On Saturday, the West Virgin Democratic Party narrowly rejected a resolution that called for a moratorium on mountaintop removal mining.
The Healthy Jobs, Healthy Communities resolution was defeated by a vote of 215 to 190. Opponents said they were afraid Republicans would use it against them in the fall election. State Democratic Chairman Nick Casey told the Sunday Gazette-Mail that it's best to let the courts settle the issue.
The resolution was introduced by Senator Jon Blair Hunter of Monongalia County, but it originated with the state chapter of the Young Democrats, and an environmental activist from Charleston named Daniel Chiotos.
Reporter Scott Finn interviewed him about the resolution and what happens next.
Chiotos: We nearly passed a historic resolution on mountaintop removal that would take a stand for good jobs in West Virginia and the forms of mining that offer the most jobs, like deep mining.
Finn: Tell me what the resolution said.
Chiotos: The part of the resolution that brought up the most spirited debate called for a moratorium on new mountaintop removal permits until the topic could be further studied, until we could get a full understanding of the economic and environmental impacts on the people and land of the state.
Finn: What was the debate like? What did people say about this resolution?
Chiotos: People spoke about how their families are in the deep mine, how their families go way back in West Virginia. People in opposition discussed concern about the position it would put the Democratic Party in. The concern was that the coal companies would go on attack, and that the Democratic Party shouldn’t take up this issue at this time.
Finn: Supporters of this resolution cite a 2004 survey showing that 56 percent of West Virginians are opposed to mountaintop removal mining. If it’s so unpopular, then why is it possible for the coal companies to attack the Democrats for taking a position against it?
Chiotos: Just as you saw in 2004 with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and their spinning of John Kerry’s heroic war record, large organizations with money can spin issues and tell half-truths or untruths. People see commercials and believe what’s on commercials. So the concern is that the coal industry would tell mistruths or half-truths about this resolution.
Finn: Did anyone speak against the resolution in terms of its substance? Did anyone speak up in favor of mountaintop removal?
Chiotos: Nobody who spoke, spoke in favor of mountaintop removal.
Finn: Were you surprised at how close the vote was?
Chiotos: I was really pleased at how close the vote was.
Finn: The vote here showed that there’s almost a majority of people within this convention that were willing to stand up and call for a moratorium on mountaintop removal mining.
But Senator Jon Blair Hunter sponsored a bill this year in the Legislature that would have called for a moratorium on mountaintop-removal. The bill never saw the light of day. It was killed in committee by Democrats. What’s the disconnect between a large portion of the party which is willing to stand up and say we oppose to mountaintop removal, and the party’s leaders, which isn’t even willing to talk about it.
Chiotos: I can’t say what the disconnect is. I think this issue is moving in the right direction. I think there is increasing attention being paid to this issue. And as we take more stands for good-paying jobs for West Virginians, the party leadership will be right there with us.
Finn: You said you grew up in the Eastern Panhandle, and you’re working for an environmental group now. Could you talk about that and why this issue is so important to you?
Chiotos: This issue is very important to me after I first saw mountaintop removal, first heard about how many jobs were being lost, heard songs like "The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore," about boarded up coal towns, because machines are replacing people.
After seeing mountaintop-removal sites, and after hearing the economic and human effect that it’s having, that really ignites me, because it goes far beyond being an environmental issue. This is a human issue, this is an economic issue.