Many of you have experienced the blasting  and witnessed the devastation  occurring  near Ford's Knob and the Page/Kincaid area, but few realize the extent of what is about to unfold. I have been working with Stephanie Tyree (Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition) and Tom Rist (local lawyer)  to help stop the "Mountain Range Removal" that is coming to Fayette County.

What we know

Stephanie has FOIAed nine permit applications from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. From this information we have organized permit information and digitized the proposed mining areas (this information is attached). I have made the maps easily viewable in Google Earth, all you have to do is download Google Earth to view the files. Two new permits were just submitted (Open Fork No. 3 & Taylor Branch No.2), bringing the total to 9. Three of the permits are active and a full breakdown is listed below. Use these maps as a tool to teach others about what is going on!

Next Steps

An appeal was filed for Open Fork No. 2 on 2/11/11. Over 100 signatures were submitted with the appeal (Thank-You!). A second meeting is  scheduled on March 7th to organize community action. If you would like to learn more, get involved or would like to join our email list to get the latest updates, please email Stephanie Tyree at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

By the Numbers:

• Number of Surface Mining Permits: 9
• Active Permits: 3
• Applications under review: 6
• Applications pending appeal: 1
• Acreage impacted by (7/9) permits: 3312 acres
• Distance to Boy Scouts of America - Summit Bechtel Reserve: 7 miles
• Distance to Fayetteville: 3.5 miles
• Distance to Oak Hill: 2.8 miles
• Cost to local economy:???

Best Regards,
Levi Rose

Wolf Creek Watershed Coordinator
Plateau Action Network
P.O. Box 482
Fayetteville, WV 25840
740-591-1750
www.plateauactionnetwork.org