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The Chief Executive of Massey Energy, the owner of the Big Branch coal mine where an explosion killed 29 workers in April, complained last week that his company was facing financial problems due to a “reg-cession”. Don Blankenship argued that too much regulation, not the recession, was hurting Massey’s profits, and said it was time to consider rolling-back some of the rules governing the industry. The explosion at the Big Branch mine in West Virginia was the deadliest since 1970. Immediately after the tragedy, Massey Energy began denying culpability. However industry watchdogs uncovered evidence that the company routinely ignored safety protocols in favor of faster production and higher profits. Investigations into the Big Branch explosion are still underway, while the debate surrounding coal mining continues at the highest levels of government, and between neighbors in what is known as Coal Country. This debate is showcased in the documentary film Deep Down: A Story from the Heart of Coal Country. Deep Down is an intimate portrayal of one Appalachian community in eastern Kentucky that is divided over the method known as mountaintop removal. The film will be broadcast nationally tonight on PBS’s Independent Lens. Deep Down focuses on two life-long friends, Beverly and Terry. Beverly is organizing a community campaign to stop the expansion of mining operations, a campaign that is opposed by those who depend on mining for their paycheck. Terry is considering leasing his land to be mined and sacrificing the environment he loves for the financial payoff he’s being promised.

GUESTS: Sally Rubin, co-director, editor, and full-time film professor at Chapman University; Jen Gilomen co-director, cinematographer, and Director of Public Media Strategies at the Bay Area Video Coalition

Deep Down will be airing on PBS’s Independent Lens, which is at 10:00pm in most markets. Check your local station guide, or go to
www.pbs.org/independentlens/deep-down/

Find out more at www.deepdownfilm.org and www.ilovemountains.org.