By Dan Conti
Morehead, KY – Morehead State University professor John Hennen is among the 14 demonstrators who occupied Governor Beshear's office over the weekend in a protest over mountaintop removal mining. Hennen says the participants were prepared to go to jail, if necessary, to bring attention to the issue.
"He heard some of our grievances and consented to come and visit some of the coal fields and meet with of coal residents of eastern Kentucky whose lives and properties have been directly damaged and whose water supplies have been corrupted by mountaintop removal practices."
Although the governor didn't agree with the group's call to halt MTR, Hennen says Beshear did concede to visit some site in eastern Kentucky where the practice had taken place. Hennen says MTR mining harms the environment and public health. He also contends it does not produce long term employment.