Surface Mining Multidisciplinary Research Project

The issue of surface mining (which includes “strip mining” and “mountaintop removal”) is bitterly contested in Appalachia. Coal companies and their investors want to make as much profit as possible and the general public wants inexpensive energy, whereas environmental advocates want to protect the mountains and advocates for miners want to replace the jobs that have been eliminated. Meanwhile, residents in the coal-mining areas of Appalachia are being directly and indirectly impacted but have had only limited say in the debates and the discussion of the effects on them appear to have been based largely on anecdotal accounts rather than empirical research.

The primary purposes of this research project include:

• Providing opportunities for Radford University faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students to personally examine surface mining sites and related areas and have preliminary discussions with stakeholders;
• Providing the grant director, Dr. James L. Werth, Jr. time to explore the literature, travel to affected regions, collect preliminary data, and develop relationships; and
• Beginning the process of collaborating across campus and across the region on these matters.

The project therefore integrates all four areas of scholarship outlined by Ernest Boyer: discovery (faculty and student research), integration (multidisciplinary focus), application/engagement (working toward solutions of a consequential problem), and teaching (providing material to integrate into and enhance teaching and learning).

As the Director of the Radford University Psy.D. Program, the grant director has attempted to build collaborative relationships across campus and in the community/region. He has also discussed the rural and community/social justice emphases of the Psy.D. Program on campus and across the region. One of the outgrowths of these efforts at communication and collaboration is a graduate level social justice course that was co-taught with an Appalachian Studies faculty member (Dr. Theresa Burriss). As part of the course, Dr. Burriss arranged for an all-day trip to a surface mining site and opportunities to interact with miners and local residents. One of the issues that became clear to the grant director after this trip was the many different disciplines that had expertise related to surface mining, as well as the complicated issues associated with the practice. In order to provide a comprehensive picture of the impact of surface mining, it seems vital to involve experts from many fields and include the various stakeholders in the discussion so that all sides can have their voices heard. An initial call for collaborators led to staff, faculty, and students from the following Radford University units:

• Appalachian Studies
• Communications
• Criminal Justice
• English
• Geography
• International Education Center
• McConnell Library
• Media Studies
• Nursing
• Psychology
• Recreation, Parks, and Tourism
• Sociology
• Sponsored Programs
  

In order to provide grant group members with the first-hand information necessary to allow them to become invested in the project, a trip to a surface mining site has been arranged for all day August 22. Former miners and community members have been invited to participate in this visit in order to provide first-hand accounts of the issues from their perspective. Further, grant team members will participate in flyovers, conducted by Southwings.

If you are interested in joining the research team or have resources to share, please contact grant director Dr. James L. Werth, Jr. by phone (540-831-6817) or e-mail (jwerth@radford.edu). Please note that participation is not limited to current Radford University faculty, staff, and students.