Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining: Why the Faith Community Believes it Must End I lift up my eyes to the mountains - from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 National Council of Churches USA

Mountaintop Removal Blast

Tyler Shantha Will National Council of Churches Work to End Mountaintop Removal More than 10 Years of Work Together on this Issue - Ex. Cease Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining, 2000 (UMC) Creating and Sharing Energy Stewardship Resources - Christian Education - Green Building Toolkits Bringing Christian Witness to the Administration and Congress - Denominational Sign-On Letter -Postcard Campaign -Meetings with key stakeholders and people of faith Partnership with Working Films to host “Dirty Business” documentary screenings, with accompanying worship resource and discussion guide Learn more about our work at:

Rev. Greg Griffey Hospital Chaplain Ordained Baptist Minister

Chathum Hill Church

North Fork of the Holston River

Appalachia’s Churches: What’s in a Name? Zion United Methodist Church St. Ann’s Catholic Church Marion First Baptist Church St. Matthew Lutheran Church Christ Episcopal Church First Congregational United Church of Christ

Appalachia’s Churches: What’s in a Name? Big Rock Creek Baptist Church Buckeye Hollow Free Pentecostal Holiness Crabtree United Methodist Church Razor Ridge Missionary Baptist Church Walnut Grove Church Rich Valley Presbyterian Church Flat Ridge Church of God

10 Appalachian Coal Mining and Public Health: Michael Hendryx, PhD October, 2011

Health Disparities and the Environmental Riskscape Population health outcomes driven by poverty and education Disadvantaged populations are exposed to greater environmental risks Coal mining environments have elevated riskscapes – Mountaintop mining concentrates the disadvantages 11

Mountaintop Mining Removes the entire tops of mountains and ridges Explosives and draglines reach coal seams hundreds of feet deep Spoil is deposited into adjacent valleys Has permanently buried over 1,200 miles of streams Will impact >1.4 million acres 12

13 Source: Annual Coal Reports, Energy Information Administration (*figures for imputed)

14 Sources: Energy Information Administration and West Virginia Coal Association

15 Independent Assessment of Coal Economy For every mining job, 2.38 other jobs are created (not 5-8) Direct, indirect and induced benefits: $8.08 billion in 2005 dollars Source: University of Kentucky report, 2001, funded by ARC

16 Disparities in Mining Areas Appalachian Coal Mining Other Appalachian Rest of Nation % college education* Median household income * $28,054$32,596$36,753 Unemployment rate* Poverty rate* Area Resource File 2006 adjusted for age, race/ethnicity and sex * Group differences significant at p<.0001

17 Source: Area Resource File 2008 and EIA

Total Age-Adjusted Mortality per 100,000 for the Years by County Group 18

Age-adjusted mortality per 100,000 by MTM status 19

20 Age-Adjusted Lung Cancer Mortality per 100,000, years Hendryx, O’Donnell & Horn, Lung Cancer, 2008

21 Cardiopulmonary and kidney disease mortality Chronic heart, lung, & kidney disease mortality rates are higher in coal mining areas than the rest of Appalachia or the nation – CDC mortality data – Adjustments for smoking, age, sex, race, poverty, education, rural-urban setting, insurance rates, physician supply, region Results are concentrated in MTM areas

Total Heart Disease Mortality per 100,000 22

23 Self-Reported Health Greater coal mining is associated with higher rates of: – Chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, and kidney disease National 2006 BRFSS data show higher rates of heart attack and coronary heart disease People in Appalachian mining areas report more days of poor health and activity limitations – Men and women, young and old – Controlling for smoking, alcohol use, BMI, age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, income, education, rural/urban setting, doctor supply – Effects are concentrated in MTM areas

24 Low Birth Weight Low birth rate 16% in heavy mining areas; 14% in moderate areas of WV – Control for mother’s age, smoking, drinking, education, prenatal care Higher LBW risk concentrated in MTM areas

25 Birth Defects in MTM Zones Babies born in MTM zones have 42% higher risk of birth defects, – Risk for heart and lung defects was 181% higher in MTM areas – Controlling for mother’s age, race/ethnicity, education, prenatal care, infant sex, smoking, alcohol use, co-morbid diabetes, and rural setting.

26 Academic Performance Students in mining counties of WV are significantly more likely to fail standardized tests – Grades 3-8,10 – Controlling for low income, county high school education rate, class size, teacher quality, school size – Approximately 1,600 excess fails per year.

27 Appalachian Coal Mining Correlates to Public Health: Become stronger as mining levels increase Present for women, men, and children Present across multiple data sources and health outcomes Become stronger in closer proximity to mining activity Concentrated in MTM areas

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29 Air Quality at Prep Facility Daily average significantly higher than the standard on 33 of 43 days

30 Explosion over the town of Dorothy

MTM and Control Air Samples, Nov- Dec

32 Well water in the town of Rawl, West Virginia Photo: Antrim Casky, 2008 Photo: Nat Geographic, 2006

Tests of Well and Groundwater Arsenic in ~ ½ of 179 wells in central Appalachia, most at levels known to increase cancer risk (Shiber) Ground water in mined areas of Appalachia have higher sulfate, iron, manganese, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, zinc, ph, and turbidity (McAuley & Kozar, USGS report) 33

Tests of Well and Groundwater Tests of 15 wells exceeded standards for 9 metals including lead, arsenic, manganese, barium, beryllium, selenium (Stout) NY Times: Clean Water Act violations not being enforced 34 © Damon Winter/The New York Times

Public Water Uncertainties From 2001 through 2009, there were 17,362 water quality treatment violations reported to the EPA for West Virginia: – 86 per facility in MTM areas – 15 per facility in rest of the state – Most violations were failures to sample for organics as required – Estimated health violations about 5 times higher 35

36 What is the Value of a Life (statistically speaking)? VSL research – EPA and FDA studies place VSL at $4.67 to $7.74 million, in 2005 dollars

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38 The Human Cost of Coal Mining Cost estimate in billions compared to: VSL in millions: Appalachia Appalachia Nation Nation $4.67$18.563$20.697$41.283$ $7.74$30.766$34.304$68.422$ Excess annual deaths: 3,9754,4328,84010,923

Conclusions and Recommendations Mountaintop mining creates air and water pollution that likely impact human health The health and environmental costs of coal mining outweigh its economic benefits Investigate mechanisms Need to invest in economic diversification MTM should stop 39

Sharman Chapman-Crane Faith Activist, Kentucky

Under Darkening Skies By: Jeff Chapman-Crane

Sam Gilbert

In the Days of the Prophet

Sludge Ponds in Letcher County

Patty Amburgey

Jerry Banks

Acid Mine Drainage

Voice of the Prophets, By Jeff Chapman-Crane

The Agony of Gaia, By Jeff Chapman-Crane

Under Darkening Skies By: Jeff Chapman-Crane

Other Faith-Based Groups Working on Ending Mountaintop Removal Christians for the Mountains – Website FULL of great resources and action opportunities! Catholic Committee of Appalachia – Had an Appalachia pilgrimage in October Lindquist Environmental Appalachian Fellowship – 40 days of prayer for the mountains Restoring Eden

Sign the petition to end Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining at: Take Action by Signing this Postcard Petition– and Keep in Touch. You can reach us at Thanks for joining!