MADISON, W.Va.
An environmental activist who chained himself to a giant dump truck during a mountaintop removal mining protest has been convicted of trespassing and conspiracy.
Glen Collins was found guilty today in Boone County Magistrate Court. Magistrate Charles Byrneside fined him a total of $2,901, including court costs and jury fees.
The charges stemmed from a protest at a Patriot Coal surface mine four months ago.
Collins says he was trying to stop what he calls the "crime" of mountaintop-removal coal mining, a highly efficient, but destructive, practice that involves blasting away mountains to expose multiple coal seams.
Massey Energy contends it's the only way to reach some of the coal it wants.
Opponents say it forever disfigures the land, damages the environment and causes physical harm and property damage to people who live near the sites.
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