The Filson Historical Society will host the 16th Public Conference of The Filson Institute in Hazard, KY. It will explore mountaintop removal and its impact on Kentucky’s Appalachian countryside.
Mountaintop removal is a new form of coal mining that involves the mass restructuring of earth in order to reach minerals as deep as 1,000 feet below the surface. It requires the targeted land be clear-cut and then leveled by the use of explosives. As an educational institution, we will explore the effects on the environment, economy and nearby communities.
As we travel to Hazard on Thursday, we will visit and eat lunch at the homeplace of Daymon Morgan. His mountainous, tree-covered property in rural Leslie County is surrounded by mountaintop removal sites. Bobbie Ann Mason and Teri Blanton will deliver the Keynote address. Mason writes about the working-class people of western Kentucky. Her stories have contributed to a renaissance of regional fiction in America. Teri Blanton is a social justice activist within the Appalachian coalfields and has made tireless efforts to protect our headwater streams.
On Friday at the Hindman Settlement School, the featured speakers will be Silas House accompanied by the members of Public Outcry, Dr. Alice Jones with Evan Smith and Jeffrey Combs, MACED President Justin Maxson, and Jack Spadaro, a former MSHA employee on the topics of:
- Artist’s role in historical documentation and public awareness
- The environmental impact of mountaintop removal
- The economic development beyond coal
- Historical enforcement problems and cover up
The Institute will conclude on Saturday with a fly-over of mountaintop removal site from the Hazard Airport provided by SouthWings. This Institute continues our series to explore the environmental history of Kentucky and the region and strengthen The Filson’s research collections in this area.
Cost: $175.00 Transportation: $20.00 added to cost, transportation to and from Hazard. Contact The Filson for further details and for confirmation at 502-635-508.