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Coal Country, a documentary by Phylis Geller and Mari-Lynn Evans explores the economic and environmental devastation of extracting coal through mountain top removal (MTR) in the Coal River Mountain region of West Virginia. Also known as strip-mining, mountain top removal is the process of clear-cutting forest from mountains, blasting away the unwanted rock, extracting the coal, and dumping the debris into local valleys and stream beds. Those living near MTR sites endure having their groundwater wells polluted by coal, and high rates of cancer and other diseases. Coal Country exposes how coal companies have stifled diverse economic development in West Virginia in order maintain their influence as the major job provider. MTR is more profitable than underground mining which requires more miners. But coal companies still like to say they are the source of jobs, and that “Coal keeps the lights on.” The P.R. battle is shaping up. Two weeks ago, the biggest coal company in West Virginia, Massey Energy Company, resumed blasting in Coal River Mountain. And on October 30th, Appalachian climate justice activists protested in Washington, D.C. staging sit-ins and “zombie-marches” at the offices of the EPA and JP Morgan Chase, one of Big Coal’s biggest bankrollers along with Citigroup.

GUESTS: Phylis Geller, Writer and Director and Mari-Lynn Evans, Executive Producer of Coal Country

Coal Country will be screening on November 12th at the Grammy Museum, 800 W Olympia Blvd, Los Angeles CA at 7 pm. Visit www.earthjustice.org/mtr to RSVP.

Coal Country airs on Planet Green’s Reel Impact starting November 14th at 5 pm PST.

Find out more at www.coalcountrythemovie.com