|
|
 
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Tonight--Bowling For Columbine
Coal Sludge Impoundment Haring Tomorrow
Easy Web Action--Say No to Mike Leavitt!
TONIGHT (Sept. 24)--BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE
We sure hope you will join us tonight as OVEC presents, free!, the premier Huntington screening of Michael Moore's documentary, Bowling for Columbine. The flick starts at 6 p.m. at the Cabell Co. Library, in meeting Rm. 1. The library is at the corner of 5th Ave. and 9th St. We'll have popcorn and beverages available.
WE WIN!
A Raleigh County Circuit Court Judge ruled in our favor Monday! Massey Energy subsidiary Marfork Coal Company had challenged a concession we won from the Surface Mine Board in 2001. The Department of Environmental Protection ok'ed a permit renewal for Marfork's colossal Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment. We (OVEC and Coal River Mountain Watch) appealed the DEP's permit renewal to the Surface Mine Board. The SMB ruled that Marfork should monitor groundwater for toxic heavy metals like mercury. After all, through the legal discovery process, we showed both DEP and SMB that there was indeed mercury in the impoundment.
Massey appealed the SMB ruling to the Raleigh County Circuit Court. Apparently Massey didn't want to pay for monitoring the groundwater-they say it will cost $18,000 a year. Poor guys only rake in over $200 million a year from that one subsidiary alone. They prefer to have about 7 BILLION gallons of sludge stored in the headwaters of the Coal River without having to know what is happening to the groundwater. The DEP decided to not fight against us (like it did during the 2001 appeal), but instead filed a brief supporting the SMB ruling! The Judge agreed with OVEC, CRMW and DEP that Marfork should indeed test the groundwater for mercury and other toxic heavy metals.
Many thanks to attorney Mary Ann Maul and hydrogeologist Rick Eades for their great work on this case! We'll have more detailed information in an upcoming newsletter.
TOMORROW (SEPT. 25)--HEARING ON A COAL SLUDGE IMPOUNDMENT
If you can, please join us for a hearing on a leaking, mercury-laden coal sludge impoundment at an MTR operation in Mingo County. The hearing is at 6 p.m. at the DEP office in Logan.
From Charleston: Take 119 South. Just passed the Logan Wal-Mart, there's the Logan exit. Take that exit, head toward Logan. At the traffic light, go straight onto Rt. 44. Watch for the Keefer's Kawasaki dealer on the left. Just after that is a big long yellow building on the left-that's the DEP building. It's 525 Tiller St.
GET READY TO HELP GRANNY D
OVEC's friend Granny D (the campaign finance reform activist who raised awareness about the issue by walking across the USA at age 90) will be coming our way again in October! Please go to www.GrannyD.com and sign up to help her today! Stay tuned for more information.
CALL TODAY FOR THE FORESTS (IF YOU DIDN'T CALL YESTERDAY)
Many thanks to those of you who participated in the National Call-In Day for the Forests. If you forgot to call yesterday, please call today. See this action alert all the info you will need.
EASY WEB ACTION ---SAY NO TO MIKE LEAVITT!
Add your name to the petition to SAY NO to Mike Leavitt being confirmed as the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Please visit www.MikeLeavitt.org and then forward the url to your friends. Together we have the power to make a difference. Ask your Senators to take a stand FOR our environment.
|
OVEC Home Issues Contact Join Site Map |
|