Mountain Heroes: Junior Walk
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My name is Junior.
Mountaintop removal poisoned my family’s water.
I can't let that happen to other people. -
Junior Walk: My Mountain Story
Junior Walk’s path to activism was not an easy one. From living with contaminated water in his own home as a child, to being kicked out of the house for speaking out against the coal company, and being threatened by relatives and neighbors, Junior has had to muster courage at every step along the way. His courage, and his clear voice calling for change, has been widely recognized. Today he works with Coal River Mountain Watch, Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, and RAMPS to end mountaintop removal mining, and travels the country with the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation educating people about the long-term environmental, health and community degradation caused by coal mining. He was a keynote speaker at the 2011 PowerShift conference in Washington, DC, and recipient of the prestigious Brower Youth Awards in 2011. The late renowned environmentalist and climber David Brower, the namesake of the award that honored Junior, famously said, "Tough mountains build bold leaders." Junior Walk is one of the many courageous and bold leaders whom the Appalachian Mountains have built.
This is Junior's story:
My name is Junior Walk. I am 21 years old and I was born and raised right where the Marsh Fork meets the Clear Fork to create the Big Coal River in West Virginia.
When I was a little kid, you could walk through Whitesville, West Virginia, and there were two movie theaters, a bowling alley and a bar on every corner. There were people here. But from the 1980s until today, there’s been a mass exodus and die off in West Virginia, and Whitesville has been one of the hardest areas hit.
The one thing that has changed in this area: strip mining, or mountaintop removal coal mining. Once it started, everybody lost their jobs, moved away, or became sick. Strip mining, or mountaintop removal mining, is the reason that everybody’s gone.
Mountaintop removal mining is an issue that’s close to my heart because I’ve had to deal with the health impacts of it myself. When they started pumping the liquid coal waste, or "slurry" or "sludge," into the abandoned coal mines above my home when I was a little child, my family’s water soon turned blood-red and smelled like sulfur. If you ran a bath, you had to step out of the room for a minute or so before you got in. Of course we didn’t drink it, but we still had to shower in it, wash our dishes and clothes in it, and sometimes cook with it. We thought if we boiled it, that it’d be alright because it stopped smelling. But it turns out that ain’t the case.
This is how it happens: The coal companies wash the coal with chemicals to remove impurities and inflammables. The result is a wastewater byproduct called "slurry." It is actually about four times heavier than water. Then they put this slurry either in these massive impoundments, giant dams made of earth, or they pump them into old abandoned underground coal mines. In an area where most of the people are on well water, that’s a recipe for disaster.
It wasn’t until I was a lot older that I understood this. I thought our water went bad because that’s what water does. I’d seen all our neighbors’ water go bad, and I thought, Well, it’s our turn now; that’s the way life works.
People around here know about the water – it’s hard to miss. But a lot of them worked for the coal company, and they knew if they opened their mouths, they’d get fired and wouldn’t be able to take care of their families.
I myself worked for the coal industry. First I went to work for Massey Energy (now Alpha Natural Resources) at a coal preparation plant, where my dad works still. Some days they’d have me cutting the grass, and some days they’d have me in the basement of the plant wading waist-deep in coal slurry, with no goggles, no respirator, nothing like that. I knew if I kept working there, I was going to die early. So I quit that job, found some other work here and there, flippin’ burgers, whatever I could do.
Then I got a job as a security guard on a mountaintop removal mine. I always thought that mountaintop removal mining was bad, but I never actually saw mountaintop removal mining before that job.
When I walked up on that ridge the first day, it took my breath away. Working as a security guard, I had to sit there for 12 hours a day and see them tearing down that mountain. I just felt like the most miserable human being you could ever imagine, making money off of that. That money was coming out of that mountain, and I knew the suffering of those people that lived down below that mountain. I knew how it was, because I went through it myself. I knew I had to do something. That’s when I decided to stop in at the Coal River Mountain Watch office and talk to Judy Bonds, who I’d known since I was little kid. It wasn’t long before Judy offered me a job as an office manager at Coal River Mountain Watch.
I had this decision in front of me. I could keep doing what I was doing, keep my head down, keep the respect of my family and my community, and not have to look over my shoulder every time I left the house. Or I could do what I knew was right. It wasn’t much of a choice, to be honest. I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I just sat on my hands, knowing that my friends and family were being poisoned, so I started to speak out against mountaintop removal mining.
