The Next Great Coal Spill? Massey’s Billion Gallon Disaster in Waiting

[marmar]

from AlterNet:



Posted by jeffbiggers at 6:05 am
June 4, 2010

The Next Great Coal Spill? Massey’s Billion Gallon Disaster in Waiting


As President Obama makes his third trip to the Gulf today to assess the worst crude oil spill in American history, residents in the coalfields can’t help but sympathize with the stricken area.

In 24 states across the country, coalfield citizens have been living with area watersheds contaminated by toxic coal slurry and coal ash for decades. Thousands of miles of streams have been jammed and sullied with coal waste from strip-mining and mountaintop removal operations.

But it’s the magnitude of the massive coal slurry impoundments and dams hovering above communities in the mountains of the Appalachian coalfields that bring home the sickening images of the Gulf oil spill.

“After watching the disaster unfold in the Gulf with 20-40 million gallons of oil already spilled,” says Bo Webb, in Naoma, West Virginia, “I cannot begin to imagine what would happen to our Coal River Valley if the 9 billion gallon sludge dam above us failed.” ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/06/04/the-next-great-coal-spill-masseys-billion-gallon-disaster-in-waiting/

[charlesg]

1. Why hasn't Massey been indicted for murder?

[Champion Jack]

2. They buy judges

[BeFree]

3. It's my fault

I am one of them there greenies and if'n it weren't for folks like me the coal companies could just let that stuff flow down the creeks instead of damning it up.

And I personally stopped BP from putting a real good valve on that there oil well because I wouldn't let them drill in Alaskee.

Sarah Palin has hunted me down and I feel so ashamed.