It’s been a very busy time, these last couple of months, and my time for posting on my blog has been very limited. So I want to start posting more of my views on MTR, and what all is happening in the coalfields on Coal River. Since early Feb., it’s been something to do daily. The Sludge Safety Project have been lobbying our state legislators, and trying to get a bill passed that would protect families who are on well water, from being contaminated with heavy metals of coal waste, and the abuses from the coal industry. We got a lot of support of the bill, and it was introduced on the Senate side, by our good Sen. Randy White, (D), Webster Co. It was doing well and gaining support, until it came before senate chair of the EIM committee,(energy, industry, and mining), Mike Green (D), Raleigh Co., where the bill died, because Sen. Green, after many request to put the bill on the agenda, refused to due so, because of his ties with the coal industry, and his dedication to our coal friendly governor, Joe Manchin. This bill would have put a moratorium on pending, and new permits on slurry injections, the process of injecting toxic waste from the cleaning coal at a preparation plants, into our mountains, into old abandon undergrounds mines. This process, which the DEP said , they are not sure that this process isn’t poisoning communities drinking supply, has been known to to inflict misery and death, on people living in the coalfields, who have depended on well water, to be their clean water source for many years. 90% of rural West Virginia’s depend on wells for their families drinking water. Once, the freshest water anywhere, are now destroyed forever, and now fill homes with heavy metals, some that exceed 100 times more than the safe drinking water standards. The bill also offered alternatives, such as the dry press method of cleaning coal, which would do away with slurry injections completely, and would cost the coal companies cents on the ton to install this type cleaning method to their preparation plants. This process would insure families health and safety from the extreme dangers from injections of toxic waste, just another way companies use our lands as a toxic waste dump. I, who have strongly supported Sen. Green, my constituent, in his last two elections, has gotten my last vote, and future support. I explained how important this bill was to communities where my friends and family live, and have been affected, and some who’s life have been taken, because of this process. Just another example how coal owns our politics here in WV. It’s really a shame that elected officials, continue to consider families expendable, when it comes to selling their deadly product. I’m sure the lines will be long, when one day they will have to be held accountable for the destruction they allowed, and supported, to happen to God’s creation. Unbelievable.