Thursday, August 19th, 2010

The following email was sent to the 43,000+ supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

This September, thousands of people from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C. to urge for an end to mountaintop removal coal mining and a renewed vision for the future of Appalachia.

Will you be among them?

Building on a long history of social action for a just and sustainable Appalachia, Appalachia Rising is a national response to the poisoning of America’s water supply and the destruction of Appalachia’s mountains and communities through mountaintop removal coal mining.

The event, which will take place in D.C. Sept 25-28, consists of three components:

– The Voices From the Mountains conference kicks off September 25th and 26th, with a weekend full of workshops, panels, and cultural events celebrating the history and future of Appalachia. This is a great opportunity to meet individuals impacted by mountaintop removal as well as fellow activists to strategize on how we can secure a sustainable future for Appalachia. Click here to register.

– On September 27th there will be a National Day of Action in which thousands will march and rally to call for an end to mountaintop removal. Click here to learn more.

– And to top it all off, on September 28th, our National Lobbying Day will bring activists and coalfield residents to the Capitol to pressure Senators and Representatives in Congress on the need for laws to end mountaintop removal coal mining. Would you be willing to meet with your representatives and make your voice heard? The Lobbying Day is open to people of all experience levels, and there will be lobby training throughout the weekend. Click here to apply.

This fall marks a critical time in the fight to end mountaintop removal. We hope that you’ll consider joining coalfield residents, grassroots groups, national organizations, and individuals like yourselves to help strengthen our movement and show the world that Americans are ready to end mountaintop removal coal mining.

So please, mark your calendar, and join us this September.

Thank you for everything you do.

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

P.S. Be sure to forward this email to friends or colleagues who may be interested in taking part in this momentous event.

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

When we think about the fight to end mountaintop removal coal mining, it’s easy to focus on the more than 500 mountains in Appalachia that have already been lost.

While remembering the places that have been destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining is important, in many ways the best way to honor the past is to focus on the future — and ensure that we don’t allow the coal industry to continue to destroy our mountains and communities.

That’s why we created the America’s Most Endangered Mountains video series — to show the world that the effort to end mountaintop removal coal mining is an effort to save some wonderful places.

From Ison Rock Ridge in Virginia to Gauley Mountain, West Virginia, the America’s Most Endangered Mountains video series highlights the people and landscapes at the heart of our movement.

If you haven’t checked out the series recently, please, take a moment to watch a few of the videos today:

http://ilovemountains.org/endangered/

And please, help us get the word out about the places we’re saving by sharing your favorite videos on email or Facebook.

Thank you for everything you do.

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

For serious.

Just check out last week’s NYTimes piece entitled Nuclear Energy Loses Cost Advantage, which notes:

Solar photovoltaic systems have long been painted as a clean way to generate electricity, but expensive compared with other alternatives to oil, like nuclear power. No longer. In a “historic crossover,” the costs of solar photovoltaic systems have declined to the point where they are lower than the rising projected costs of new nuclear plants, according to a paper published this month.

See the full piece here.

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signaled its approval of Arch Coal subsidiary Coal-Mac’s Pine Creek surface mine in Logan County, WV. Yesterday, the agency announced that the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) had issued its final Clean Water Act permit for the mountaintop removal mine.

In other words…

They are still blowing up our mountains, and we still need a law.

This permit was issued despite…

- EPA’s new guidance for mountaintop removal operations and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s proclamation that “No or very few valley fills…are going to meet standards like this.”
- The fact that the mine could create three new valley fills (each over 40 acres).
- The fact that the site will impact over two MILES of already suffering headwater streams.
- The fact that local communities are already contending with increased flooding due to strip mining in the area (a problem additional sites will exacerbate).
- The fact that deforestation on site will continue to dismantle an important global carbon sink, while the mine itself will produce over 14 million tons of coal - which when burned in power plants - will contribute over 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas pollution to our planet’s atmosphere.

We can end mountaintop removal in 2010. Ask your Congressman to support two bipartisan bills aimed at sharply curtailing mountaintop removal: the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310) in the House and the Appalachia Restoration Act (S 696) in the Senate. The health and heritage of Appalachia is at stake and a “few valley fills” is a few too many.

