Kathy Mattea Leads Rally Against Mountaintop Removal

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Grammy-award winning artist Kathy Mattea was the keynote speaker last week at the fifth-annual “I Love Mountains Day” in Frankfort, Kentucky. A crowd of around 800 people showed up to condemn “mountain bombing” and urge legislators to pass a bill that would curtail mountaintop removal coal mining in the state.

“Since learning about mountaintop removal, I’ve had a deep ache in the pit of my stomach, a deep yearning for these mountains I know so well and love so much,” said Mattea. “Everyone is scared, she said. “If my house has turned from a quiet sanctuary into a living nightmare, I am in deep anguish. On the other hand, if I have a decent job, and suddenly I’m going to be without a way to provide for my family, I am in deep anguish.”

“How do we honor the deep human needs on both sides of this conflict?”

Supporters for the legislation say jobs can be created in Appalachia from a shift to clean energy projects. “It is my constant prayer that we can find a way to refrain from taking our pain out on each other and continue to work toward a vision of an economy and an environment where all people in Appalachia can thrive,” added Mattea.

via State Journal