When asked why they did not move, all of the people we spoke with cited two primary reasons—cultural and economic. Economically, they argue that the land has depreciated in value, which would make it difficult for them to make enough money off of the sale to move to another comparable place. In addition, few people would be willing to buy the property due to its numerous problems with the mines. Culturally, they have lived on the land for generations and identify themselves with the creeks and mountains that surround them. In many ways, they are of the land and feel a strong bond with it that transcends the mere beauty of the scenery. The other people who live around them have lived on that land for similar amounts of time, meaning that families have grown up together and have an enduring sense of community.
More research is necessary before we can make a full assessment, but at this point, it’s pretty clear that the people of Hueysville and Handshoe have endured and continue to face significant human rights violations. Worth exploring further are rights associated with housing, water, food, health, culture and economic self-determination.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Day Two, March 31, Hueysville (Floyd County)
We returned to Hueysville and spoke went and spoke with Lowell, another key leader who works with Rick. Lowell and his family have also lived in Floyd County for numerous generations—in fact, he and Rick are family. The two men showed us around the property, including a place behind Lowell’s house where the mining company stripped the land of any trees or top soil but did not mine it. For various reasons, they decided that it was no longer necessary to get the coal that was in this particular section of land. The land is now seeded with grass that is not native to Kentucky; the grass will probably die soon. This grass covers an area that used to be filled with trees. Lowell described how he used to know all of the best places to find rare mushrooms that only grow in this area and how many of these have been stripped away now. After the company stripped the hill of trees, it built a pond on the land in order to catch and hold the run-off from the hill. This pond was a strange color and smelled a bit like sewage—Lowell and Rick spoke of how the water was filled with so many chemicals that it was eating through some of the metal pipes lower on the hill.
Like the others we spoke with, the damage done to Lowell’s property through the mining is not limited to the land—explosions have affected his home to the extent that his floor is now buckling and no longer even. This is a result of foundational damage caused by the blasting of the nearby strip-mining work. He estimates that it would take close to $8,000.00 for repairs.
Like the others we spoke with, the damage done to Lowell’s property through the mining is not limited to the land—explosions have affected his home to the extent that his floor is now buckling and no longer even. This is a result of foundational damage caused by the blasting of the nearby strip-mining work. He estimates that it would take close to $8,000.00 for repairs.
Day Two--31 March, Handshoe (Knott County)
On Tuesday, Rick took us a few miles away—just across the Floyd County-Knott County line—to meet members of his family that have been affected by a deep mine operation. His sister, Deb, and her husband along with their three children live in a house across the street and over a creek from their father, Clinton Handshoe. This was the place where all the children were raised and is actually known on some maps as “Handshoe” due to the long presence of the family in the holler. The mine operates day and night and is a little over 300 feet from Clinton’s doorstep.
We first spoke with Deb, who told us about the problems with water she has had as a result of the deep mine less than 200 yards from her house. Prior to the mine, they had one well that provided them with water for years. Since the mine has been there, they have had two additional wells that have all caused significant problems and negatively affect the health and well being of her and her children. They were told that the current well is safe and will not have the problems with methane that the others had, but at the same time they told her that it would be unwise for anyone to smoke around the well. Methane has no scent, but it’s highly explosive and poisonous.
The effects of coal dust from the mine site on her two young children (ages 6 and 4) are a huge source of concern for Deb, who is a respiratory therapist. She has noticed a consistent cough and respiratory problems in herself and her children, which she believes is a result of the large amount of coal dust that blows from the mine. The dust has also caused sties to form on her 6-year-old son’s eye, which the eye doctor confirmed as being a result of the coal dust. The large amount of coal dust that coats their house also means that they must spend a great deal of time washing the house and anything that might sit outside—toys, a trampoline, etc. She described her children’s hands and feet as being black whenever they play outside, meaning that they must limit their time outdoors for their safety. There have not been adequate studies on the effects of methane or the coal dust on the children, something that the entire family worries about.
The wind is another problem that has resulted lately due to the mountain top removal that also surrounds their land. While these are no longer active, the removal of the trees and top soil means that the wind speeds have significantly increased—prior to our arrival, there was a windstorm so severe that it blew the large and heavy trampoline from one side of their house, over the house, finally landing in the creek nearby. The son is now so frightened by the wind that he requested that we go inside as soon as the wind picked up a bit. Deb said that she and her sons were forced to stay in the closet all night during the high winds.
