May 14: 6:30 p.m. COME JOIN US! Public Hearing on 5-Year Permit Renewal for Zeb Mountain mountaintop removal mining site in Campbell County. WEDNESDAY, MAY 14TH, ELK VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (6691 Hwy 297, Pioneer, TN 37847). This hearing will help determine whether (or how) National Coal mines Zeb Mountain for the next 5 years. Please consider attending, speaking at the public hearing if you wish, and spreading the word. PLEASE RSVP that you are coming: Call or email Alex Moir at the SOCM office at (865) 426-9455 or alex@socm.org 

Five years ago, Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) members and allies testified at the first hearing why the proposed 2,100-acre mining permit that mines through three Zeb Mountain peaks should not be given. Some reasons cited were:

* Steep, unstable slopes and steep haul roads would produce large landslides * An inadequate water drainage plan would result in serious surface and groundwater degradation and loss of aquatic life in streams just recovering from previous mining * With 100 families living within 1/2 mile of the mine, serious problems from blasting, water pollution, dust, and coal truck traffic on narrow mountain roads would directly impact local coalfield residents

Over the last five years, those predictions came true!

* Massive landslides developed from steep haul roads and unstable slopes, causing major degradation to water quality in Dan Branch and causing harm to aquatic species that the stream had previously supported * When previous water drainage plans failed, illegal sedimentation ponds were built off the permit area and too close to public roads * Multiple notices of violation were given for poor water quality, illegal blasting, unpermitted mining off site, and other serious and dangerous mining violations. National Coal Corporation was issued the first stop work order in the state for water quality violations that were caused by mining illegally through two streams * Coalfield residents near the mine have suffered blasting damage and water quality degradation to their wells and springs, and high noise levels and dust from constant coal truck traffic

Now, National Coal Corporation is applying for a permit renewal to mine Zeb Mountain for five more years. Here are some of the reasons why SOCM members are saying: The permit shouldn't have been given five years ago, and it shouldn't be given now!

* The pattern of violations over the last five years shows regular failure to follow the law. In the last five years, over 30 water quality, blasting, and mining off permit area violations have been issued by the federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and TDEC; more than 20 of these have been to National Coal Corporation who took over the permit in 2004 * A pattern of poor enforcement by OSM has on several occasions extended abatement time for serious violations, allowing the problems to go unresolved for as much as 2-3 years * The permit renewal will include a new area underlain by a very toxic coal seam that will almost certainly produce acid mine drainage, causing further harm to streams and local water supplies * Despite numerous agency requests, National Coal Corporation has failed to submit sufficient water samples from one area and core samples from the area underlain by the toxic coal seam * The continued threat to the health, safety, and environmental quality of coalfield residents For some background on economic and quality of life impacts of mining in eastern TN, watch this video, narrated by Ann League, Vice President of SOCM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0URg4VFZ-M 

Please join us on May 14 in Elk Valley to express your concerns!

Directions: Go north on I-75 to Exit #141 and go west on Highway 63 for about 3-4 miles. Look for Highway 297 veering off on the right (a veer not a sharp right turn). Go about 9-10 miles on 297 and look for Elk Valley Elementary School on the right.

PLEASE RSVP that you are coming: Call or email Alex Moir at the SOCM office at (865) 426-9455 or alex@socm.org