The coal industry, which used to burrow into the mountains to extract coal, now simply blows the tops off the mountains—-sending the trees, rock and topsoil over the sides, often eliminating streams below. When the Environmental Protection Agency said it was going to tighten the rules to protect those streams, the coal industry filed suit. Joining that lawsuit was the governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear, who said he wants the EPA to “get off our backs.” A fourteen –member delegation opposed to mountaintop removal coal mining went to see the governor last Friday morning and ended up spending the weekend camped out in his office. Among them was Wendell Berry, one of America’s leading writers—-who also happens to be a Kentucky farmer. The historic sit-in ended on Valentine’s Day when the 14 were joined by more than 1,200 others at the Capitol for I Love Mountains Day.
On today’s program, Bob talks with Wendell about what was accomplished by the weekend sit-in.
There’s a lot more on this issue at the website for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.