Barton Memo 5: Definition Revised: 1 February 2009

Topic: Mountain Top Removal (MTR) Coal Mining

Keywords:  mountain top removal, Appalachia, community, new media, social movements, environmental justice

Data Sets Social Research Why Now How Prepared Bias Fields of Work Funders
Theoretical Questions
Questions
At lots of junctures: -Know lots of -coal STS: NSF-disse
Ethnographic data: (1) How do (1) How are new people involved in companies are public understanding of improvem
Interviews and individuals and media -academic: MTR activism evil science/technology, grant, STS
participant-observation communities technologies growing interest in citizen science, social
with grassroots use material changing (or environmental -know only one -people at the movements, IT use Morris K.
organizations, e.g. culture to appearing to justice, acceptance person who OSMRE are Foundatio
Mountain Justice, mobilize, change) the of activist-based actually works for corrupt and/or Appalachian studies: (cheers, B
Appalachian Voices, translate, power relations research the coal industry incompetent. If traditionally draws on
Ohio Environmental disseminate, between they walk in sociology, anthropology,
Valley Coalition, United and remember coalfield -Familiar with area with good history, literature, but
Mountain Defense, cultural residents and -political: change history/Appalachian intentions, they increasingly including
Coal River Watch. knowledge and coal mine in administration, Lit. are forced to economics, geography,
Important values? owners? Or, increasing national become and ecology.
'demographics' within rather, how are media coverage of -Familiar with corrupt or
those groups: active (2) How is the ways in MTR and related current incompetent, Sociology/Anthropology:
members/more power which new disasters events/issues or lose their social movements,
passive supporters, expressed, media job. environmental justice,
experts (legal, science, exercised, and technologies -Energy: -Familiar with main energy justice (hasn't
local)/lay, transferred being used growing interest tenets of SMCRA, -if ever really appeared yet in
residents/nonresidents, through material changing the and support for the huge coal something academia, but should
direct culture? power relations? alternative regulatory act, and qualified as a soon), historical
action/sanctioned energies, and the structure of the sin against the sociology. Activist
avenues of protest, (3) What are the (2) How does growing criticism of OSMRE, the earth, this is it. research methods?
etc. social the concept of coal overseeing body.
processes by place-based -Care greatly -intellectually History:
Interviews with coal which cultural identity -Cultural/economic: bored, but environmental history,
industry execs, knowledge/valu help us to residents are politically sociological history
miners?, OSMRE e systems move understand the having to make interested in
functionaries. between social big, and hard the holy trinity Policy studies
marginality and (community?) choices. (double- of race, class,
Policy docs: acceptance, and effects of binds, although and gender.
-Surface Mine Control what social environmental maybe false ones) NGOs:
and Reclamation Act roles do injustices? -Race: white App. Voices,
(SMCRA), the federal marginalized -Technological: -Class: Kentuckians for the
law that governs coal knowledge/valu (3) What is the changing coal financially, Commonwealth (only
mining in the US e systems play? symbolic/cultural technologies, poor; culturally, ones big enough to
-State mining permits value of MTR alternative energy middle hire); Big 10
and licenses: where sites to different technologies, Gender: Environmental;
Approximate Original stakeholder mapping and female.
Contour (AOC) groups? Where communication
variances are granted, does that technologies. -Other relevant
which are required for ascribed value demographics:
MTR come from and military kid who
-Notices of violations. what roles does moved around
These would be hard it play in the a lot, educated
to get a hold of. responses at a land-grant
-Office of Surface (actions and school,
Mining, Reclamation, narratives) of literature
and Enforcement different background
(OSMRE) docs, stakeholder
including awards and groups? -incredibly
statistics. skeptical and
-Clean Water Act. (4) How do cynical about
"clarifications" by the communities use institutionalized
Bush administration locally-produced authority.
widened a loophole knowledges and
which enabled MTR cultural-historical
sites to increase narratives of
exponentially. place-based
-Clean Water identity to
Protection Act. interpret and
Proposed bill that respond to
would close that MTR?
loophole, but which
has been stalled in the (5) How are
House for years. opposition
groups using
Media: new media
In addition to the technologies to
media produced by the build their
oppositions groups, the coalition and
industry, and the disseminate
government (state and their message?
federal), there's How are the coal
increasing amounts of industry and
news media. In recent government
years, national outlets responding to
like the NYT have those tactics?
covered MTR, as have What is the
left-leaning journals effect of those
like Mother Jones and media tactics?
Orion. State and local
papers (like The
Charleston Gazette)
are much richer
sources, but it is
maddeningly difficult to
search or access their
archives from here.