A West Virginian tells of the assault upon her way of life

By Michael M. Barrick

WEST UNION, W.Va. – For more than a century, since the days of the logging industry and the beginning of coal mining, hardy West Virginia workers knew they were risking their lives every time they set foot on a steep mountainside to cut down a tree or work a longwall in the damp underground.

Then, the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster made it clear that workers were not the only ones being asked to risk their lives for the fossil fuel extraction industry – average citizens were. That is the history of West Virginia; sadly, it is also the present.

Fracking has ruined the lives and livelihoods of countless West Virginians. The dangers from fracking are well-documented. In West Virginia, they are simply being ignored – except by a few people determined to have their story told.

One such West Virginian is Tina Del Prete. She told her story to filmmaker Keely Kernan, who is presently filming her feature film about fracking, “In the Hills and Hollows.” Keely recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help finance the cost of production of the film.

Del Prete has lived on her 30-acre farm for 37 years. Fracking started in her area about five or six years ago. “The first thing we noticed was the destruction and the traffic,” said Del Prete. “The destruction was from clear cutting for roads, well pads, compressor stations, metering stations, pipelines, and rights-of-way.”

She admitted she was nervous about talking to Kernan on camera, but said, “I did it so people would know what’s going on.” She continued, “I want people to know how destructive it is to the environment, to the community it’s in, and to the people. The cumulative effect impacts everyone in this county.” While some are encouraged by a slowdown in the industry because of a drop in oil prices, Del Prete, offered, “I don’t think it’s over by a long shot.”

Help tell the story
After listening to Tina tell her story, if you want to help spread her story so that the fossil-fuel mono-economy will not take precedence over the lives of West Virginians and all of those impacted by fracking, please visit the website below to contribute to the Kickstarter campaign. By giving, you will help ensure that the Tina’s story and the accounts of so many others are heard – and heeded.

To learn more about the Kickstarter campaign please visit:
hillshollowsdoc.com

About Keely Kernan
Keely Kernan is an award winning filmmaker and photographer. Her work is dedicated to producing media that enlightens people about relevant social and environmental topics.  As a storyteller she is driven by a desire to connect the viewer and inspire conversations that will influence and initiate reform.

© Appalachian Preservation Project, LLC 2015. The Appalachian Chronicle is a publication of the Appalachian Preservation Project.