We went to the hearing they had this evening and there were alot of people ther--some Dr's that spoke up and some Health professionals and school teachers and just citizens in general.  Oh and the Senator for the State and the President of the County Commisioners and the Water Conservation Departn=ment were there and voiced their concerns.  There is a petiton that was going around and I asked about that--because I never heard of one and so thought if I didn't alot more people haven't.  I do my best to spread the word out through all the social networks and e-mails that I can.  They used to have the petition ot the corner store but since that has been sold two weeks ago and hasn't re-opened with the new management the person who has the petition will have to get back to me about where it will be.  I am going to send him e-mail asking him if there can be a team of people that will rotate and take signitures on the petition and sit on the porch of the buiklding next to the store.  I think the store owners also own that building too.  We will see.  All those who spoke at tonight's meeting had lots of documentation to back up their concerns.  They brought up concerns that I didn't even think about--like the Shale has mercury in it and that will leach out into the water ans the cattle and other animals will ingest that--let alone the people.  Oh and there was a guy that worked for a glass company that told us or the Official from the WV Department of Environmental Protection http://www.wvdep.org/ that pointed out that a by product of mining shale produces silica dust that is very cancerous.  Someone also brought up a bill that passed in 2003 about how they are planning on bringing the quality of life in Berkeley County up as in more Parks and Rec areas--they are putting a park right in the same area that this supposed Brick Company wants to put there operation in.  They are talking about taking part of the mountain as in digging into it.  We are very close to Virginia and now we hear that they want to go along the whole mountain to the state line,.  The farmer that owns the land that they want to build the mine right next too had lots to say about the Brick Company and how they left silt in his pond and he even brought in samples of water--one clear from the top of the mountain and the one that came out of his pond full of silt.  Oh and we found out that when this company went to apply for a permit they used maps that were 30 years old---most of the housing wasn't even thought of then let alone in there.  We also found that just in the town and not on the mountain or on the other side there are some 4.000+ homes!  Some people have said that we being on the other side of that mountain it wouldn't affect us--not true what would happen if they take half of the mountain, what happens to our side of the mountain--it would collapse and there would be landslides and who knows what!
The farmer that has all this together and his wife said that there is going to be another meeting before the 24th when they extended the deadline for others to write in their concerns.  We will be at that one too!
My concern is all the vibrations and blasting--most of the homes that are in my developement--some 300+ are on stilts and some on concrete foundations----that blasting will crack those foundations and topple or at least shift the houses that are on stilts (piers) like mine!
What gets people angry is that this only came to the public a month ago--and the Brick Company has not talked to any radio stations, Television Stations, nor newpapers and they have tried to keep it a very good secret----only the Senator said that he is going to make it VERY public--and I believe he meant it!!