tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8440581658671695475.post-84994977061923306422008-08-13T17:31:00.001-07:002008-08-13T18:02:16.299-07:00<h1><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></h1> <div style="float: right;"> <div style="margin: 0px 0px 10px;" id="photo"> <table class="photobox" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"> <tbody><tr> <td class="photocell"><img src="http://images.townnews.com/williamsondailynews.com/content/articles/2008/08/02/news/doc4893a79949ea7113433136.jpg" border="0" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="photocutline">(Staff Photo/JULIA GOAD) THE STORY OF A FAMILY – Standing next to a list of concerns voiced by residents, Freddy Runyon tells the history of his family in Dan's Branch. He feels the community is threatened by a mining operation proposed for the hollow.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> </div> <h4>Citizens voice concerns with proposed mining operation</h4> <h5>By JULIA GOAD<br />Staff Writer</h5> <div class="timestamp" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Published: <div class="timestamp">Saturday, August 2, 2008 1:39 AM CDT</div></div> <span>CHATTAROY — Citizens concerned with a proposed mining and construction site met this week at the Chattaroy Gospel Revelation Church to discuss possible effects the project will have on their community.<br /><br />About 20 people met with representatives from West Virginia Future, a grass roots organization which concerns itself with the mining industry’s impact on the environment and the families who live near mining operations.<br /><br />The company which has obtained the permits to begin mining the Chattaroy/Miller’s Creek area is Consolidated Coal. The mining would be done in conjunction with construction of the King Coal Highway, part of which is now under construction near Red Jacket. Parts of the highway will be built on flat land created by mountain top removal mining.<br /><br />Donna Branham was the unofficial spokesperson for the organization at the event. She said the community cannot depend on governing bodies to protect them and their property from the negative effects of coal mining. She said the organization has spoken many times with the Environmental Protection Agency, and that the agency itself says it is short staffed.</span><br /><br /><div id="instory"><!-- AdSys ad not found for news:instory --></div> <span>“They told us they were five years behind on following up inspections,” she said. “And that there are over 100 vacancies at EPA.”<br /><br />Branham said citizens must work together to protect their rights.<br /><br />Among the concerns aired by citizens were contamination of water, transporting the coal after it is mined, damage to homes from blasting and loss of property value. But the biggest concern voiced was that of flooding. Freddy Runyon lives at Dan’s Branch on land his family has owned for three generations. He said he never thought flooding was a concern to him and his family due to the higher elevation of the hollow...<br /><a href="http://www.williamsondailynews.com/articles/2008/08/02/news/doc4893a79949ea7113433136.txt"><br />Click Here to Read Full Article Online</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8440581658671695475-8499497706192330642?l=www.westvirginiafuture.org'/></div>Citizens for a Brighter Futurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09353065300992736824noreply@blogger.com0