The Martin County slurry spill, at over 300 million gallons, was the largest disaster of its kind ever in the southeastern United States. The spill released nearly 30 times more liquid than the Exxon Valdez (Mother Jones, March 2002).

Sludge Revisited is a five-part series exploring the impact the Martin County spill has had on people and their environment. We hear from coalfield residents, coal company officials, and environmentalists; the series examines other coalfield communities that are potentially at risk of a sludge pond failure, and we ask, could it happen again?

Producer: Robert Salyer


Coldwater Fork--one year later.

Glenn Cornette		 1. THE SPILL: the initial response to the disaster; includes interviews conducted just days after the spill.

Monroe Cassidy		 2. CLEANUP: documents the cleanup effort that began after the spill and continued throughout the winter; we attend community meetings, continue our talks with residents, and hear from coal company officials as the community begins to try and understand what happened and why.

Entrance to
Wolf Creek
 3. ONE YEAR LATER: we return to Martin County one year after the spill; along with Lilly Adkins of the Martin County Sun, we conduct interviews with Martin County residents in the grocery store, outside the post office, and in front of the courthouse.

Cleanup along
Coldwater Fork		 4. COLDWATER: we revisit Coldwater Fork and the Cornette family; Shirley and Glenn’s home was just below where the sludge pond collapsed.

Judy Bonds
5. ACTIVISM: in the conclusion of the series we hear from Monroe Cassidy and Judy Bonds. Monroe, a resident of Coldwater Fork, explains how the spill inspired him to found an environmental grassroots group. Judy Bonds, long-time activist and member of Coal River Mountain Watch in West Virginia, speaks of potential risks of future disasters throughout the coalfields. Monroe and Judy continue to fight for justice as spokespersons for their communities.