NEWS FLASH

Activists Halt Mountaintop Removal At Coal River Mountain | Two young protesters with the grassroots anti-mountaintop removal RAMPS Campaign have halted blasting on Coal River Mountain today by ascending two trees. Catherine-Ann MacDougal, 24, and Becks Kolins, 21, are on platforms approximately 80 feet off the ground within 300 feet of active blasting of Alpha Natural Resources’ Bee Tree mountaintop removal mine. “The banners hanging from their platforms read ‘Stop Strip Mining’ and ‘For Judy Bonds’ in honor of strip mining activist Julia “Judy” Bonds of Packsville, WV, who died of cancer earlier this year,” the campaign reports. For updates on the status of the direct, non-violent action, follow the RAMPS Campaign Twitter feed.