Subsided Ground...Fallen Futures
The Raymond Proffitt Foundation is very excited to announce the release of a fifteen-minute film entitled "Subsided Ground...Fallen Futures: The Legacy of Longwall Coal Mining in Southwestern Pennsylvania." The film was produced for RPF by award-winning Pittsburgh reporter and filmmaker Terri Taylor. It portrays the damage to homes, communities and surface waters caused by longwall coal mining.
Underground coal mining remains a common practice in Greene and Washington counties, Pennsylvania. The "longwall" method of mining leaves no support for the surface, and subsidence of three to six feet takes place within days of mining. A 1994 change in Pennsylvania’s mining law greatly facilitated the use of the longwall method. Although the law provides that coal companies repair or replace damaged homes, and replace or compensate the owners for lost or diminished domestic water supplies, it can take years for residents to get their homes--and lives--back in order. Some residents find it simpler to take a settlement and leave the community altogether.
The law also stated that existing water quality laws, including Pennsylvania’s long-standing "Clean Streams Law" remained in force during mining. Unfortunately, the state agency in charge of protecting surface waters has ignored the Clean Streams Law when considering the effects of subsidence in their approval of the mining permits. Streams, springs, ponds, and wetlands are damaged from the creation of subsidence pools or through the disruption of the ground water system that feeds them.
The film also shows the efforts of communities to come together to better protect themselves. They have seen what has already happened in nearby areas and are determined to stand up for their rights.
While the film will make its "premiere" in Waynesburg, Greene County on September 23, it has already been shown to various groups where it has almost always received a favorable response (DEP Mining Program staff weren’t too pleased, but sometimes the truth hurts).
The production was funded through a grant to the Raymond Proffitt Foundation by The Heinz Endowments. The duplication and mailing costs prohibit distributing a free copy to each RPF member. If you would like a copy for a $5 donation please contact Mark Hersh at 412-576-2192 or Joe Turner at 215-945-1329, or simply mail your donation and request to the RPF address.
Raymond Proffitt Foundation
P.O. Box - 723
Langhorne, PA. 19047-0723