Mountain justice students protest coal power plant

Protests against coal fired power plants continue around the region. In early March, students from around the country attending Mountain Justice Spring Break marched to the regional offices of the Virginia state environmental agency in Abingdon, VA to oppose the coal plant proposed for St. Paul, VA by Dominion. They were greeted with supportive horn honks as they walked, talking to local folks about the proposed plant and collecting signatures for the “Mile Long” petition along the way. Once at the DEQ, a number of students went inside to deliver letters of opposition and ask questions of the agency concerning the draft air permit.
“Young people are very concerned for our future,” said Virginia student Andon Zebal. “With everything from global warming to all my friends that have asthma, I do not want any coal power plant built until we have explored every possible option for our electricity.”
“It is completely insane that a government agency is considering giving Dominion permission to pollute the air that belongs to all of us,” said Eric Blevins, who helped to plan MJSB.
Events continued in late March with a MJSB meeting in Meigs County, Ohio. Events included trips to coal-impacted areas and corporate and political action sites.
Mountain Justice Summer Camp set
This year’s MJSC is scheduled for May 17-23 at Camp Blanton in Harlan County, Kentucky, in the heart of the Kentucky coalfields. The camp will involve a week of workshops, service projects and hiking followed by a summer of intern and work opportunities in communities impacted by coal mining. Blanton Forest, directly above our camp, is a magnificent old-growth forest on Pine Mountain that was protected from logging and mining by former owners Grover and Oxie Blanton. The land is now a Kentucky State Nature Preserve, offering fantastic hiking in the woods to Knobby Rock, Sand Cave and The Maze. To register, or to view pictures from last years camp, go to: http://www.mountainjusticesummer.org To help out with planning or at the camp, contact Dave Cooper at davecooper928@yahoo.com.