After speaking with Deb and her son Gage, we went and met Rick’s father, Clinton. He has lived on his land all of his life and feels a deep sense of connection to the land and the community that has been built on it. He remembered times where he and his wife would sit out on their porch and watch the animals come down the hill. He said that neighbors saw him there so often that they called it his “roost.” His schedule was based on a life lived outdoors and with a deep sense of connection to the people and landscape.
Now, due to the deep mine, he is unable to spend much time outdoors due to the amount of coal dust in the air. The noise and harassment he has directly experienced as a result of the miners has also been a problem that has negatively affected his quality of life. He described several instances of harassment and intimidation by the miners.
Due to other health concerns including emphysema and stomach cancer, his health is precarious and fragile. The stress of the mines has led him to use anti-anxiety medication as a means of coping; in addition, he must also leave the holler every now and then in order to escape the constant stress and coal dust on his already weakened lungs. The place he once knew as home is now a stressful and unhealthy environment.
The large amount of coal dust in the air also means that they are unable to grow their own food, something that the community members had previously relied upon for a large portion of their diet. Clinton and Rick showed us dozens of containers of canned food ranging from tomatoes to venison that they had grown and canned themselves. During growing season, the dust now covers the crops.
We first spoke with Deb, who told us about the problems with water she has had as a result of the deep mine less than 200 yards from her house. Prior to the mine, they had one well that provided them with water for years. Since the mine has been there, they have had two additional wells that have all caused significant problems and negatively affect the health and well being of her and her children. They were told that the current well is safe and will not have the problems with methane that the others had, but at the same time they told her that it would be unwise for anyone to smoke around the well. Methane has no scent, but it’s highly explosive and poisonous.
The effects of coal dust from the mine site on her two young children (ages 6 and 4) are a huge source of concern for Deb, who is a respiratory therapist. She has noticed a consistent cough and respiratory problems in herself and her children, which she believes is a result of the large amount of coal dust that blows from the mine. The dust has also caused sties to form on her 6-year-old son’s eye, which the eye doctor confirmed as being a result of the coal dust. The large amount of coal dust that coats their house also means that they must spend a great deal of time washing the house and anything that might sit outside—toys, a trampoline, etc. She described her children’s hands and feet as being black whenever they play outside, meaning that they must limit their time outdoors for their safety. There have not been adequate studies on the effects of methane or the coal dust on the children, something that the entire family worries about.
The wind is another problem that has resulted lately due to the mountain top removal that also surrounds their land. While these are no longer active, the removal of the trees and top soil means that the wind speeds have significantly increased—prior to our arrival, there was a windstorm so severe that it blew the large and heavy trampoline from one side of their house, over the house, finally landing in the creek nearby. The son is now so frightened by the wind that he requested that we go inside as soon as the wind picked up a bit. Deb said that she and her sons were forced to stay in the closet all night during the high winds.
After speaking with Deb and her son Gage, we went and met Rick’s father, Clinton. He has lived on his land all of his life and feels a deep sense of connection to the land and the community that has been built on it. He remembered times where he and his wife would sit out on their porch and watch the animals come down the hill. He said that neighbors saw him there so often that they called it his “roost.” His schedule was based on a life lived outdoors and with a deep sense of connection to the people and landscape.
Now, due to the deep mine, he is unable to spend much time outdoors due to the amount of coal dust in the air. The noise and harassment he has directly experienced as a result of the miners has also been a problem that has negatively affected his quality of life. He described several instances of harassment and intimidation by the miners.
Due to other health concerns including emphysema and stomach cancer, his health is precarious and fragile. The stress of the mines has led him to use anti-anxiety medication as a means of coping; in addition, he must also leave the holler every now and then in order to escape the constant stress and coal dust on his already weakened lungs. The place he once knew as home is now a stressful and unhealthy environment.
The large amount of coal dust in the air also means that they are unable to grow their own food, something that the community members had previously relied upon for a large portion of their diet. Clinton and Rick showed us dozens of containers of canned food ranging from tomatoes to venison that they had grown and canned themselves. During growing season, the dust now covers the crops.
