Stripping Mountains to Power D.C.

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Coal Does More Than Keep the Lights On

Some communities in West Virginia say Washingtonians are unaware of the true cost of "mountaintop" mining.

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

When the two sides meet in little hollows, confrontations can be even less civil.

This month, anti-mining activist Larry Gibson was standing along a dirt road near Kayford, W.Va., with a Washington Post reporter and photographer. On the back of his pickup was a large sign that read: "Stop Mountaintop Removal."

A large dump truck roared by, kicking up a cloud of dust, on its way toward a mine. A few seconds later, Gibson's CB radio crackled.

"I dusted 'em out!" the driver said, apparently angered by Gibson's sign.

Soon after, another dump truck pulled up behind Gibson's pickup. The truck driver said on his CB radio that he intended to pull in front of Gibson on the isolated mountain road and block him in.

For a few moments, the dump truck tried to pass Gibson, jockeying for position on the narrow road at 20 miles more than the speed limit. Finally, Gibson turned off.

"They went up toward Samples; there's nothing I can do," the truck driver said, referring to a nearby mine. The truck then turned down a road marked Empire Mine Office.

A spokesman for the mine's parent company, Massey Energy Co., said the company could not verify that a Massey vehicle was involved but added, "Massey will not tolerate dangerous or unprofessional behavior by its members."

As he drove away, the coal truck driver noted that Gibson was accompanied by another car, belonging to a Post photographer, with Maryland license plates.

The driver parted with a reminder that the mines and the Washington area are connected.

"They don't realize that that's where they get their electricity from," the driver said over the radio. "God gave us coal to mine, then, didn't He?"

Staff writer Steven Mufson and staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.