This article originally provided by The Daily Mail

May 30, 2006

Coalfield residents launch fundraising campaign for new school

By JENNIFER BUNDY
Associated Press Writer

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Coal River Valley residents launched a fundraising effort to build a new school in Raleigh County by presenting about 90 pounds of pennies and a piece of their mind to Gov. Joe Manchin on Tuesday.

The residents say Manchin and his administration have ignored their allegations that Marsh Fork Elementary has a dangerous amount of coal dust in classrooms and that its location below a coal waste dam imperils students. The school abuts Goals Coal, a Massey Energy Co. subsidiary.

Kayla Taylor, 11, gave Manchin her green piggy bank and her grandfather, Ed Wiley, laid several cloth bags filled with pennies on the floor of the governor's reception room at the Capitol before confronting the governor.

"You put a price on our children's heads,'' Wiley said. "You told me you didn't have the money. Here it is. Enough is enough. We need to get this took care of.''

The bags of pennies, about $460 total, were donated by schoolchildren in New York City who heard about efforts to get a new school, Wiley said. Kayla added her piggy bank and others donated about $50 to the fundraising campaign called "Pennies of Promise.''

A new school would cost about $5 million, said Raleigh County Superintendent Charlotte Hutchens. Marsh Fork has 217 children in preschool through 5th grade.

Manchin said he thought his administration had done all it could considering it is in litigation with Massey Energy.

Attorneys for Richmond, Va.-based Massey challenged the state Department of Environmental Protection's decision to rescind its permit allowing Goals Coal to build a second coal storage silo near the school.

Don Blankenship, Massey's president, chairman and CEO, also has sued Manchin in federal court, alleging that the regulatory ruling on the silo permit was in retaliation for Blankenship's successful $650,000 campaign to defeat the governor's pension bond proposal. Manchin has said Massey was not singled out by regulators.

Manchin said he would find out by the end of the week the status of reports he had promised the Coal River Valley residents. He said he has to follow the proper process to determine environmental problems and that local school boards are in charge of building schools.

"I'll do everything in my power I can,'' Manchin said. "My main concern is with our children.''

"If that's the case, you need to do something to back up those words,'' said Bo Webb of Coal River Mountain Watch.

Hutchens and Marsh Fork Principal Don Price said they had not heard about the fundraising. They said they have not seen any evidence the school is unsafe. Price said the attendance rate is about 94 percent, higher than the state goal of 93 percent, and children there have no unusual health problems that he knows about.

By Kayla said she often gets headaches, stomach aches and feels like she is going to pass out when she is in school. When she's home, she's fine.

Dewey Sanderson, chairman of Marshall University's Geology Department, said he found coal dust in seven samples taken from the gym, hallways and two classrooms in the school earlier this year.

Massey spokesman Jeff Gillenwater issued a statement saying company officials have met with parents and teachers at Marsh Fork. Most do not want the school to close and most "are aware that tests performed by the school show no cause for concern.

"Massey Energy feels that it is unfortunate that a great deal of fear and misinformation has been spread by radical environmental groups,'' the statement said.

A representative of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who are Massey shareholders, said, "We are concerned about Massey Energy putting the Marsh Fork school at risk.

"As shareholders we would hope Massey Energy would eliminate the hazards to students and the school and support the community in its efforts,'' said Sister Joellen Sbrissa.

Another representative of Massey shareholders said the company should donate to the fundraising effort but not pay the full cost of the school.

"I think it would be an opportunity for Massey to show the people in that community they are responsible and they want to do whatever they can,'' said Sister Ruth Kuhn, a member of the Sisters of Charity in Cincinnati. Kuhn is coordinator of the Region VI Coalition for Responsible Investment.