Zeb Mountain, TN
Zeb Mountain
Anna Santo, AV Staff
The people of Zeb Mountain, of predominantly Scottish and Irish descent, have looked to the mountain as a source of livelihood for centuries. The mountain nourished the nearby community of Elk Valley, providing jobs, food and a breathtaking view. The dense, lush forests of Zeb Mountain nurtured a diverse ecosystem of 11 endangered and threatened species for thousands of years.
The loss of Zeb Mountain represents more than the loss of land. The long struggle to preserve the integrity of Zeb Mountain has fostered solidarity among community members and discord among others. One nearby resident and member of Save Our Cumberland Forests, Charles Blankenship, said,
“I know a few people at mines who feel frustrated with me. They think I’m trying to stop the mining. No one can stop the mines. But they need to do what they’re supposed to do.” From The Return of King Coal by Lisa Robbins.
Coal mining has sustained Appalachian communities for centuries. Losing Zeb Mountain represents a tragic loss of irreplaceable habitat, mining jobs, and rich, priceless community history.
Zeb Mountain Protest
Zeb Mountain, home to the largest “cross-ridge mining” operation in Tennessee, was the first site to be taken over in a non-violent struggle to protect and preserve the integrity of the Appalachian Mountains from the threat of coal mining. In “cross ridge mining,” miners drill into mountains until the drill vibrates at a specific frequency. After identifying the coal seam, the hole is packed with explosives to remove the surrounding mountain.
On the 7th of August at 5:15 AM Zeb Mountain miners were halted by a human blockade. Several members of the Rocky Top Trio Affinity Group had locked themselves to a car blocking the mine’s entrance, others were locked to drilling equipment, and one activist hung from a tripod preventing access to the mine. Rocky Top members poured rocks and cement into barrels that had been rolled into place to block the mine’s entrance.
Shortly after, two banners proclaiming, “Stop Mountaintop Removal,” hung majestically from a billboard along I-75. The Banner Buster Affinity Group had hoisted the banners 150’ to where they said the “fog covered the valley and only the mountain tops were left poking out.“
Both actions were done in an effort to create a “no blast” zone across Zeb Mountain. As long as they were in the presence of people unauthorized by the company, miners from the Robert Clear Coal Corporation could not legally use explosives.
Through creative, non-violent efforts, activists expressed their concerns about the environmental, economic and social devastation caused by mountaintop removal. Eleven federally endangered and threatened species, including the Gray bat, the Red Cockaded woodpecker, and the blackside dace had suffered devastation from sedimentation and silting in the runoff caused by mining. Over 100 homes are located within half a mile from the mine, and the elementary school is situated less than a mile from mining areas.
“We’ve lived around strip mining all our lives and we know that it will crack your foundations, sink your wells and that coal trucks can turn over on public roads,” said Boddy Ellard a member of Save our Cumberland Mountains from Elk Valley. “There are too many homes near Zeb Mountain to mine without affecting the people living nearby.”
The Blackside Dace
A small fish, usually less than 3 inches long, may be among the creatures most affected by mountaintop mining at Zeb Mountain. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service,
“The most significant factor in the decline of the blackside dace has apparently been habitat degradation from siltation… particularly in relation to surface mining.”
The 30 remaining populations of blackside dace are found predominantly in Kentucky and Tennessee where they inhabit small, cool streams in forested area. Unfortunately, mountaintop removal at Zeb Mountain has resulted in the clear cutting of forests integral to the survival of the blackside dace.
Zeb Mountain was home to one of the remaining populations of blackside dace. Sedimentation has increased due to mining, which has destroyed almost all suitable habitat for the species. With only nine healthy populations of the blackside dace left in the world, the loss of Zeb Mountain is a tragic loss for this species.