I won’t forget the day I decided to work at Coal River Mountain Watch. I told my parents that I took the job. My dad got really upset. He didn’t want to, but he knew he was going to have to kick me out of the house, or get fired.
We sat there and talked about it for a couple hours, argued about it, yelled about it, and finally came down to it. The next morning I packed up my things and left.
As I spoke out more, a lot of my extended family stopped talking to me. Despite all of that, the hardest part of this fight is not having enough time. Every single day, they’re blasting the mountains and contaminating the water. And every day more people are getting cancer and dying. There’s a 7-billion-gallon coal slurry dam above my house that could collapse at any moment, setting loose a 40-foot-wall of sludge that could wipe me out. It’s this sense of urgency that most people don’t understand.
Whenever I see them tearing down these mountains, I just feel this pit in the bottom of my stomach. You know that was somebody’s home or special spot. I feel disgusted, and I feel compelled to stand up and do something about it.
People ask me why I don’t just leave this area. I’ve always said that I’d just as soon live in a shack on the Coal River than in a mansion on Wall Street. The people here are the kindest, most hardworking people you’ll ever meet. They’d give you the shirt off their back if they ever thought you needed it. And this place here just has this air about it – it’s beautiful. You can’t understand unless you’ve been here. Take a drive up a hollow, and you’re surrounded by this canopy of trees and mountain creeks. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. It’s worth fighting for.
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Jonathan Gensler
A former officer for the United States Army and Iraq War veteran, he is working on transforming the energy profile of the one of the largest energy consumers in the world, the Department of Defense.
"We can make a similar choice today, if we want: We can say 'Yes' to growing our economy beyond reliance on deadly fossil fuels, which will inevitably run out, and embrace a profitable future with a balance of renewable energy and enhanced efficiency, supporting healthy communities for generations to come."
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Dustin White
Dustin works to educate the public, elected officials, and members of Congress on the devastation mountaintop removal mining.
"Many don't realize the thing they cling to, coal, is the thing that is harming us. Even at home it is hard to get people to understand."
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Ken Hechler
In his early years in Congress, Rep. Hechler became an outspoken opponent of strip mining — and drafted the nation’s first law setting up safety measures for coal miners.
"There have been many uphill fights that have come out successful, and I wish we could see it for the fight to end mountaintop removal mining. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the tougher it gets, the more exciting it gets when you can see victory."
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James Tawney
The son of a coal miner, James grew up on a small farm on Daupinspeck Mountain, in the scenic Gauley River canyon. Now, this area famous for its whitewater rapids is being trashed by mountaintop removal.
"To me, nothing is worth the loss of our mountains and streams. Without drinkable water, there is no life."
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Donetta Blankenship
Donetta and her family's only source of water was contaminated with toxic chemicals. Hospitalized twice for liver problems due to the poisonous water, Donetta's resolve to stand up against mountaintop removal has only strengthened.
"I am going to do all I can to try to help, to save people's lives, and help them so that they won't have to go through this with their water."
Read Donetta's Story -
Teri Blanton
Teri has been fighting mountaintop removal mining and toxic pollution in her home state of Kentucky for 20 years. Along with thousands of her Kentucky comrades, Teri is at the forefront of the movement for healthy communities in America.
"My children didn’t get to enjoy the creek the way I did; they grew up in the midst of coal muck in the ’80s and early ’90s."
Read Teri's Story -
Mickey McCoy
Mickey is the former mayor of Inez, Kentucky, a town that captured the nation’s attention when a massive coal waste dam failed and flooded it in 2000.
"You have just got to give the human race a big high five when you see some of these people who are getting involved in this peaceful movement to stop mountaintop removal, many of them young people — it’s just wonderful ... To all my brothers and sisters who are in this movement and to those who are ready to join us, I cry, 'Hoka Hey!'"
Read Mickey's Story -
Jane Branham
Jane is vice president of the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, a citizen group in southwest Virginia that is working to protect communities from coal pollution and end mountaintop removal mining.
"My hope is that we start rebuilding our community to what it used to be before coal ever invaded our lives."
Read Jane's Story -
Cindy Rank
Cindy is the humble backbone of decades of efforts to hold accountable the agencies whose responsibilities are to strictly enforce federal and state mining laws.
"I do believe that even what appear to be small victories make a difference, slow the tide of destruction, and are worth whatever improved mining practices that occur as a result. People in Appalachia are still suffering greatly, but were it not for those small victories many more communities would already be gone."
Read Cindy's Story -
Allen Johnson
With his strong faith and his generous heart, Allen reaches out to Christians and their congregations to educate and motivate them on injustices of mountaintop removal mining.
