. It's survivor mode. I'd love for this victory to be our
victory, but that can only happen if people will hear this. We can fight
for our personal rights. We can fight for our families, our communities,
against these big companies and a nonresponsive government."



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