Ashland — ½D??|enny Loeb met with more than a dozen on Friday afternoon to discuss her new book, “Moving Mountains: How One Woman and Her Community Won Justice From Big Coal.”
Speaking softly, Loeb spoke with an intimate group at Mansbach Memorial Library at Ashland Community and Technical College, inviting questions before offering to sign copies of her book.
“Moving Mountains” is an account of an individual community’s efforts to combat the mining practice known as mountaintop removal.
Loeb began her discussion in Ashland by talking about her introduction to Patricia “Trish” Bragg, the central character in her book. Loeb said she watched with interest as the case of Bragg vs. Robertson proceeded, as well as the fight waged by the town of Pie, W.Va., as it worked to obtain safe drinking water for the community.
She explained the people of Pie had been fighting for years to have their drinking wells restored after they were destroyed by blasting, often within 1,000 feet of water sources.
The books chronicles the efforts of Bragg and others in the Pie community starting in 1994 after longwall mining machines sapped drinking wells throughout the area.
In addition to telling the story from the victims’ point of view, Loeb also explores the controversial issue of mountaintop removal from the perspective of miners, politicians, coal company operators and owners and others.
The book also explores the concept that Bragg’s work is part of a broader movement that has been taking place during the past 50 years as citizen activism has transformed from isolated arguments about individual issues to widespread community action, education and legislation.
Loeb is the former senior editor at U.S. News and World Report and previously worked as an investigative reporter for Newsday magazine.
The recipient of numerous journalism awards and recognition was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
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Kevin Goldy
Discussion
Book focuses on community's fight against mining practice
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