Over the pass several months I have been concerned over the ominous threat of a industrial shale quarry in the midst of our landbase.

The historic village of Gerrardstown is located on W.Va. 51, west of Interstate 81 and lies at the foot of North Mountain.

Continental Brick Inc. (operating as North Mountain Shale) has been trying to quarry the mountain in order to extract shale for brick production. The proposed North Mountain Quarry will use a method of shale mining which involves clear cutting (that is the removal of trees and topsoil) and using huge digging machines to extract the water-holding shale that will later be processed into brick.

These actions could devastate the watershed and the historical properties of Gerrardstown .The quarry operation could potentially dry up wells and springs, allowing industrial pollutants to drain off the mountain into water supplies for thousands of people or be swept off the mountain by high winds and carried into the lungs of children at nearby Gerrardstown Elementary and Mountain Ridge Intermediate schools.

On Tuesday, April 21, there will be a power point presentation by Citizens Alliance for a Responsible Environment in Shepherdstown at Reynolds hall at the corner of King and German street from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. You can also learn more by visiting northmountain.org. Knowledge is power. Arm yourself.

Robert Glenn

Shepherdstown