By Erin Molon

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West Virginia is, in my opinion, one of America’s most overlooked treasures. With its majestic mountains, raging rivers, and miles of forests, it’s hard to beat when it comes to natural beauty.

In fact, West Virginia is one of my favorite places to be. Growing up, I spent a lot of time wandering land that seemed untouched, exploring the majesty of nature and all that West Virginia has to offer. My Grandpa, a lifetime resident, drove me around the mountains and into the valleys, giving me an appreciation for the nature, telling me stories of his childhood and sharing the details of his life in the coal mines.

This was a main reason for my interested in attending the special screening of “On Coal River,” a documentary that shines a light on the dangers of mountaintop removal mining practices and their effects on the surrounding communities.

The documentary focuses on a few members of a coal community, Marsh Fork, who are seeing the effects of the coal on the elementary school childrens’ and others’ health.

The local coal company, Massey, has been mining coal using a method called mountain top removal. Basically, they blow off the tops of mountains to harvest 100% of the coal, clean it using toxic chemicals, and dump any waste into local rivers and streams. These practices pollute local drinking water, spreading diseases through the communities and spreading toxic dust that is being breathed by children at their elementary school.

To solve this serious (and seriously overlooked) problem, they embark on a mission to have the school moved to a safer location. Eventually, after being turned down repeatedly by their local government, they decide to take this issue to the top and walk all the way to DC to make their point.

<!--StartFragment-->Check out the four minute movie trailer on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/v/b1iVqpL3Zpw&amp;amp;hl…

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The documentary is moving to say the least and really shows its viewers the tragedy that their community and others like them have been through. If you aren’t familiar with mountain top removal and its effects, I encourage you to check out mountainpledge.org and see what is happening surrounding this issue. You can also view the documentary at the Silver Docs film festival.  This is a problem that faces the entire nation and needs to be addressed.