In a bold action against coal exports, 100 chanting climate activists marched Monday inside Montana’s state Capitol of Helena to deliver letters and launch an eight-day protest to prevent coal mining and international coal exports from Montana’s Powder River Basin.

After a rally that featured Montana author and poet, Rick Bass, the group marched into the Capitol and announced plans to occupy the public space, drawing attention to the deadly threat of coal to the rivers, streams, land and climate--and putting Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the coal industry on notice that nonviolent resistance to strip mining in the Powder River Basin was just beginning.

The Coal Export Action protests, sponsored by the Montana-based Blue Skies Campaign, will stretch from August 13 until August 20 and end with a Citizens’ Land Board meeting. The group intends to prevent the Montana Land Board from offering final approval to mine Otter Creek coal tracts, which would require the construction of the Tongue River Railroad (Tongue River 1) and prepare the region for further coal extraction. Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) expects a permit application this month from Arch Coal, leaseholder for the Otter Creek tracts, near Ashland.

“Today we are here to demonstrate mass citizen opposition to big coal corporations’ dirty plan to export millions of tons of Powder River basin coal each year to the international energy market,” said Lowell Chandler, a construction worker and volunteer with Blue Skies Campaign. “We’re here to pressure the state Land Board to stand with us against these massive coal export proposals.”

The economic, health and environmental impacts of coal exports from Montana have been the subject of recent controversy across the west, as new international terminals in Oregon and Washington would have to be built to accommodate the global energy trading scheme. As coal-fired power plants in the United States continue to be retired by the dozens each year, the demand for coal in the U.S. is in decline. Major coal companies like Arch Coal have indicated intentions to develop future markets in China, far outside of U.S. environmental regulations.

“As Montanans we have to ask ourselves what the future holds for the Last Best Place. We’ve already gone down the path of blind resource extraction, just look at Butte,” said Chandler. “We don’t want to be an Asian coal colony so the biggest coal companies in the world can reap massive profits.”

“We are confident that once the full environmental, health and long-term economic effects of coal exports are assessed, the negatives will far outweigh the positives,” said Nick Engelfried, an organizer with the Blue Skies Campaign. “Some Land Board members have voiced their support for the coal export developments before this review process has even began.”

The bold actions in Helena this week have attracted the support of several international rights groups, including 350.org, Rainforest Action Network, Rising Tide North America and Greenpeace. The groups understand that new coal mining operations in the Powder River Basin could open the floodgates to massive coal exports, which threaten water, public health, and climate stability.

“There are a few crucial chokepoints on this planet, where we have some chance of staunching the endless flow of carbon into the atmosphere,” said Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org. “And on that list, none may be more important than Montana.”

Each of the eight days of action will highlight and inform the public by focusing on individual issue areas of coal development, spanning from regional economic impacts to public process and alternatives to coal energy for the future.

Tuesday, August 14 Occupy Day: Coal and Corporations Montana’s Occupy movement will draw the connection between Big Coal and government policies that hurt the 99%. Occupy and coal-related street theater, informational sessions, and other activities will explore how companies like Arch Coal get rich while the communities where they operate bear the costs.

Wednesday, August 15 Rail Impacts Day: How Coal Trains Threaten Our Communities From holding up traffic at grade-level crossings, to increasing coal dust and diesel fume pollution, to reducing availability of rail for other kinds of freight, more coal trains mean more problems in rail line communities. On Rail Impacts Day, informational sessions and creative actions will draw attention to local effects of coal train pollution and congestion for towns like Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, and Billings.

Thursday, August 16 Climate Change Day – Coal and the Global Climate Burning coal is the number one contributor to climate change worldwide, and dumping more Montana coal on the international market means increased global warming and climate-related disaster for all of us. Informational sessions and actions on this day will highlight how stopping coal combustion and exports is an essential part of combating climate change, the greatest environmental challenge of our time.

Friday, August 17 Regional Impacts Day: Coal Exports in the Northwest Montana is not alone in facing a choice between increase reliance on dirty coal exports, and the alternative vision of a clean energy future. Activities on this day will focus on the regional, national, and international implications of exporting more coal in Montana, and how Montana can become a regional leader by rejecting coal exports.

Saturday, August 18 High School Students Day Students from Montana schools that are supposed to benefit from the management of school trust lands will join the action, to voice support for a future free from coal exports. Other activities for August 18 yet to be announced.

Sunday, August 19 Alternatives to Coal: Embracing a Clean Energy Future Montana has immense potential to tap renewable energy, including responsible development of wind, solar, and geothermal power. Yet other states are outpacing us in the race to invest in job-creating clean energy projects. On the Capitol lawn, we’ll highlight alternatives to dirty coal, and the clean energy future we want to achieve.

Monday, August 20 Citizens’ Land Board Meeting This month the State Land Board re-scheduled their August meeting, originally set for August 20, with only four days’ notice. This raises concerns about whether citizens are having adequate time and opportunity to participate in decisions affecting our energy future. On August 20, with help from college students from Montana’s major universities who are joining us on this day, we’ll hold a Citizens’ Land Board meeting, in honor of the cancelled August 20 meeting and to highlight the need for open, transparent government.

For more information and to learn how to get involved, visit Coalexportaction.org.