Annual energy production of the proposed wind farm would exceed that of mined coal after only 14 years, when the second of the three mines is expected to cease production.

continued...

Two weeks ago Massey Energy began blasting Coal River Mountain and with it, the hopes of citizens who have developed plans for a green wind project on the mountain,1(yes, there's a petition at this link)near the Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment, the largest slurry dam in Appalachia with the capacity to hold 8.2 billion gallons. Slurry is the by-product of coal washing and processing operations and contains high levels of toxic heavy metals like mercury, selenium and lead. . Were the dam to fail, and many have, Massey Energy's own assessment indicates that more than a thousand men, women and children would have less than five minutes to save their lives.

A wind resources assessment and economic study commissioned by Coal River Mountain Watch in 2008 revealed that Coal River Mountain-which has the highest peaks ever slated for mining in the state-has enough wind potential to provide electricity for over 85,000 homes and would create more jobs over the expected life of the turbines than the proposed mountaintop removal mine. The study also stated that the proposed wind farm would help diversify the local economy in an area historically dependent upon temporary coal mining jobs, and would pump $20 million per year in direct local spending during construction and $2 million per year thereafter.2

Based on production estimates in the three mountaintop removal mining applications for Coal River Mountain, the total energy producible from the coal lying under the mountain is approximately 116,129,057,595 kWh. At current efficiency and consumption rates, a Coal River Mountain Wind Farm will produce an equal amount of electricity in only 97 years – a conservative number given expected efficiency improvements in wind power technologies. Additionally, annual energy production of the proposed wind farm will exceed that of mined coal after only 14 years, when the second of the three mines is expected to cease production.3

In 2000, the U.S. Geologic Survey estimated that the most economically recoverable coal in West Virginia would be mined out within 20-30 years,4 which is fantastic news for people who don't want to hear about this anymore, but then what are we left with?

Thousands of requests to stop the blasting to West Virginia's governor, Joe Manchin, have been ignored. We need your help to call on the Obama administration today. We are looking to Lisa Jackson of the Environmental Protection Agency; Nancy Sutley of the White House Council of Environmental Quality; Kenneth Salazar, Secretary of the Interior; and Terrence C. Salt 202-761-0001, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army Corps of Engineers to step in and intervene today.

Join us and demand that they stop the blasting today.