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Please Attend Tomorrow's MTR Hearing!
Read The News About The Kentucky Hearing
Ideas On Things To Say At The Hearing.
JULY 24 HEARING - DID WE SAY WE NEED YOU? WE NEED YOU!
Please come out tomorrow, Thursday July 24. We are asking that most folks who oppose MTR come to the evening hearing, from 7-11 p.m., although several of us will also be at the 2-5 p.m. hearing. Coalfield residents/activists at yesterday's hearing in Kentucky were outnumbered about 3 to 1, because the coal industry apparently paid miners to attend the hearing. (Sorry-we can't pay you, but we know you aren't in this for the money!)
For details about where tomorrow's hearing is, when we will meet etc., see yesterday's Action Alert!.
Read The News About The Kentucky Hearing
As we noted yesterday, if you don't want to speak, that's fine. We really want a big showing, so we need you there with your "Stop Mountaintop Removal" button, which we will be handing out. Please don't drive alone-bring your neighbors, friends and family! If you are a member of a faith community, please try to get clergy and fellow members to attend the hearing. At the Kentucky hearing, MTR supporters displayed hostility and belligerence, booing and hissing as those opposing MTR spoke. Judy Bonds of Coal River Mountain Watch talked with someone at EPA today, telling him that this type of intimidation is why so many people against MTR won't come out to hearings...it is one of the means coal companies use to get their way in West Virginia and Kentucky. The EPA guy promised to make an announcement about booing and such, but he said he can't really control that. Police will make certain there are not any physical altercations. Judy said, "I really think we need to be strong, give our opinions and NOT act the way the coal industry is acting!"
If you live below a MTR operation, you know what you will say! Still, some folks may want to know what the coal industry is saying, so you can come ready to take 'em on.
Please remember that many miners and their families feel trapped-many will privately tell you they can't stand what MTR is doing to the land, the water and communities, but they feel like they have no other way to make a living. Perhaps we can ask, again, that the government help create jobs by fostering alternative energy research, development and production in the coalfields. We need some diversity in the coalfield economy!
You may want to ask for an extension for the written comment period, as I bet most of us haven't finished the 5,000 page EIS yet! More time sure is a reasonable request. Right now, the written comment period closes on August 29.
Be sure to look at Kentuckians For The Commonwealth summary of the EIS. Apparently the pro-MTR folks are really supporting the EIS's Alternative No. 3. KFTC has an excellent analysis of that. See that document here (pdf).
At the Kentucky hearing, MTR supporters came up with their usual, oh-so-tired sound bites. To help you prepare your comments, we have a summary of the coal industry arguments sent in by one of our friends who attended the Kentucky hearing. Also, we have some ideas to counter their predictable arguments. However, we aren't going to broadcast those ideas to our entire Action Alert! list If you want to see our notes on the Kentucky hearting and counter arguments, you'll need to request it by e-mailing vivian@ohvec.org or vivstock@ezwv.org. Do that ASAP, as we'll be off to the hearing by noon tomorrow, Thursday.
See you there!
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