update 9/3: Ducky is out of jail! He celebrated his release with Mexican food and enough giggles to send some up his nasal passages. More on his jail experience soon.

UPDATE 9/1: Ducky has called us for the first time from South Central Regional. He sounded chipper and explained that he hasn’t been able to contact us because he wasn’t given a bracelet with his ID Number, which he needs in order to use the jail phone.  He will be released on Monday.

UPDATE 8/31: This morning two other barge activists agreed to a plea deal of suspended sentences and probation, while other 2 people who boarded the barge with ducky still have open court cases: Rebecca Loeb’s court date has been continued and Squirrel pleaded not guilty.

Today at his status hearing in Kanawha county, Ducky (Nathan Joseph) agreed to a plea deal and was taken directly to south central regional jail to serve 5 days.   He plead guilty to obstruction, and was sentenced to 5 days in jail and $100 fine plus court costs.

Ducky was one of Five people who on May 24th boarded a coal barge at the Quincy Docks operated by Kanawha River Terminals in Chelyan, W.Va. and locked themselves to the boat with a banner stating “Coal Leaves Cancer Stays”.   Before he took action, ducky had this to say … “If “business as usual” does not stop SOON, there will not be an Appalachia left for our children or our children’s children.”

Ducky had this to say before going to court for his actions – “I’ve found constant comfort in the knowledge that I took part in this action for good reason. Everywhere I look I see problems with the coal industry. Whether it’s the overt destruction of a natural landmark that should be revered or the blatant disregard for the health and safety of industry employees and community members, I see one clear message: the coal machine is one that MUST be stopped.”

You can write to Nathan Walker Joseph, 1001 Centre Way, Charleston, WV, 25309-1001

To guarantee that the person you’re writing to will receive your letters:  Address your letter to the inmate’s full legal name. You must include a full name in the return address as well or your mail will not be allowed in.use standard sized envelopes and paper, use only a pencil or pen with blue/black ink (typed or colored ink may cause your letter to be confiscated), don’t include cards, photocopies, clippings, or other materials besides black and white written correspondence. Photos are okay. Please assume all mail will be read by the jail. Remember that the person you are writing may not have paper or stamps to write back, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t receive a reply.

Hey everybody,

It’s been an action-packed summer, coast-to-coast, nobody can deny that! From a RAMPS action that shut down a coal export facility and stopped 9 haul trucks on Kayford Mountain back in May, to the first successful blockades of a hydraulic fracturing site in Pennsylvania and a facility in New York, to the Mountain Mobilization that shut down the Hobet 45 mine (largest MTR site in America!!!) for a day, to an awe-inspiring week of actions against coal exports in Montana, to the numerous actions that are popping up in Texas and Oklahoma against the Keystone XL pipeline, nobody can say that the environmental movement hasn’t been busy! And you better believe that we’re not through yet!

It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with RAMPS throughout this summer, beginning with that first action coming out of Mountain Justice Summer Camp back in May. While many of the actions I just mentioned have already seen legal outcomes, those of us who were arrested on the coal barge in Chelyan, WV are just now facing our status hearing this week. To say that I’m not worried would be a lie. However, I’ve found constant comfort in the knowledge that I took part in this action for good reason. Everywhere I look I see problems with the coal industry. Whether it’s the overt destruction of a natural landmark that should be revered or the blatant disregard for the health and safety of industry employees and community members, I see one clear message: the coal machine is one that MUST be stopped.

In May (which seems so long ago at this point), I decided to take part in this action against coal exports because I knew that I needed to take a stand against the valuation of wealth over health. I decided to lock myself to a coal barge because I know that the coal being taken from West Virginian mountains often doesn’t get used in West Virginia. The coal being loaded into the barges that we occupied gets shipped down the Kanawha River, onto the Ohio and the Mississippi, and beyond. Louisiana, where I call my home, uses MTR coal in their state energy portfolio, and West Virginia, where I’ve developed strong roots this summer, does not see the benefits from their toils. Instead, they get cancer.

Yet industry has government in their pocket. We saw this fully during the Mobilization, when law enforcement forced peaceful protestors to walk 4 hours through a gauntlet of harassment from Friends of Coal and other pro-coal fanatics, and when another protestor was beaten while in police custody and then denied medical care. We’ve seen it over and over again as EPA standards are repealed and mining permits are pushed through regardless of safety regulations. We see it every time Big Coal makes a political donation, every time state and national legislators urge for more mining in the national energy program.

I know that I face a massive system of oppression and repression in the coming days, a system that works to preserve the status quo and ensure that money and power stay right where they are. However, I take solace in the fact that my actions were true, right, and just. Whatever “judgement” may be handed down to me will not stop me from playing my part in this struggle. I know that many who have come before me have been dealt harsher punishments than whatever I may receive, and certainly there will be more such situations in the years to come. I know that I am but one person, but I hope that my actions stand as a clarion call for others to join the struggle.

Those of us who were arrested during the barge action in Chelyan have our court dates on Thursday 8/30/12 and Friday 8/31/12. All five of us are facing misdemeanor trespassing charges, and three (Fern, Rebecca, and myself) are also facing misdemeanor obstruction charges. Speaking for myself, I would love to have people come out and show support for us physically on the day of our appearances.

For the mountains, for the people.
Ducky