The Last Mountain

The Last Mountain was shown at I.G. Greer as part of the 2012 Sustainability Film Series on March 20. The goal of this movie was to explain the controversy surrounding mountain top removal (MTR) coal mining in the Central Appalachia and show how problematic the practice is.  Coal River Mountain is the last untouched mountain in the Coal River Valley, which is controlled by Massey Energy.  The makers of the film argue that a wind energy site would be a much better use of this location than a MTR coal mining site.

Throughout the film problems are presented and some potential solutions are given.  Different activists are also interviewed throughout the film and describe their experiences with trying to gain awareness and fight back against the big coal companies.  One group that is discussed quite often throughout the film consists of individuals from outside of the area that have done things such as camp in the trees or on machines such as the dragline.  The film follows protestors and gives a good depiction of how great the tension is in the area between those who strongly support MTR mining and those who are very opposed to it.  During many of the large protests there would often be another group of individuals who are pro-MTR mining that want to counter their attempts.

The video also shows cases where significant damages have been incurred as a result of MTR coal mining, yet it is very difficult to make a case out of the actions because the coal companies spend so much money on keeping politicians on their side and on lobbying.  Some of the controversies surround reclamation and how it isn't sufficient, problems with the coal slurry impoundments, especially one that's directly behind an elementary school, covering streams, and flooding.  There are also economic damages in communities caused by air and water pollution and poverty caused by devaluation of homes, significant cuts in employment, and the temporary nature of the jobs.

In the panel afterwards some of the speakers emphasized the importance of people coming from elsewhere to try to help, however I've had some personal experiences that make me feel a little differently.  There is a strong cultural tie to coal mining in the Central Appalachia, as many of the people there at least have close relatives that do or have worked in the mines.  When people come up from out of state and tell the local residents that they need to stop doing something that has been going on for generations, it upsets people.  They also talked about externalities and how the price of coal does not accurately reflect the costs of the damages caused by its mining.