Interview with Teri Blanton, August 14, 2019

Partial Transcript: This is an oral history interview with Teri Blanton.

Segment Synopsis: Teri Blanton discusses her upbringing in Harlan County, Kentucky. She also recounts her family's socioeconomic status and her mother's role in her early experience in politics. She also explains her prior work in government and her hiatus from work due to a car accident.

Keywords: Activism; Dayhoit (Ky.); Eastern Kentucky Community Education Program; War on Poverty

Subjects: Careers.; Families.; Family histories.; Harlan County (Ky.); Occupations.; Professions.

Partial Transcript: At that point I found out that my community had, had been poisoned by a company from Houston, Texas...

Segment Synopsis: Blanton explains her early activism, particularly her opposition to a local coal company's use of a local road which resulted in a buildup of coal waste beside the roads. In addition, she explains how many of the coal companies used subsidiary companies to cover up noncompliance with environmental regulations. Through these practices, she claims that many of the mountains surrounding her home were destroyed. She talks about how she fought for companies to be more responsible by going after company owners' local assets. She also touches on the disparity between corporate and personal ownership of land in Eastern Kentucky.

Keywords: Bill Clinton; Bobby Kennedy; Coal pollution; Coal processing; Cooper Industries; Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs); Toxic water; Water pollution

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: Alright, so you started off doing some kind of individual organized--

Segment Synopsis: Blanton explains her path to joining Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. She explains that, originally, she read the KFTC periodical "Balancing the Scales," and how she found a community of like-minded activists in KFTC. She then discusses her work on the Land Reform Committee; she lists a number of female activists who she credits as mentors. Furthermore, she discusses the failure of the Environmental Protection Agency in the mitigation of environmental damage caused by coal mining practices. As a member of the Land Reform Committee, she argues that the practice of having biannual legislative sessions in Kentucky made activism difficult because of the time commitment preparing for an upcoming legislative session. In conclusion, she discusses the difficulties with grassroots activism in the modern age, specifically the issue of information access (i.e. through the internet).

Keywords: Balancing the Scales; Canary Project; Coalfield Survival School; Communication; Flooding; Internet; Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC); Meetings; Permits; Strip Mining Handbook

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: And so that was one of my roles with the Canary Leadership Program.

Segment Synopsis: Blanton discusses her involvement and the effects of the Flyover Festival in 2003. The concept behind the festival was to show people an aerial view of the effects of mining on the landscape of Eastern Kentucky. Additionally, she discusses the Flyover Festival as the genesis of the Canary Project.

Keywords: Barack Obama; Canary Project; Flyover Festival; Green New Deal; Jobs; LA Times; Local media; Los Angeles Times; Mountain Witness Tours; New York Times; Solar panels

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: So the Canary Project was a success.

Segment Synopsis: Blanton discusses the Canary Project, which primarily served to educate the public on the effects of mountaintop removal and strip mining practices. She also discusses the efforts of KFTC to convince Governor Steve Beshear to see the damage caused by lax environmental regulation. She also discusses the destructive effects of mining on water quality and environmental destruction. She also discusses her role as a KFTC fellow, which allowed her to become involved full-time in the organization without losing the opportunity to speak out on issues. She addresses how the project helped to educate individuals, both local and foreign to Eastern Kentucky, of the importance of environmental justice and regulation. One final story she tells is about her involvement in lobbying Senator Mitch McConnell to avoid cutting funding for mine inspectors, which she contended would have a profound effect on mine safety and environmental integrity.

Keywords: Canary Project; I Love Mountains; Inspectors; Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC); Leadership training; Louisville (Ky.); Mining inspection; Mining safety; Mitch McConnell; Sit-ins; Steve Beshear; Unmined Minerals Tax; Valley fills

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Politics and government; Kentucky--Social conditions; Politicians--Kentucky; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: It's, uh, uh, been a long fight.

Segment Synopsis: Blanton discusses her concerns and fears on the future and climate change. She talks about the impact of youth activists and the culpability of current and past generations.

Keywords: 350.org; Carbon emissions; Global warming

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Pollution.; Social movements.; Youth movements.

Partial Transcript: I'm curious, when did you--how did you get a worldview--that kind of worldview?

Segment Synopsis: Blanton discusses how she sees issues in a broad sense and how she became aware of the abuses of corporations. She discusses the fight against a recycling center in Western Kentucky that was polluting with Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), largely involving community education. She also talks about the fights over pig farms moving into Kentucky (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)), and the urge to give up the fight when you are not immediately affected. She talks about the cycle, or "Death March" of coal and how it affects the environment in every step of the process.

Keywords: "Death March of Coal"; Ash ponds; Clean Air Act; Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO); Fracking; Global perspectives; Methane emissions; Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs); Recycling centers; Setback Clause; Slurry impoundments; Valley fills

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Pollution.; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: I, I guess, um, I'm just wondering if you--what keeps you going?

Segment Synopsis: Blanton talks about how activism work is ongoing and gives the history of her involvement to maintain the Stream Buffer Zone. She talks about the intersection of various policy makers and companies that have affected the law.

Keywords: Alliance for Appalachia; Barack Obama; Carbon emissions; Climate change; Donald Trump; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Frankfort (Ky.); Jimmy Carter; Steel slope mining; Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA)

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Pollution.; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: I remember the people in these--in, in West Virginia at one of their hearings...

Segment Synopsis: Blanton talks about some of the counter-campaigns and hostility from coal supporters. She also discusses the death of a child in a mining accident in the 1990s.

Keywords: Child death; Dangers; Friends of Coal; Hazard (Ky.); SWAT (special weapons and tactics); SWAT teams; West Virginia

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Pollution.; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: So, what do you see as--what's, what's your vision for the future?

Segment Synopsis: Blanton talks about things she thinks are important for the future and actions she has taken towards that future. She also talks about the importance of youth members and how they contribute to the movement.

Keywords: Alternative energy; Community ownership; Energy independence; Inter-generational relations; Methane energy

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Pollution.; Protest movements; Social movements.; Youth movements.