November 5, 1999

Candidates take stance on mountaintop issue
by Dan Leroy, Charleston Daily Mail

Scorecard! Scorecard! You can't tell the gubernatorial candidates without a scorecard!

That's because when it comes to the issue of mountaintop removal, most of them look and sound about the same. All but one candidate vying to become West Virginia's next governor supports some form of mountaintop removal.

What follows is a list of candidates and their thoughts on mountaintop removal, as well as U.S. District Judge Charles Haden's ruling that cracked down on mountaintop mining by banning valley fills in perennial and intermittent streams.

Haden stayed his ruling last month, and it is currently being appealed in federal court. Meanwhile, the debate over mountaintop removal continues.

When consulting this list, however, please wear a seat belt: positions can change quickly and without warning.

Gov. Cecil Underwood

He's staked out the clearest position on the controversy, supporting mountaintop removal through statement and policy.

Underwood has been the most vocal critic of the Haden ruling, saying it would "devastate" the coal industry and bring "extensive human suffering." And he's been a fixture at United Mine Workers rallies, vowing to defend West Virginia's coal mining jobs.

He's issued a position paper on the topic, and has been outspoken enough that last week, spokesman Rod Blackstone said he didn't think the governor "has anything more to add" on the subject.

Bob Wise

Congressman Wise, considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, had little to say publicly about mountaintop mining after the Haden ruling, until Wednesday.

He issued a short, general statement saying Underwood "created many of the problems we are currently facing" by signing a controversial mitigation bill and appointing "top coal company executives" to lead the state Division of Environmental Protection.

The statement also said if elected governor, Wise "would continue to work with all sides to provide strict regulation of mountaintop mining that balances jobs and the environment."

Wise and other members of West Virginia's congressional delegation have been working to pass legislation that would override Haden's ruling.

However, in 1998 Wise requested a temporary moratorium on mountaintop mining permits. That brought an attack last week from state Republican Party Chairman David Tyson, who said Wise cares more about "snails and salamanders than . . . people's jobs."

Jim Lees

Lees, challenging Wise for the Democratic nomination, says he supports "responsible" surface and deep mining.

But he also believes the bigger issue -- West Virginia's post-coal economy -- is being ignored. He proposes immediate roundtable discussions with "as many people as possible" to debate that topic.

"Assume that Judge Haden's decision is going to be upheld. Assume that Congress can't pass legislation overturning it. What happens next?" said Lees.

"I wouldn't want to stake my future on the Fourth Appellate Court."

Joseph Oliverio

Oliverio, a Clarksburg painting contractor running against Underwood in the Republican primary, also says he supports "environmentally correct" mountaintop mining.

Oliverio has visited several mountaintop removal sites, and thinks some could be used to raise cattle and buffalo.

When confronted with the fact that he once was an opponent, he acknowledges his change of heart.

"At first, I was against it," he said, "because I was just reading about it in the Charleston Gazette."

Denise Giardina

Mountain Party candidate Denise Giardina, meanwhile, is against mountaintop mining -- the only gubernatorial candidate to oppose the practice.

But while she applauds the Haden ruling, she's worried that the state's congressional delegation will succeed in getting it overturned.

"I just wouldn't put it past em," she said.

Bob Myers

Myers, the Libertarian Party candidate, notes that his party members are "firm believers in property rights" and support mountaintop mining.

"We do not believe beauty is a legislative matter. Man's ability to adjust his natural environment to suit his needs is really almost a sacred principle."

He said he'd support an "arbitration clause" that would allow property owners to be compensated for damages from blasting.

Published in the Friday, November 5th editon of the Charleston Daily Mail