Tim Mandell
A new documentary that explores the effects of coal mining in Appalachia was partly filmed in Kentucky and features on-camera interviews with many Kentuckians, including Berea resident Teri Blanton.
The film, entitled “Coal Country,” will be screened at 6 p.m. on Monday, in Room 108 of the library at Eastern Kentucky University.
Blanton will be at the screening, which is sponsored by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC).
The screening is free, but donations to KFTC will be accepted.
Blanton works with KFTC’s Canary Project, which is described as “building awareness about the dangers from coal because everyone that breathes air, drinks water, and lives on this planet is affected by the production and burning of coal,” according to the KFTC Web site.
“I’m a person working to serve the things we can’t live without and that’s water,” Blanton said. “We live in a state that has 40 to 50 inches of rain fall and it’s hard to get a clean drink of water.”
“It’s all about water,” she said, adding that she first became involved in opposing coal mining when she lived in the Appalachians and she discovered her water supply was contaminated from coal mining.
“What’s happening to the Appalachian Mountains right now and what’s happening to our homeland is now a national issue,” Blanton said. “We’re at ground zero. We’re talking about global climate change right now.
“I think we’re in a civil war,” she added. “I feel like it’s uncomfortable that we have to have neighbor fighting neighbor. The people with the paychecks, or the industries, feel it’s their right to trample on other people’s rights.”
Despite her strong opinions against coal mining, Blanton said she feels the film succeeds in being unbiased.
“They tried to make this a very fair and balanced video,” she said. “They talked to a lot of people from all sides.”
Blanton said her hope is that people can learn something from the film.
“I guess the one thing everyone must remember is that we are all downstream from everything they’re going to see in this video,” Blanton said. “People like me, what we’re trying to do is protect our greatest resource and that’s water.”
The film was directed, written and produced by Phyllis Geller, who has been producing films since 1975 and has been nominated for one Emmy and two Daytime Emmy awards.
Mari-Lynn Evans, who served as executive producer, previously worked with Geller on a 2005 television mini-series called “The Appalachians.”
Another screening is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 19, at the Berea Public Library.
Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.
