GRANT TOWN, (WV) – Twelve activists resolved their cases yesterday after being arrested on April 9th while blockading the Grant Town coal waste power plant – a plant that the New York Times recently exposed Senator Joe Manchin earns $500,000 a year from and how he has worked to keep the plant running at the expense of West Virginians.
“Time and time again Manchin will claim to do what’s best for West Virginians but West Virginians are here begging him to pass climate legislation,” said Rylee Haught, Morgantown resident and West Virginia University student. “Manchin, your failure to pass meaningful democracy reform and climate legislation should make you ashamed to face your constituents.”
On Saturday, a dozen young people were arrested by police as hundreds of West Virginia residents and climate change activists protested outside of the coal plant. The activists were there to expose that Senator Manchin has not only been stalling efforts to address climate change, but has personally profited from the continuation of fossil fuels that are creating climate chaos in US communities – including the ones he represents.
“It is striking to see the resources that can be mobilized to shield a polluting private industry from the spotlight that peaceful protesters bring to their front gate. Imagine the just transition efforts that could be funded in all of our communities if senators and coal barons cared more about fighting poverty and pollution than using public resources to cart away peaceful protesters calling for the future we all need,” said Marla Marcum, volunteer legal worker and Appalachian.
More than a dozen West Virginia residents, some whom live within miles of the plant, spoke at the rally along with Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign who met the group marching 23-miles through West Virginia spotlighting Sen. Manchin’s abandonment of poor and low-wealth people.
“Joe Manchin is an abomination on the face of West Virginia and this entire planet. He stands for greed, corruption, and backdoor deals. He does not have our best interest at heart. If he did, we would have more windmills, more lavender fields, we would have a lot more options for what we do for work and we’d have a lot better quality of living,” said Dee Thomas, a lifelong resident of Fairmont, WV and daughter of a coal miner. “He doesn’t care if our water is dirty, our air is polluted, he doesn’t care that people are making a decision between paying their electric bill and buying medication that keeps them alive.”
Some of the activists and faith leaders returned to the plant gates on Sunday morning for a Palm Sunday prayer service. Bishop Barber called on Manchin to “repent” from blocking anti-poverty policies in the Build Back Better Act, which he said “would only be a half step” towards addressing poverty and the need for recovery for families who face deepening poverty in the wake of the COVID epidemic.
For decades, Manchin’s company has exclusively sold the plant the dirty “gob” coal waste it burns. As an elected official on the state and federal levels, Manchin intervened to allow its construction, undermine its environmental regulation, and steeply raise the energy rates it charges West Virginians. More recently, Manchin has emerged as the key swing vote blocking federal climate change legislation.
Photo: Rachael Warriner |
The Grant Town blockade was organized by West Virginia Rising with support from young climate activists across the country. Participants camped out on property close by to the plant for two days in preparation for the protest, displaying banners including “Manchin: Stop Burning WV’s Future For Profit.”
The plant blockade is part of an international movement toward more direct action events demanding climate action. Climate scientists have warned against dire impacts around the world if quick actions aren’t taken to reduce carbon emissions from burning coal and other fossil fuels.
“The nonviolent protest at Joe Manchin’s dirty coal operation exposes the political cruelty of the West Virginia senator, who helped this power plant at every step of his political career,” said Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. “The things he blocks hurt the poor and low-income people of his own state. And we know that poor and low-wealth people suffer the most when Sen. Manchin cooperates with extremists and treats our children and earth as expendable line items for profit.”
Photo: Erika Andoila |
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