[Newcomb residents at the capitol]

Residents of rural Tennessee share stories of the damage caused by strip mining to their homes and their communities with governor Ray Blanton in an office of the state capital in Nashville. Likely recorded on April 8, 1975 during a rally for the "Save Our Cumberland Mountains" campaign.

00:04Copy video clip URL Residents from around Newcomb, TN, near the Kentucky border, describe the damage caused by strip mining to the Newcomb area to government officials, including Governor Ray Blanton who discuss potential remedies with them. 

05:12Copy video clip URL A resident describes the coal companies’ refusal to adhere to existing laws regulating strip mining. Blanton says that he plans to visit the area in the next few weeks. 

10:23Copy video clip URL Another man describes the flooding of the creek near his home. Other residents share stories about damage to their homes and the homes of their neighbors, and the dangers of flooding that arise every time there’s rain. 

21:24Copy video clip URL Discussion of policies that put money towards “growth centers” – meaning cities – rather than towards rural communities suffering from the effects of strip mining. 

25:14Copy video clip URL Residents talk with the official about their homes. Blanton talks about his own history growing up in a nearby rural community. 

31:12Copy video clip URL The possibility of an imminent strip mining bill vote. Blanton expresses ambivalence about the bill in its current form.