Coal River Mountain Watch (CRMW) is a grassroots organization begun in 1998 in response to the fear and frustration of people living near or downstream from huge mountaintop removal sites. We began as a small group of volunteers working to organize the residents of southern West Virginia to fight for social, economic, and environmental justice. From our humble beginnings, we have become a major fo
rce in opposition to mountaintop removal. Our outreach coordinator, Julia Bonds, was the 2003 Goldman Prize winner for North America. CRMW's efforts figure prominently in several documentaries, books, and articles. We oppose new mountaintop removal permits, monitor existing permits for violations, promote policies to end this process, and clean up our streams and community. Our greatest achievement was securing a new school for the students of Marsh Fork Elementary School. The old school was beside a coal preparation plant, 2.8-billion-gallon sludge dam, and thousand-acre mountaintop removal site.
