W.Va. churches taking ‘hard walk’ on mining

August 8, 2010
By Sean D. Hamill
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Rev. Dennis Sparks calls it “the hard walk.”

That’s what you have to do when your religious organization decides to take a position – in, of all places, West Virginia – saying mountaintop removal mining is against God’s will, but also raises money for the families of miners who died in accidents, and organizes a meeting to cool the debate over coal issues.