On the Road to Change

The North Carolina-based group Appalachian Voices is working with Coal River Mountain Watch, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and OVEC on a "roadshow" that will raise awareness nationally about mountaintop removal and the Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 738.

President Bush made a deplorable rule change to the Clean Water Act that allows coal and other companies to dump waste into our nations’ waterways. The rule change thus legalizes previously illegal valley fills.

In order to reestablish Congress’ original intent with the decades-old Clean Water Act and to keep coal companies from burying our streams under our former mountains, Representatives Frank Pallone and Christopher Shays have introduced the Clean Water Protection Act.

Three teams are now traveling the United States with a multimedia presentation about mountaintop removal. One goal of the roadshow is to get people in key Congressional districts to ask their legislators to support the Clean Water Protection Act. Coalfield residents are central members of the roadshow teams. Audiences will watch the presentation, and then meet with coalfield residents to learn more about life in the shadow of mountaintop removal.

Call the OVEC office at (304) 522-0246 and we’ll tell you how to get involved in the roadshow, either by making a donation, going on the roadshow or helping to arrange events via your connections in other states.