2月3日在梅西能源公司(Massey Energy)的山巔移除(mountaintop removal)煤礦區有14人遭逮捕。示威者闖入該公司並進行示威活動，認為爆破將危害煤河山(Coal River Mountain)的社區。
2月3日稍早，5名抗議人士偕同「氣候原爆點」(Climate Ground Zero)和「泛阿帕拉契山正義聯盟」(pan-Appalachian Mountain Justice)，將自己反鎖在重型機具上，隨後與記錄抗議過程的攝影人員都遭到逮捕。
到了下午，數十位當地居民、友人與支持者從整個阿帕拉契山區聚集到梅西公司位於煤河山的蜂樹露天礦場(Beetree Surface Mine)大門前，下午的抗議行動中約有八、九人遭到逮捕。總計有14人因非法侵入而收到傳票。
示威者們寫了一封信給礦業公司的官員，試圖將信交給梅西能源的執行長布蘭肯席普(Don Blankenship)。總計有14位西維吉尼亞居民在信上署名，內容要求梅西公司停止在煤河山上的山巔移除作業。
儘管梅西公司已經開始在當地進行開採，但為了乾淨能源與長期的工作著想，居民們仍主張應在原址興建風力發電廠作為較安全的替代方案。
梅西公司的發言人葛蘭瓦特(Jeff Gillenwater)則表示，由於抗議人士擅自闖入公司財產，理應遭到傳訊，另外梅西公司擁有所有在當地開採的所需執照。
開採作業在地底礦層的爆破隨時都可能進行，且地點靠近一座名為Brushy Fork的廢煤汙泥蓄積池，該池的儲存量為90億加侖，而目前已累積了70億加侖。
一位名為安德遜(Gary Anderson)居民談及2008年12月22日，由田納西谷河谷管理局(Tennessee Valley Authority)管轄的金斯頓(Kingston)電廠擋土牆失效事件，這些煤灰原本覆蓋在艾默裡河（Emory River）及克林曲河（Clinch River）匯流處約400英畝的土地，破裂的牆面導致約10億立方碼(約7.6億立方公尺)的煤灰滲漏。僅管無人員傷亡，卻有約40處的房屋受到影響。災害的應對與復原仍持續進行。
另一名為龐德(Julia Bonds)的抗議人士表示：「梅西公司可能會讓毒汙泥淹沒佩圖斯(Pettus)、懷特維爾(Whiteville)、西爾維斯特(Sylvester)等城鎮。在地底礦層上擁有數十億加侖的汙泥湖泊進行爆破，可能爆發大量汙泥氾濫成災，導致上千位民眾喪生。」
1972年，匹茲頓煤礦公司(Pittston Coal Company)的汙泥水壩爆裂，造成西維吉尼亞的水牛溪(Buffalo Creek)125人喪生。
2000年，在肯塔基州馬丁郡(Martin County)一座由梅西能源公司管理的汙泥水壩，釋放出約3億加侖的廢煤滲透進入地下礦層。美國環保署(USEPA)宣稱這是東南部最嚴重的環境災害。
這群西維吉尼亞的居民早已對州政府失去信心，並將他們的訴求傳達到全國。
示威者引用國家露天採礦局(Office of Surface Mining)在2008年提出的報告，內容指出西維吉尼亞環保局(WVDEP)的廢煤水壩管理條例中有嚴重的缺陷。
2008年11月份，西維吉尼亞環保局通過一項修正案，允許梅西公司在煤河山進行山巔移除作業。儘管居民的反對，州政府當局仍拒絕民眾參與決議過程。
Fourteen people were arrested today at a Massey Energy mountaintop removal coal mine site for trespassing on company property while staging a protest of blasting they say will endanger communities on Coal River Mountain.
Five activists with Climate Ground Zero and pan-Appalachian Mountain Justice who locked themselves down to heavy machinery early this morning were arrested along with a videographer documenting the protest.
By afternoon, dozens of local residents, friends and supporters from throughout Appalachia converged at the gate of Massey Energy's Beetree Surface Mine on Coal River Mountain. Eight more people were arrested in the afternoon action. All 14 were ticketed for tresspassing.
The protesters delivered a letter to mine company officials intended for Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship. Signed by 14 West Virginia residents, the letter demands that Massey cease the mountaintop removal operation on Coal River Mountain.
Although Massey has begun work at the site, residents are advocating for a wind farm at the same location as a safer alternative for cleaner energy and long-term jobs.
Since the protesters were trespassing, they were rightfully cited, said Massey spokesman Jeff Gillenwater. He said the company has all the permits required to mine the site.
Blasting for part of the operation could begin at any time above underground mines and close to a coal waste sludge dam called the Brushy Fork impoundment that currently contains seven billion gallons and has a nine billion gallon capacity.
Anderson was referring to the failure of a retaining wall at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant December 22, 2008. The broken wall released about a billion cubic yards of coal ash that originally covered about 400 acres at the confluence of the Emory and Clinch Rivers. No injuries occurred, but about 40 area homes were affected. Response and recovery are continuing.
"Massey could flood the towns of Pettus, Whitesville and Sylvester with toxic coal sludge," said protester Julia Bonds. "Blasting at a multi-billion-gallon sludge lake over underground mines could cause the sludge to burst through and kill thousands of people."
In 1972, a sludge dam operated by Pittston Coal Company failed and killed 125 people in Buffalo Creek, West Virginia.
In 2000, a sludge dam operated by Massey Energy in Martin County, Kentucky, released some 300 million gallons of coal waste that broke through into underground mines. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called it the worst environmental disaster in the Southeast.
These West Virginia residents have lost faith in their state government and taken their plea national.
The protesters point to a 2008 report by the federal Office of Surface Mining that revealed serious deficiencies in the WVDEP's regulation of coal waste dams.
In November, WVDEP approved a permit revision allowing Massey to begin the mountaintop removal operation at Coal River Mountain. Despite citizens' objections, the state agency declined to permit public participation in its decision process.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
