The Martin County Project: A Student, Faculty, and Citizen Effort at Researching the Effects of a Technological Disaster

This research note describes two simultaneous events: the Martin County coal waste disaster of October 2000 and our own research efforts in Martin County, Kentucky, in studying the effects of the disaster on the impacted community. Our research was unique in that we involved a large team of undergraduate students in our field and data collections efforts. We also applied more democratic and participatory methods than has been typical in the techno-disasters research. We believe that our expanded method has allowed us to glean insights and understanding into the effects and political dynamics of the Martin County coal waste disaster. In this note, we report some of our findings from both our field interviews and survey data. As in other case studies, we found high levels of blame and distrust of the coal company and of federal and state agencies. Much of this deep citizen distrust, as we came to learn, was due to EPA yielding power of jurisdiction to the responsible party. Many citizens simply distrusted the risk assessments and water test data being put forward by the coal company

Risk Perceptions After a Coal Waste Impoundment Failure: A Survey Assessment

In mid October of 2000, a rupture occurred at the bottom of a coal waste reservoir owned by Martin County Coal Corporation (MCCC-Massey). Impounded slurry and sludge materials from the reservoir traveled through underground mine works and burst through two mine portals on opposite sides of the mountain releasing more than 300 million gallons of coal waste into creeks and waterways of Martin County, KY. This paper examines people’s reactions to the Martin County coal waste disaster by examining levels of reported concern and perceptions of risk across the impacted community of Martin County in comparison to similar coal mining communities in the same watershed as well as elsewhere in Kentucky and West Virginia. Door-to-door, drop-off/ pick-up methods were used to survey people’s perceptions. As predicted, findings show a significant difference in public opinion over the risks associated with coal waste impoundments between the impacted county in comparison to other counties. The other robust predictors of perceived risks were quality of life and trust measures. Other factors found to be significant in some previous studies of risk perceptions, such as home ownership and occupation could also account for some differences in risk perceptions within and across counties. Overall, we conclude that our survey findings on trust are consistent with others who have theorized about the institutional interconnection between public trust and risk concerns regarding technological hazards. In our discussion, we address the need for government agencies, that are responsible for responding to and mitigating environmental hazards, to act in ways that merit public trust, restore public confidence, and alleviate public anxiety

Report from a Tourism-Based Development Project in Elkhorn City, Kentucky: A Community-University Collaboration

This panel will report on the progress that has been made on eco-tourism development in an area of the Russell Fork River between Haysi, VA, Elkhorn City, KY, and Millard, KY. Home to approximately 3000 people, this area hopes to build upon its eco -and adventure tourism assets, which include the Breaks Interstate Park, the Russell Fork River (already a river destination for world-class kayakers), and the Pine Mountain Trail, the Great Eastern Trail and the Trans America Bike Trail. The Elkhorn City Heritage Council has collaborated with universities and state and federal agencies to develop a comprehensive post-coal economic development plan. University partners are also working with the community to build grant-writing capacity and to partner as we seek funds and capital to support this promising, locally-based, sustainable approach to post-coal economic development. Students have worked in the area on class projects and alternative spring breaks. The panel proposed here will focus upon collaborative projects involving the Heritage Council, Eastern Kentucky (EKU), and the University of Kentucky (UK) related to the area’s certification as a “Kentucky Trail Town.” Students, community members and faculty will be included in a panel highlighting our 2013—2014 work in the area, including one or more of the following project areas: the Rail Museum, Russell Fork Nature Education Center, the water park, and / or water testing and monitoring

The Integration of the Internet and Communication Theory in Nonprofit Fundraising: A Case Study

Although there is much scholarly research regarding fundraising in the nonprofit sector, there is little research on how communication theory and the use of the internet are combined in non-profit fundraising. Communication theory as well as internet research has been shown to improve donations to organizations. Our case study, field work, and autoethnography aimed to bridge the gap on such research. Using the method of an autoethnography, we first observed the fundraising of a nonprofit organization, then began to incorporate the use of communication theory and the internet into the nonprofit. This autoethnography aimed to demonstrate the success, challenges, and downfalls that occur when communication theory and the internet are combined into nonprofit fundraising

Assessing the Impacts of Coal Waste on Residential Wells in the Appalachian Region of the Big Sandy Watershed, Kentucky and West Virginia: An Exploratory Investigation

This paper examined issues surrounding coal waste and its potential impacts on residential private wells by reviewing the existing literature to identify the possible issues and parameters associated with coal waste and its possible effects on private wells. Using well water data from the Big Sandy Region of Kentucky and West Virginia (n = 42), drinking water quality was examined using standard heavy metal parameters associated with coal waste: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, iron, lead, manganese, zinc, and sulfate. Findings showed significantly more wells in sub-watersheds with coal waste impoundments with iron levels above secondary drinking water standards. A review of similar wells from the Kentucky Groundwater Database Repository showed a similar trend. This pattern warranted further study of Fe as a possible coal slurry waste marker. Other general findings revealed high concentrations of manganese, lead, and arsenic across our sampling of cases. Levels of these metals were high in Appalachian rock, so linking their levels to coal mining is problematic. Overall, findings suggested that residential well water in the coal mining area of the Big Sandy region of Appalachia may be of variable and sometimes unhealthy quality. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3101/1098-7096-69.2.15

One Election Away?: An Appalachian Kentucky Town\u27s Struggle to Diversify its Economy After Coal

This paper critically assess the results of university-community engagement efforts in Elkhorn City, a small eastern Kentucky town that has been seeking to diversify its economy by adding adventure tourism. We examine the products of this community partnership with the University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University as well as their accomplishments with other partners in an attempt to assess what types of relationships have been most helpful in achieving local goals. We found that, regardless of type of extra-community partner, the intra-community dynamics and, in particular, local government leaders’ attitudes toward adventure tourism, appear to be the most crucial factor in determining whether this path is followed. We further argue that coal “corporate capture” (Tarus, Hufford, and Taylor 2017) of elected officials prevents their acknowledgement of the potential of adventure tourism to diversify the community’s economy and contribute to the quality of life in the region even in the face of empirical evidence and expert analysis. This case study points to the limitations of university-community partnerships and raises concerns about the dysyr of democracy in a society whose leadership, from the local to the national levels, declines to base policy decisions on evidence