A BIG WIN AGAINST KING COAL: We shut down a mine permanently!
Middlelick Mountain will remain mostly unmined, thanks to Kanawha Forest Coalition & RAMPS
WE WON! It’s rare to get to say this, but it’s true: after more than 2 years of campaigning and pressuring by the Kanawha Forest Coalition, the KD#2 mountaintop removal strip mine in Kanawha County has been ordered to be permanently closed. The majority of Middlelick Mountain will remain intact, unblasted and unmined, and Davis Creek watershed will be spared the worst of this mine’s pollution and flooding impacts!
RAMPS played a crucial role in the Kanawha Forest Coalition’s efforts — canvassing frontline hollers, coordinating and supporting meetings, setting up educational and cultural events, conducting citizen enforcement inspections of the mine, training coalition members in direct action tactics and climbing skills, and organizing a direct action campaign that was never needed — and we couldn’t be more proud of this victory.
Of course, this is just one mine among hundreds here, and there’s so much more to be done. But movements need victories to build upon. This win gives us an incredible opportunity to build, broaden, and bridge the movements against resource extraction in our area. It’s an opportunity to show that this strategy can succeed not just in the capital city’s backyard, but all over the coalfields. Our work to build power and resilience in communities already dealing with the slow disaster of strip mining is ongoing.
With your support, we can grow our organization, build upon our campaign to stop the KD#2 MTR mine, and strengthen our community organizing and youth empowerment projects here in Whitesville.
Can you give $25 or $50 today to support radical, grassroots organizing in the Coal River Valley? Every donation makes a difference, bolstering the global fight against climate change and resource extraction, starting from the front lines in Appalachia.
You can online here, or mail a check made out to “RAMPS” to:
RAMPS c/o Kim Ellis
PO Box 63
Whitesville, WV 25209
The best way to support us is to sign up as a monthly recurring donor. Even $10 or $20 a month makes a tremendous impact. Tax-deductible donations can be routed through our fiscal sponsor—reply to this email for details if you’d like to this way.
We want to thank everyone who helped make this victory possible. Many of you signed the Coalition’s petition, showed up for the Mountain Justice rally at DEP last summer, came to and supported our climb training camp, brought us to your school or event to speak about the ongoing campaign, taught us how to use drones and water testing equipment to survey the mine site, and schemed with us on how to stop mining with blockades if all else failed.
We’re celebrating this rare victory, and we hope you’ll celebrate with us.
Thank you as always for your continued support.
For the land and people —
RAMPS
P.S. There’s a lot more going on right now, so stay tuned for further updates. Some RAMPS members headed north to support direct action against the Dakota Access Pipeline, while others are at home preparing for the Whitesville herbal health clinic and this year’s Fall Summit on Kayford Mtn (happening October 14-16!).
