Coal: Atrocities From Appalachia To Black Mesa
Submitted by rick on 1 November 2009 - 2:59pm
Thankfully the struggle of Mountain Top Removal has entered the radar
screen of activists concerned with climate change. The residents
impacted by this very destructive form of coal extraction suffer the
loss of over 3 millions acres of their Appalacian Mountain community.
Last December, over 500 million gallons of toxic coal sludge erupted
over 400 acres destroying homes and spreading pollution larger than the
Exxon Valdez oil spill.
"Tennessee coal sludge disaster ‘shows that the term clean coal is an oxymoron.’
Monday, more than 500 million gallons of toxic coal sludge burst
through a retention wall in eastern Tennessee, causing massive property
and environmental damage and leaving residents holding their breath
over possible long-term consequences. Environmentalists said the spill
was more than 30 times larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The
incident underscored the false nature of the “clean coal” propaganda.
In an interview with NBC Nightly News, Elliott Negin of the Union of
Concerned Scientists explained:
This disaster shows that the term ‘clean coal’ is an oxymoron.
It’s akin to saying ‘safe cigarette.’ Clean coal doesn’t exist."
Within this context, i once again, implore all those outraged by this
atrocity to please integrate the ongoing struggle of traditional Dine
and Hopi peoples to bring similar attention to the destruction of
sacred lands that has continued since resources were discovered on
reservations in the 1920's leading directly to the Indian Reorganzation
Act and the formation of malleable tribal councils.
Peabody Coal has raped the land of Black Mesa for over 40 years as well
as draining an aquifer drying up ancient Hopi and Dine springs and
wells. The 273 mile long slurry line used over a billion gallons of
pristine water yearly to transport coal to the Mohave Generating
Station, once the largest coal fired power plant on earth til it was
shut down December 2005. Tho the shutdown was attributed to Mohave's
lack of stack scrubbers, lack of water for the slurry is a under
addressed major reality. Mohave may do whatever it can to continue
with plant operations as it searches for another aquifer to exploit.
Reconfiguring the slurry line towards Page, Arizona is being
considered which would include the draining of another aquifer.
http://www.shundahai.org/bigmtbackground.html
What is most striking about this whole catastrophe is the genocidal
impact the forced relocation of over 14,000 traditional Dine people and
100 plus Hopi has had in this remote lovely region. Over half of those
relocated have died, many prematurely from stress induced illnesses,
others from suicide or murder in racist border towns. People have
become refugees in a country steeped in denial of human tragedy that
illustrates the complicity of privileged racism. The genocide of
Indigenous Americans lives on...
In my many years of researching, writing and witnessing the human
rights violations suffered by Dine, Hopi, Mayan Indian people,
homeless, migrants and the growing horror of femicide, i see that many
advantaged people cannot face the scope of atrocity such marginalized
people endure. Given the ongoing genocides in Iraq and Afghanistan
spreading to Pakistan that are NOT bringing millions onto US streets in
opposition, it is no wonder that the elimination of traditional first
peoples remains unabated.
All these issues are inter related. The drive for profit allows and
thrives on the destruction of the human beings living where resource
extraction is highly coveted. Never have white Americans taken a
profoundly massive stance against the genocide enacted over 500 years
ago in all of the Americas. This fascistic, greedy colonialism
threatens all of life on all 5 continents. No children have a chance
in this current atmosphere of crippling apathy.
We must stand because it is the right thing to do, not because we
finally have the funding to act with conscience. We must stand as if
all life depended upon our choice to loudly, clearly and strongly say
"NO!" to the course of greed propelled genocide all of us will contend
with sooner or later as this nightmare spreads.
May we hear our hearts and enact our sacred duty.
Please consider joining our efforts to fill Rick Fellows frontline
schoolbus with volunteers willing to give several days of labor to
resisting Flack Mesa/Big Mountain families during the week November 21
- 28 leaving from Olympia.
For more info:
swaneagle
frontlinemom@yahoo.com
Rick Fellows
rick@mediaisland.org
