What Do Mountaineers Really Think About Mountaintop Removal?

Our very good friends at the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment invite you to a press conference, tomorrow, Wednesday, July 14 at 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Charleston House, 600 Kanawha Blvd. E. They'll release and discuss the results of a recent poll commissioned by the Center on mountaintop removal / valley fill coal mining. The results of the poll will be posted on Wednesday at www.Appalachian-center.org.  If you can't make the press conference, be sure to check the news section of the OVEC website (scroll down the home page) Thursday, as we'll post links to the news stories arising from the press conference. (Remember, we post links to coal- and energy- related news there daily. We hope you'll also check our general news-links page.)  

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More On Our Victory

I need to clarify the last Action Alert! (Those of you who know me will find it hard to believe I was unclear...) I wrote, "Eleven Nationwide 21 permits that the Corps had pending, which were challenged by this lawsuit, must be resubmitted as individual permits."  That may have led you to believe there were only 11 permits pending. There are actually scores of permits pending. What the ruling means:

 

1) The Corps can't issue Nationwide 21 permits after 7/8/04,

 

Attorney Joe Lovett told the Chicago Tribune, "This huge court victory blocks the valley fills already authorized by the Corps and prevents the agency from authorizing any new fills. This decision won't stop mining in West Virginia, but it will finally force the Corps--and Big Coal--to

 

July 21 CD Release Party in Shepherdstown

We have more details on the events in Shepherdstown next week. On Wednesday July 21 join us in Reynolds Hall on Shepherd University Campus. For directions, click here.   At 6 p.m., 2003 Goldman Environmental Prize winner and Coal River Mountain Watch organizer Judy Bonds will give a multi-media presentation on mountain range removal. At 7:30, the party begins. Singer/song-writers Andrew McKnight, Keith & Joan Pitzer and Cheryl Ann Hawk will play for us at the Moving Mountains CD release party! Suggested donation $10-$15; CDs $15. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Mountains Coalition.  Check out this flyer for the event.

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July 22 Rally in Shepherdstown--Note Time Change

Join us at 1 p.m.  as we rally near the football field at the Shepherdstown Middle School. For directions, click here. We'll explore the Highway to Hell--The Role of Mountaintop Removal (other groups will fill us in on the whole cycle of coal!) in Economic Insecurity and Homeland Destruction.  Our rally counters the latest in Governor Bob Wises Energy Task Force Energy Roadmap Workshop Series --"The role of coal in economic and homeland security."  This workshop (read tax-payer-funded cheerleading-session for coal) will be just across the street from our rally. We'll have coalfield-resident speakers and musicians Ryan Harvey and Andrew McKnight. King Coal will be there with a ton of coal to deposit along the Highway to Hell. (Ok, you'll have to come to the event to see what we are talking about.)

 

Our van from Huntington is filling up quickly! Call Scott at 304-522-0246 is you want to reserve your space. First-come, first-served.

We'll gather to make certain Americans know that an energy roadmap which includes mountaintop removal / valley fill coal mining is no high road to the future, but is instead a  Highway to  Hell. There is no economic security in destroying ecosystem services which support our lives and culture. There is no homeland security when thousands of tons of explosives are unleashed upon the Appalachian Mountains each day. There is no homeland security when your home is destroyed by floods raging off denuded mountains, when your community is driven away by blasting.

Participating groups include: Shepherd Progressive Action Committee; Coal River Mountain Watch, Sierra Club Environmental Justice Project of Central Appalachia, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and other members of the Friends of the Mountains Coalition; Chesapeake Climate Action Network.