This should have probably been one of the first blogs I wrote when joining SEAC, but let me introduce myself, and tell you why I am with SEAC today

My name is Billy Astrove, and I am going to be a rising senior at West Virginia Wesleyan Callege in Buckhannon, West Virginia. I am affiliated with SEAC through West Virginia Wesleyan's Green Club which joined the newly-formed West Virginia Youth Action League last October, in order to connect with other students in various environmental groups around the state of West Virginia. Throughout the year, we did a fundraiser for our local green club where we brought fraternities and they participated in a coal vs. wind tug of war competition. In addition, we led campaigns to try to bring a trayless cafeteria in order to cut down on waste within the school, and a petition for a wind farm on Coal River Mountain. I started involving myself in the green club, and it continued to grow on me.

Throughout the Summer and hopefully into the fall, I am interning with SEAC to work organize youths who are from the coal fields to lobby Congress to put an end to Mountain Top Removal. At the end of this month, we will be bringing youth from the Coal Fields of Kentucky and West Virginia to speak out in favor of the Appalachian Restoration Act (S.696)to the senate and the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310). These bills would ban valley fills, effectively ending Mountaintop Removal. The lobby week will take place this month from July 27-31, and it is affiliated through SEAC and the Alliance for Appalachia.

We encourage coal field residents to come down and speak out to their legislatures about how Mountaintop Removal has effected them. This will be a wonderful time, and there is scholarship money available for those who register before July 17.

In addition, the internship also involves a fundraising aspect. Throughout September and October, I will be working with other colleges, universities, and other environmental networks to raise money for our chapter, the WV-YAL network, and other non-profit organizations that help help combat Mountaintop Removal. By holding a fundraiser such as a homecoming raffle, a 5K, or a mud wrestling competiton, we are educating and allowing others to enjoy themselves while raising money for our organizations so we can continue to promote green jobs and end Mountaintop Removal.

I look forward to working with SEAC over the next few months. I believe that working with SEAC can give me the energy and thrill to really push my anti-mtr activism. What motivates my activism? I just want the people in Southern West Virginia to be able to respect their history and MTR puts aside all history so the coal companies can get a profit. So far I enjoy working with SEAC, and I highly reccommend putting in time with SEAC, becuase it will be worth it from day 1.