** UPDATE ** Cottage Township resident Glenn Kellen was arrested while protesting at 9:49 a.m. this morning. Kellen was carrying a cross reading “GOD SAVE ROCKY BRANCH” (seen in the photo above) behind the closure barriers on Highway 13. We will have more on this as we get it.
SALINE CO., Ill.— Justice for Rocky Branch protestors were on hand yesterday (Monday, August 25) and again today at Illinois Route 13 to continue protesting against Peabody Midwest Mining LLC mining in their community.
Insult was added to injury Monday when, while protesting to stop Peabody’s strip mining in their backyards, and watching as heavy equipment was moved from the north side of Illinois 13 to the south side of Illinois 13, protestors received a blasting schedule.
Peabody is scheduled to begin moving the heavy equipment today across old Illinois 13 into the Rocky Branch community.
New Illinois 13 was closed yesterday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., causing traffic to be rerouted to old Illinois 13.
Reports indicate that at times, traffic became congested as coal trucks hauling coal from other mines were slowed to a crawl.
Traffic nearly stopped at one point when an over-sized modular home was transported through the area.
Several drivers actually stopped and asked protestors for directions.
Glenn Kellen, a resident fighting to keep Peabody from destroying his home and health, said, “Drivers were confused about where to go. There wasn’t many detour signs and the ones that were out were not posted in the right places.”
Protestors claimed a couple of drivers gave them a thumbs-down, with one coal truck driver actually making vulgar gestures.
But for the most part, protestors were greeted with honks, thumbs-up and big waves of support.
“It has been an eight-month battle, turning to all our government agencies for help and no one hears us,” said outspoken resident Judy Kellen. “All you have to do is look across the highway at Cottage Grove. There is nothing left but a 140 acre impoundment structure full of toxic waste water, a graveyard, and the college. I don’t want to see Rocky Branch end up the same way. A human being can’t live like this.”
