'Mountaintop Removal Road Show' lands in Middlebury on November 19

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - On Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m., Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition member and activist Dave Cooper will present his slideshow and discussion titled “The Mountaintop Removal Road Show.” The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Room 229 of the Axinn Center at Starr Library, located on Old Chapel Road off College Street (Route 125).

The Mountaintop Removal Road Show is a 20-minute slideshow, accompanied by traditional Appalachian music, that was created to illustrate the severe impact that this type of mining has on coalfield residents, communities and the environment. In parts of West Virginia and Kentucky, coal companies routinely blast as much as 600 feet off the tops of the mountains and then dump the rock and debris into nearby streams. This practice has turned more than 300,000 acres of productive hardwood forest into barren grasslands - increasing flooding, contaminating drinking water supplies, cracking foundations, and showering nearby towns with dust and noise from blasting.

At the conclusion of the slideshow, Cooper will lead a discussion on the threats posed by mountaintop removal mining.

A resident of Lexington, Ky., Cooper has worked as a mechanical engineer in various industries, and now devotes his full attention to environmental issues. He is currently on a national speaking tour to raise awareness about this form of mining.

This event is sponsored by the Sunday Night Group and the college’s Speakers Committee.

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