Monday, February 26th marks the 35th anniversary of the Buffalo Creek Disaster. On February 26, 1972 a coal waste dam owned by the Pittston Company collapsed at the head of a crowded hollow in southern West Virginia. A wall of sludge, debris, and water tore through the valley below leaving 125 dead and 4,000 homeless.

This tragic event is examined in the Appalshop film, The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man. Through interviews with survivors, union leaders, concerned citizens, and company officials, evidence mounts that the coal company knew the dam was failing and in violation of state and federal regulations. The Pittston Company however, continued to maintain that the disaster was 'an act of God.'

The Library of Congress named the film to the National Film Registry in 2005 citing it as a "powerful documentary" that "represents the finest in regional filmmaking, providing important understanding of the environmental and cultural history of the Appalachian region." After the title was preserved it was released to DVD with the follow-up documentary, Buffalo Creek Revisited, filmed 10 years after the flood.

The DVD is available for purchase through the Appalshop online store or by phone at 1-800-545-7467.