"These areas where they are extracting all this coal are the poorest in the country. It’s take, take, take, and not give back...Answering this call involves rebuilding central Appalachia, with a sustainable, clean, vibrant economy; a renewal of our culture of hospitality and neighborliness."
Read Allen's Story -
Karen Woodrum
Karen is proud of her work as an underground miner and wants to make her message clear: she is not against coal; she is against mountaintop removal coal mining.
"There would be more jobs if they would mine it underground, and I think people’s lives would not be disrupted as they are with mountaintop removal going on. And there’s less damage done to the earth."
Read Karen's Story -
Sid Moye
Sid never considered himself an environmentalist—just a regular mountain man who loves his family, loves his garden, and loves life in the mountains. But that all changed when he went to fulfill his lifelong dream of a retiring to fish in nearby mountain streams.
"When they leave, after the coal company is done with this, we'll not have any resources, we'll not have any land, we'll not have any water, the air is already poisoned."
Read Sid's Story -
John Slattery
John Slattery is an actor and director, best known for his role as Roger Sterling on AMC's series Mad Men. In joining this Earthjustice campaign, John Slattery is standing with all Mountain Heroes in opposition to mountaintop removal mining.
"My name is John. Some things are better with their tops left on. I stand with the Mountain Heroes. Let's stop removing the tops off mountains."
Read John's Story -
Wendell Berry
The author of more than 40 books of poetry, fiction, and essays, Wendell Berry is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. He has dedicated much of his energy and time to the cause of saving mountains and waters.
"My connection to mountaintop removal mining is the Kentucky River, beside which I live, and I know that surface mining in the mountains of Kentucky damages the river."
Read Wendell's Story -
Lisa Henderson
Born in a town that went vacant because of pollution from mountaintop removal mining, she was raised under the wing of one country’s most ardent voices for environmental justice, Judy Bonds.
"We traced the polluted creek to mountaintop removal mining. We started talking to community members from the other side of the mountain, and the more we talked to people, the more we heard, "Oh, you just wait. There’s more in store for you." They were right."
Read Lisa's Story -
Junior Walk
From living with contaminated water in his own home as a child, to being kicked out of the house for speaking out against the coal company, Junior has had to muster courage at every step along the way.
"I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I just sat on my hands, knowing that my friends and family were being poisoned, so I started to speak out against mountaintop removal mining."
Read Junior's Story -
Julian Martin
In 1999, Julian walked across the state of West Virginia with another Mountain Hero, Larry Gibson, in protest of mountaintop removal mining. He hasn’t stop marching since.
"Mountaintop removal mining is just a one-shot deal. It kills everything and then leaves. These mountains will never be replaced, and nothing good is ever going to happen on these mountains again. They’re finished."
Read Julian's Story -
Debbie Jarrell
Co-director of Coal River Mountain Watch, Debbie brings her caring spirit and indomitable dedication to the movement to end mountaintop removal mining.
"I have two grown children and three grandchildren. What’s similar about their experience is the amazement and the enjoyment that they get from being out in the woods and around the rivers. But a major difference is that my grandchildren can’t kneel down and get a drink in these streams whenever they want to, because of the pollution and contamination from mountaintop removal mining."
Read Debbie's Story -
Bo Webb
A no-nonsense Vietnam War veteran, Bo is determined to fight for the health of communities near mountaintop removal mining. He won't give up until protections are brought to Appalachia.
"After mountaintop removal is over we will work to build sustainable economies within our communities. For now, we must focus on this fight, because we are fighting for our survival. We and the mountains are connected; one and the same. As they are being destroyed, so are we."
Read Bo's Story -
Amber Whittington
Amber's younger brother is only five years old, and he will spend his entire childhood growing up next to a mountaintop removal mining site. For his sake, she's pledged to work to end mountaintop removal mining.
"It seems hopeless at times, but it’s not. I have to remind myself that it will get better as long as I keep fighting. I’m inspired by the amazing people I’ve met who won’t back down on this. We need more people from all over the country fighting to stop this."
Read Amber's Story -
Terry Tempest
Highly celebrated and decorated literary icon Terry Tempest Williams stands firmly against mountaintop removal mining. Williams' writings and books have earned her critical acclaim, and now she is using her vaunted name to try to stop this devastating mining practice and protect families across Appalachia. Join her.
