on a former Massey Energy surface mine

Monday September 22, 2008

State gives $1 million loan for Mingo racetrack project

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Development Office is providing a $1 million loan to Mingo County to help pay for construction of a dirt racetrack.

The Twin Branch Motorsports Complex will be located near the Logan County line off U.S. 119 on a former Massey Energy surface mine.

The federal Economic Development Administration awarded a $1.2 million grant for the project in 2005. Funding from the loan and grant will be used to pay for water and sewage systems and other infrastructure at the site.

The entire project could cost $7 million to $8 million.

Bids for the infrastructure work are scheduled to be opened Oct. 1 at the Mingo County

http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200809220345

Likely voters, by a nearly 2 to 1 margin, oppose mountaintop removal mining (56 percent compared to just 29 percent). Fifteen percent of voters are undecided.

Opponents of mountaintop removal also have an even bigger edge in terms of intensity: 39 percent strongly oppose the practice versus just 12 percent who strongly favor it – a 3 to 1 margin. Opposition to mountaintop removal (MTR) is broad and deep, traversing all demographics groups and every region of the state.

I expect the Mountain Party is opposed, but zig could ans. that better.

And I think they still are on the ballot.

The Mountain Party seeks:

1. Protection of our air, water and land by promoting policies which are directed toward sustainable energy, agriculture and environmentally sound economic development; a halt to mountaintop removal coal mining in order to preserve precious forest lands and streams;

http://www.mtparty.org/platform/platform.html

1. New Energy Options (road map to a prosperous tomorrow)
a. New Coal Economy
 Redefining how we remove and use coal
b. Sustainable Energy Alternatives
 Wind, hydro, bio- mass, geothermal
c. Abolish Mountain Top Removal
 In favor of returning to deep mining putting
six times the number of miners to work in
safety, immediately.

http://s210934911.onlinehome.us/wvgov/articals/Jesse%20Johnson%20Platform.pdf

TerryRC wrote:Well, that is about 1% of the land that has been or will be "recontoured".

I wonder how many dirt racetracks the state can use?

ziggy wrote:
How might they have been asked in a less "partisan" manner?

Since I don't duck questions, I'll answer yours. For starters, they could have started by leaving out statements like "As you may know, the Bush adminstration has changed the rules..."

That would have been a tad less partisan, don't you think!!!!!!!!!!

The Appalachian Center is a regional law and policy organization. The Center works together with individual citizens and grassroots citizens' groups to clarify, analyze and act on the environmental and economic issues that affect our communities. We carry out precedent-setting litigation strategically designed to protect the environment and the health of communities. We also conduct research and analysis, and advocate for a sustainable and just economy for the region.

The Center seeks fundamental changes in compliance, implementation and enforcement of major environmental laws in Central Appalachia. We seek to start the long process of replacing the shortsighted economic policies of the region with more sustainable and responsible policies. All of our court actions and policy initiatives are formulated to have long-term and systemic impacts.


Mountaintop removal coal mining sites like this one have destroyed nearly 1500 square miles of central Appalachia. Areas that were once the most productive and diverse temperate hardwood forests in the world are now waste scrublands. Because of the work of Center staff, state and federal agencies are conducting the first ever programmatic environmental impact statement to assess damage done by mountaintop removal coal mining.

Our activities are intended to have region-wide (and often nationwide) impacts. Our media work is directed at raising public awareness of the tragedy befalling the citizens of Central Appalachia at the hands of the coal industry. Each victory will also raise the price of coal as an energy source, reduce externalities associated with coal mining and burning and make more sustainable alternatives more attractive. We have very carefully chosen our project priorities with these goals in mind.

The Center is working to stop mountaintop removal coal mining, to protect communities from the adverse health effects caused by water and air pollution generated by resource extraction, coal burning power plants, and other destructive practices, and to protect and restore the region's hardwood forests, which are the most biologically diverse and productive temperate hardwood forests in the world. source

ziggy wrote:

Since I don't duck questions, I'll answer yours. For starters, they could have started by leaving out statements like "As you may know, the Bush adminstration has changed the rules..."

That would have been a tad less partisan, don't you think!!!!!!!!!!

And less accurate, too.

sodbuster wrote:This issue of mountain top removal strip mining is one where both Parties in WV have adopted a position clearly contrary to the will of the people.

A clear majority of West Virginians are opposed to this abomination.

SamCogar wrote:

...who are absolutely, positively against any form of coal mining in West Virginia.

sodbuster wrote:http://www.lakesnellperry.com/services/index.htm

Well here is the pollster website.

Also note they were active in the successful Wise Campaign.

As to your comment about opposing all mining that is just the same ol same ol.

When you cant argue the facts you just put up a strawman argument.

Nothing new there....