People love to say, “Do the research.” Fine. But let’s be clear about what research actually is. Blindly accepting an Air Quality Division permit as proof that an industrial project is harmless is not research—it is blind faith.
For example, along the189-mile stretch of Cancer Alley in Louisiana, there is roughly one EPA-approved industrial facility for every mile. Every one of those operations has permits. Every one has government approval. Yet the people who live there have endured devastating health consequences, with some communities experiencing cancer rates reported fifty times above the national average. Government permits did not protect those families. A rubber stamp is not a guarantee of safety.
Now Fundamental Data has announced plans to build a 10,000-acre—15-square-mile—industrial complex beside Davis and Thomas. The West Virginia DEP has already issued an air quality permit for a natural gas and diesel power plant just one mile from Davis. The WV DEP contrary to their own mission statement seeks to approve all commercial permits. Last year 300 applications; 300 permits approved. Are we supposed to believe that a permit alone means we are safe?
The evidence says otherwise. The Harvard dispersion study warns that pollutants from this facility could pose significant risks to nearby residents. Real research examines independent science, historical evidence, and the consequences seen in communities that trusted permits over facts. Common sense leads to the same conclusion: this project presents a real and present danger to the people of Davis.
Then there are those who shrug and say, “It’s private property. There’s nothing we can do.”
Really?
Is that the Mountaineer spirit?
West Virginia’s history says otherwise. The Mine Wars were not fought because people believed property rights outweighed human rights. They were fought because ordinary men and women stood together against injustice, refusing to accept that power and money should come before the health, safety, and dignity of their communities.
When private property is used in ways that threaten public health, clean air, and the future of an entire region, silence is not virtue—it is surrender.
This is not simply about the right to protest. It is about the responsibility to defend our families, our neighbors, and the place we call home. Mountaineers do not bury their heads in the sand while their communities are put at risk.
Some may say that fifteen years is not long enough to call myself a true Mountaineer. I respectfully disagree. Home is not defined by the day you arrive—it is defined by the people you love, the community you serve, and the values you are willing to defend. Tucker County and the Town of Davis are my home, and I will never stop fighting for them.
Mountaineers stand together. Mountaineers lift one another up. Mountaineers do not remain silent when their families, neighbors, or communities are threatened. We meet challenges with courage, determination, and an unshakable belief that what is right is worth defending. That is the spirit that built these mountains, and it is the spirit that will protect them for generations to come.
Al Tomson
Mayor, Town of Davis