Day One--30 March, Hueysville (Floyd County)
As he stepped out of his home to greet us, Rick Handshoe tells us that the coal company will notice our car in the driveway. Us being there means that the coal trucks will slow down. He tells us to put our bags in the trailer across the road; he likes to house guests there so that they might have the chance to feel a blast from the explosives used to blow off parts of the mountain face above his small community of Hueysville.
Rick, an organizer and affected member of KFTC, lives on Kentucky’s Route 7, a windy mountain road that runs barely fifty yards in front of his house . His home sits on a hill and faces the state road that Miller Brothers Coal Company uses to transport the coal and other machinery from their nearby mountain-top removal mining sites.
Until recently, laws and other regulations designed to prevent dust and mud from leaving the mine site were neither followed nor enforced. The results have affected his ability to live a normal life. Rick believes his property value has depreciated due to the proximity of the mine as well as the debris and noise that result from this operation. In addition, he is unable to grow any food in the garden as he and his family have traditionally done due to thick covering of dirt and other unknown substances that coat everything outdoors.
The blasting that occurs multiple times a day has been so strong that it has cracked the foundations of his two trailers, forcing him to actually move from one to the other, which he now occupies. This blasting, aside from the frightening and sudden sound that has knocked objects off the walls, also has a directly negative impact on his belongings. The movement of the foundation has created cracks in the walls, separation of pipes, and the separation of his porch from the trailer. All of these things have resulted in Rick being disadvantaged economically in a way that he has no control over except through the organizing work he does through KFTC.
Rick was our guide during our time in Floyd County and took us on a hike around his property to show us the results of the mining first hand. The land surrounding his has been strip mined with little regard to the impact it has on the people. He told us more about the ways the mining companies took advantage of a people he described as being trusting. According to him, the mining companies would pay individuals and families (depending on how the ownership of the land was divided up) a few thousand dollars for the rights to the land for 5 years. After that point, if they had not found coal, they would get the land back. For people in the area, this seemed to be a good deal. However, they would only sign the last page of the agreement. Then, the company would take the last page, detach it, and attach it to a new lease, which stated that they had these rights for 15 years. Rick stated that he found out about this when he was fined for trespassing on his own land after the 5 years had ended. This sort of manipulation, according to Rick, has been the companies’ standard way of dealing with the people in the county.
Rick, an organizer and affected member of KFTC, lives on Kentucky’s Route 7, a windy mountain road that runs barely fifty yards in front of his house . His home sits on a hill and faces the state road that Miller Brothers Coal Company uses to transport the coal and other machinery from their nearby mountain-top removal mining sites.
Until recently, laws and other regulations designed to prevent dust and mud from leaving the mine site were neither followed nor enforced. The results have affected his ability to live a normal life. Rick believes his property value has depreciated due to the proximity of the mine as well as the debris and noise that result from this operation. In addition, he is unable to grow any food in the garden as he and his family have traditionally done due to thick covering of dirt and other unknown substances that coat everything outdoors.
The blasting that occurs multiple times a day has been so strong that it has cracked the foundations of his two trailers, forcing him to actually move from one to the other, which he now occupies. This blasting, aside from the frightening and sudden sound that has knocked objects off the walls, also has a directly negative impact on his belongings. The movement of the foundation has created cracks in the walls, separation of pipes, and the separation of his porch from the trailer. All of these things have resulted in Rick being disadvantaged economically in a way that he has no control over except through the organizing work he does through KFTC.
Rick was our guide during our time in Floyd County and took us on a hike around his property to show us the results of the mining first hand. The land surrounding his has been strip mined with little regard to the impact it has on the people. He told us more about the ways the mining companies took advantage of a people he described as being trusting. According to him, the mining companies would pay individuals and families (depending on how the ownership of the land was divided up) a few thousand dollars for the rights to the land for 5 years. After that point, if they had not found coal, they would get the land back. For people in the area, this seemed to be a good deal. However, they would only sign the last page of the agreement. Then, the company would take the last page, detach it, and attach it to a new lease, which stated that they had these rights for 15 years. Rick stated that he found out about this when he was fined for trespassing on his own land after the 5 years had ended. This sort of manipulation, according to Rick, has been the companies’ standard way of dealing with the people in the county.
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