OVEC Action Alert - June 2, 2002

Backstreet Boys Kevin Richardson and Robert Kennedy, Jr. Join Us at Congressional Hearing

Help Get Coal Money Out of WV Politics

Coal Truck Hearings Continue-Please Attend

Name the Newsletter Contest

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. And Backstreet Boys Kevin Richardson Join Us In Opposition To Bush Weakening Clean Water Act Rules:  On Thursday June 6, Waterkeeper Alliance president Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and musician Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys, a native Kentuckian, will join us at a news conference and citizen speak out in Washington, DC. The event will immediately follow a Congressional Hearing on recent changes to longstanding Clean Water Act regulations made by the Bush administration to benefit coal companies and other mining interests. The Bush administrations rule change will accelerate and worsen the destruction caused by mountaintop removal coal mining. US Senator Joseph Lieberman, Chair of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clear Air, Wetlands and Climate Change, called the hearing to examine the regional and national effects of the Bush administrations efforts to weaken protections for clean water.

The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in Room 406 of the Dirksen Senate office building. The press conference is in the same room at 1 p.m.

Help Get Coal Money Of Out WV Politics: Would mountaintop removal / valley fill mining be so out of control if Big Coal didnt contribute so heavily to politicians campaigns? OVEC doubts it. Thats why we are part of the diverse coalition called Citizens for Clean Elections.

This Sunday, June 9, from 2-4 p.m., Judiciary Subcommittee A will hold a meeting on the West Virginia Clean Elections Act in the House Judiciary room (second floor of the Capitol on the House side). Citizens for Clean Elections, supporting the WV Clean Elections Act, will make presentations and answer questions. We welcome as many folks as possible to be present.

This meeting provides a real opportunity for us to make a clear case for the need for alternative, public financing of elections in West Virginia. We hope that you will show your support by joining us. Also, there will be a pre-meting at 1 p.m. for a screening of John Moyer's video "The Road to Clean Elections." If you have questions or need info on the pre-meeting room, call Janet Fout at 304-522-0246 or e-mail her at ohvec@ezwv.com.

Coal Truck Hearings Continue-please Attend: The states overweight coal truck task force will hold only two more public hearings on the issue. We need a big turnout, especially for the Charleston hearing. Thats on June 10 at 6 p.m. at Riverside High School, 1 Warrior Way, Belle, WV.

The final hearing is June 11 at 6 p.m. at the Madison Civic Center, 261 Washington Ave. Madison, WV.

For more information, contact Coal River Mountain Watch at 304-854-2182.

Name The Newsletter Contest: OVECs newsletter is called E-Notes. That worked in the days when everybody knew that E meant Environment. Now E seems to mean Electronic. Hence, the contest to change our newsletters name. Please send your suggestions to vivian@ohvec.org by the end of June. If we choose your entry as our new name, youll win an OVEC 2002 Treehuggers Ball T-shirt. The T-shirt features artwork by Joe Lung and a quote from Laura Forman. If we have multiple entries for the same wining newsletter name, the first person to submit that name will be the winner. Good luck!

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