Read Terry's Story -
Jerry Cope
Writer, filmmaker, designer, and activist Jerry Cope is standing up for justice, clean water, healthy communities, and mountains by standing against destructive mountaintop removal mining. Will you join him?
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Daryl Hannah
Award-winning actress Daryl Hannah has thrown herself into the fight to stop mountaintop removal mining. She stands in solidarity with all Mountain Heroes. Will you join her?
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Warren Haynes
Widely considered one of rock & roll’s greatest guitarists of all time, Warren Haynes has performed on stage and in the recording studio with a diverse array of musicians including Phil Lesh & Friends, James Hetfield, Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and many more.
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Alex Honnold
World-renowned climber Alex Honnold, whose famed record-setting climbs are unrivaled in the climbing world, joins thousands of Mountain Heroes in standing up to defend Appalachia's mountains and communities.
"My name is Alex. Climbing mountains is my life. We should protect them."
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My Morning Jacket
"We are My Morning Jacket. We want to see an end to mountaintop removal. We care about our mountains and Appalachia."
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Mari-Lynn
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Silas House
I'm an Appalachian. And my homeland is being destroyed.
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Joan Mulhern
Earthjustice mourns the passing of the strongest and bravest advocate for clean water and justice that we have ever known, our very own senior legislative counsel Joan Mulhern.
A fighter for the planet and for all people who suffered environmental injustice, Joan was a tireless advocate for the underdog in every situation, and she seldom if ever lost.
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Maria Gunnoe
Maria's life has been threatened numerous times for her criticism of the coal industry, and she’s been assaulted and harassed, but she has refused to be silenced.
"We do not have to blow up our mountains and poison our water to create energy. I will be here to fight for our rights. My family is here, we’ve been here for the past 10 generations, and we’re not leaving."
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Edward Norton
An actor and filmmaker, Edward Norton is standing with all Mountain Heroes in opposition to mountaintop removal mining.
"Mountaintop removal coal mining destroys our natural resources, our communities, our health. It privatizes all the profit of dirty energy and socializes all the costs to the rest of us. It's a travesty and a scam and needs to be stopped."
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Larry Gibson
Considered the father of the movement to stop mountaintop removal mining, he travels the country in his signature fluorescent shirts educating the public on through his Keeper of the Mountains Foundation.
"We didn’t know what it was, or if it was legal to blow up a mountain. I mean, who does that? I just didn’t believe it, I couldn’t fathom it. But I was hearing it, and I was seeing it in the distance, and then finally I could throw a rock and hit it."
Read Larry's Story -
Chuck Nelson
For nearly 30 years he worked as an underground coal miner. When mountaintop removal mining came to his area, Chuck watched the communities around him fall apart. And so his journey began.
"Being a coal miner, I depended on coal to raise the family. But I knew when I went into the underground mine, I was sacrificing my own health. It was my choice, as an underground coal miner. But mountaintop removal mining is different, because it affects whole communities — people who don’t get a choice in the matter."
Read Chuck's Story -
Alexandra Cousteau
A National Geographic "Emerging Explorer," filmmaker, and globally recognized advocate on water issues, Alexandra sees the link between our oceans and the waters that connect to them, including the important headwaters that begin in the Appalachian Mountains.
"We are drawn to the mountains like we are drawn to the sea. Could you imagine a world without either?"
Read Alexandra's Story -
Leilani Munter
A biology graduate who became a race car driver and environmental activist, Leilani is now directing her attention to the mining practice that is devastating Appalachia. She stands with all Mountain Heroes in opposition to mountaintop removal mining.
"Mountains are being destroyed for corporate greed. There is no Planet B. Let's save this one."
Read Leilani's Story -
Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson is an award-winning actor and longtime environmental activist, and a steadfast ally in the movement to stop mountaintop removal mining.
"Mountains, forests, streams, birds, fauna are sacred. The closest we get to God."
Read Woody's Story -
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is one of our nation's leading environmental advocates and litigators. Named one of TIME magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet," Kennedy works to defend our nation's clean waterways and oppose mountaintop removal coal mining.
Read Robert's Story
Comments
If only there were more "Juniors" in the world, our Earth would be a lot better place to live. Junor is a perfect example of a person who cares more for others then his own welfare. Every single person can do one thing each day to improve our environment and the environment our chilfren will be inheriting. Take the time to get involved, you won't regret it.
i have seen this video and i really like this nice video thanks to share your historic moments with us .
