View the BLACK DIAMONDS TRAILER

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VIEW UPCOMING SHOWS & EVENTS

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BLACK DIAMONDS WINS
2007 PAUL ROBESON INDEPENDENT MEDIA AWARD

BLACK DIAMONDS WINS
2007 SPADARO DOCUMENTARY AWARD

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Black Diamonds is now available for purchase or rental from BullFrog Films!!

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Waitresses, coal miners, teachers, preachers, retirees, state officials, coal industry advocates, and legal experts detail the critical issues and unfolding story of how the demolition of mountain vistas has become commonplace in West Virginia.

Testimony from:

Julia Bonds – a West Virginia citizen turned activist who went from working in a convenience store to winning the largest individual environmental activist award in North America, the Goldman Prize.


Maria Gunnoe – A West Virginia land-owner and waitress turned activist who ended up testifying against changes in the Clean Water Act in Washington DC after floods ravaged her property.

Arley Johnson – One of the few African-American legislators in WV, a Buffalo Creek disaster survivor who vowed to keep the coal industry on its toes with a bill to curb blasting impacts from surface mining.

Ken Hechler – A lifetime political servant in WV from the late-sixties to his term as Secretary of State in the late nineties.


William Maxey - Director of the WV Division of Forestry who questioned mountaintop removal after a round of scientific studies about the practice’s affect on forests. He ended up resigning from his position to protest the continuation of this mining practice in WV.

And many, many more…

US citizens are more interested than ever in protecting the environment and ensuring a legacy of natural beauty, clean water, and clean air for their children. However, environmental laws are frequently difficult to understand, interpret, or access. Those directly affected by environmental problems can find it difficult to know where to begin.

Citizens featured in Black Diamonds have been directly affected by blasting, dust, flooding, unknown chemicals in their water supply, noise pollution, or the loss of beautiful views near their homes. Black Diamonds is a stepping off point to explore how normal, everyday people can choose to fight for control over their land, resources, and communities. This fight can be inspiring, riveting, daunting, and one that changes human beings forever.

1/7/06
Note on Sago Mine Disaster

The creators of this project express deep sympathy for the families suffering great losses due to the Sago Mine Disaster in Upshur County, WV. While making Black Diamonds we visited an underground mine in Boone County. Once again, we were struck by the complexity of the geography in WV, and the problems with underground mining. The mine foreman described on-going challenges with roof falls, water rushing in, electrical problems (electrical power infrastructures are limited there - ironic considering the coal goes to create electricity), and general equipment failure from the intense dust, grit, dirt, and roof collapse within underground mines. These are simply day to day problems. As the foreman said "We want the coal, but the mountain doesn't always want to give it to us."

Every ton of coal from Appalachia comes with an incredible price, whether a human life, sweat, blood, massive environmental disruption, or just general hard and treacherous labor. Once again, we ask: "When can we move on from these fossil fuels?" We encourage everyone in Appalachian states to continue to vision a healthy economic future moving away from the legacy of coal.

Sago Links:

Enforcement of mine safety seen slipping under Bush
San Jose Mercury News

Federal mine safety agency scrutinized
Newsday

Sago mine has history of roof falls
Charleston Gazette

Mine tragedy site in Ross holdings
Coal is financier's most recent target
Chicago Tribune