Save Gauley Mountain from Mountaintop Removal Mining!

-

- Advertisment -

If you’ve ever driven along the northern edge of Canaan Valley on your way to the Blackwater, or to many of the other putins in West Virginia, you’ve likely experienced mountaintop removal mining. The central Appalachian Mountains are incredibly rich with coal, and with this resource comes a long and destructive history of coal mining. And this destructive mining now threatens to damage two of America’s most iconic recreational rivers—The New and The Gauley.

But it’s the coal extracted from these hills that powers the United States. Nearly half of all the energy produced in the U.S. is generated by the burning of coal—in fact the White House and the Capital are powered by Congress’ own coal-burning Capital Power Plant in downtown D.C. Clearly there’s a demand, and unfortunately the supply is in the hills surrounding some of WV’s most classic rivers and creeks.

The technique of choice for extracting this coal is mountaintop removal. The miners blast the top of the mountain off with dynamite, collect the rock and extract the coal. As they work their way down, they leave a blasted rubble pile shell of the previous mountain and the debris that tumbles into the valleys below releases toxic chemicals into the streams. The Gauley Mountain project will cause extensive pollution of Rich Creek, a stream that flows into the Gauley River near the town of Swiss. The Gauley then flows into the New River immediately downstream of the New River Dries. The area that will be affected by the Gauley Mountain project is visible directly across the valley as you drive downhill, west from Fayetteville to the putin for the New River Dries.

The campaign to save Gauley Mountain is organized by iLoveMountains.org and locally by Father Roy Crist of the New River Episcopal Ministry in Ansted. You can sign a petition online to help protect this mountain community and river recreation area. There has been a strong outpouringof support among the paddling community, and your voice will make a difference!

Resources:
Video Link Here
iLoveMountains
Save Gauley Mtn

Staff Post
Staff Posthttps://paddlinglife.com
Paddlers writing about all things paddling.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisement -

Latest news

ICF Announces Women’s Symposium

The International Canoe Federation is taking a step to increase the number of women involved at every level of...

The Case for 12-foot Kayaks: Dagger’s New Vanguard Notches 9 of Top 10 Spots in Little White Salmon Race

Starting a hot discussion on Facebook, Dagger's new 12-foot Vanguard kayak notched a whopping nine out of the top...

Upstate New York Launches 3-Trip, Scenic Paddle Challenge

Chasing the gnar isn't the only way to be challenged on the water. For whitewater paddlers, the area in the...

SUP Maker BOTE Opens 5th Retail Store, in Ft. Lauderdale

SUP, IK-maker Continues Growth with Immersive, Community-Driven Retail Experience BOTE, longstanding leader of innovation in the paddle board, kayak, and...
- Advertisement -

Canoecopia ’23 : Canoe Country Gear Video Roundup

Want the lowdown on what's new from this year's Canoecopia show? Our good friend and videographer Aaron Black-Schmidt stopped...

Paddle Camping in Style: Tune Outdoor Unveils New Truck Canopy Camper

Paddlers have always employed whatever it takes to crash near their favorite waterway, from sleeping on the dirt and...

Must read

ICF Announces Women’s Symposium

The International Canoe Federation is taking a step to...
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you