Kirkland Locksmith
Hey family, I just wanted to apologize to all who may;ve been a little offended by my post. I myself don't do enough to help either, but I'm starting to. I think globally and and act locally more often now and what I really wanted to share was the enthusiasm and feeling of accomplishment I'm getting by FINALLY getting involved. These big companies are deep rooted and powerful, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS WHO WANT TO HEAR FROM US; TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CARE AND ARE WILLING TO STAND UP WITH THEM AND SLUG IT OUT WITH THESE MONEY HUNGRY DEMONS OF DESTRUCTION (LIKE THAT ONE? SHOULD'VE HEARD THE ALTERNATIVE!!)
Look family, we need to start somewhere. There are alot more of us out there who DO care.... we just don't know they are and they don't know that we exist as well and it's THIS VERY ENVIRONMENT THAT'S NOT ONLY KILLING THIS PLANET AND US AS WELL, BUT KEEPING THESE PLANET HUNGRY SLOBS IN THE MONEY, LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY.
Set aside one our a week to write your congressman or senator and see how they stand on the issues. Tell them thanks when they act and urge then to continue. One hour is alot less time then it took to create this beautiful planet and YES, we are going to lose it. Thanks Family!! Rob
Junior, I salute you the same way I'd salute a fellow Viet Nam Vet. Please feel free to send me some more info on how to help. I agree with you my friend, Anonymous is appreciated, but what's needed are people to stand up and offer time and energy and numbers. This whole planet is filled with anonymous souls who wrinkle their brow every morning as they listen to the news because of the deparavity of this world. Well guess what my fellow anonymous Esarth co-inhabitants, when our childrens children's children look for our names to see who did what to preserve their world, remember your name was anonymous. Don't get me wrong, please, the verbal support is vital and extremely supportive, but isn't it past the time to get off our asses and save this planet? There's nowhere else but here people for your children to live. Thanks Again Junior, I'm glad I followed this site through to you. We'll be in touch brother. Email me.
I have seen mountain top strip mining for myself and it is heartbreaking... and I have been to West Virginia - you're right it is so beautiful. Thank you so much Junior for getting the word out.
Thank you for your courage and honesty. I know you love the place and its people, and what you do comes out of that love. We need to all step up and be counted with you. Thanks for the leadership and encouragement you provide. I hope the greed of environmental polluters wanes and dissipates into history and is replaced by an energy industry "by the people and for the people." There is always resistance from an industry when new technology is around the corner that threatens the status quot, that threatens huge greedy profits. The energy industry seems to want to squeeze the last drop out of every last rock that could turn a profit before it is willing to make a change for the benefit of all. That seems like plain old greed to me...
First of all, why is everyone's battle for this incredible earth signed off as anonymous? Anyway, thank you junior for you expression of unselfish love. We have to open our hearts and minds now not when it's too late. Thanks Junior for your heart of gold. Please continue to encourage your friends and younger environmental soldiers to stand strong and fight the fight. We're going to have bigger and stronger companies who obviously don't care about anything but their pockets. My prayers and love for the environment will always be there to support you and others in this battle. God help us.
Please help us spread the word about the petition at the bottom or this site I threw together on google sites. The site is a study in scale of destruction. The petition is to the POTUS.
Please help us spread the word about the petition at the bottom or this site I threw together on google sites. The site is a study in scale of destruction. The petition is to the POTUS.
A big thanks to Junior!
The battles against the destruction of the Earth and it's inhabitants seems indefinite. Those who live closest to the battle grounds of these "projects" bare all the signs and symptoms of a sick aftermath. The facts, %'s, research and proof is there, yet so often unheard. The battle is being fought by those communities, citizens, non profits and agencies with a vested interest in better solutions for our planet. These groups make up such a small portion of the population, yet they have tackled incredible feats. It takes courage to do what you have done and continue to do. Thank you so much. You are a hero.
The right path is not always the easiest one but knowing what's right and not standing for it is sinful. You are a brave and good person and what you are doing is for the future of all generations to come. The big wigs behind all this destruction will come to no good end...it wil happen soon. God bless and keep you.
Thank you Junior. You are a hero.
Amazing heart you have. To stand up for what you believe is right without support from those closest to you is so inspirational. I believe it takes a lot of internal strength and true knowledge of self to be passionately dedicated to stand up to what feels is true love.
Thanks for doing the right thing. I wish you continued strength of your convictions and safety for you and those you love.
Thank you for taking this heroic stand to protect your home, your family, and your community. There are other people in your community who wish they had your strength and convictions, and, though they may not tell you or admit it, they admire you. You will never regret your activism.
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