Monday, July 26th, 2010

By Colette Henderson

Five days ago, we kicked off the Dear Companion tour in Lexington, KY in full force. We packed the house and many stopped by the iLoveMountains table to pick up materials and ask questions. The amazing part of doing this work in areas like Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia is the stories you can come across. One of the ushers at the Lexington show stopped by and commented on how she had protested strip mining in Eastern Kentucky back in the 60’s. Others talked of family and friends in the region who have come and gone due to the the distressing effect mining has on the area. A young woman nabbed an I Love Mountains bumper sticker before rushing into the show calling over her shoulder, “I’m from Eastern Kentucky, I”m so glad they are doing this work..”

After a great show in Knoxville, TN, Dear Companion took a small break in Louisville before working our way to Charleston, WV. On stage in Charleston, the Dear Companion crew showed no shyness in letting the audience know why they were doing this tour. The crowd was receptive and the boys received a standing ovation for their performance. Later that night, many of us jumped on bicycles and rode around town, enjoying the cooler climate and new scenery.

It’s day five of the Dear Companion tour and we have landed in the small mountain town of Marlinton, WV. The town’s population is probably around 2,000. Nestled in Pocahontas County with the Greenbrier River running through, Marlinton is quiet and charming. I currently bring this update to you from a small local coffee shop called the Dirt Bean where the conversation has been abuzz with tonight’s performance. A family walked in earlier that drove from Huntington, WV to see the show. They were excited about the project and were looking forward to the evening. A young girl skipped in and said she had been to a gas station in Lewisberg, WV where a sign was posted condemning anyone who attended the show this evening. The barista commented the town was mostly pro coal and that she was skeptical about how many would attend.

Marlinton, WV is an interesting stop. It’s the smallest town we will be visiting on this tour and could be the most challenging. This is what this tour is about though, further opening a difficult conversation through the beautiful voices of Kentucky artists. Perhaps we’ll reach some new audiences today.

If you haven’t seen them yet, there’s still time! Catch em at the following venues:

Jul 27 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater
Jul 29 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater
Jul 31 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival
Aug 1 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival

Learn more about the “Appalachian Voices” tour by clicking here.

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

The following email was sent to the 42,000+ supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

As a parting gift to Big Coal, in late 2008 the Bush administration gutted the Stream Buffer Zone rule, which protected our nation’s streams and waterways from the worst coal industry abuses.

The old rule was a good rule - but it was never properly enforced. Today, however, instead of reinstating and enforcing the old stream buffer zone rule, the Obama administration is proposing totally new guidelines that would regulate how — and whether — America’s streams can be filled with waste from mining operations.

But before they’ll write the new regulations, the administration has decided to gather information for an Environmental Impact Statement. To that end, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is requesting your opinion on what requirements a new stream protection rule should include.

Click hear to comment today and demand that our streams stay clean of toxic mining waste:
http://ilovemountains.org/stream-protection/

This is a tremendous opportunity to make your voice heard on the kind of protections our streams deserve — before the rule is written.

Please, take just a few minutes today to make sure that your views are taken into account and our streams are protected from the devastation of mountaintop removal coal mining.

Click hear to submit your comments today.

Thank you for taking action.

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

The Environmental Protection Agency has decided to delay a decision on its proposed veto of Arch Coal’s Spruce No. 1 mine until September 24, 2010. The decision to delay came after the agency received over 4,000 public comments.

The Spruce mine permit, if granted, would allow over seven miles of Appalachian headwater streams to be buried and more than 2,000 acres of West Virginian forests to be destroyed. It would also constitute the largest mountaintop removal permit ever granted.

CLARIFICATION: The September decision will be EPA’s Regional Administrators Recommended Decision. The Recommended Decision is next referred to EPA’s office in DC, and at that point the Corps of Engineers has an opportunity to fix the permit. A final decision on the veto may not happen until early 2011.

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Reverend Billy is a renowned performance artist and activist who travels the world to fight against consumerism and the detriments of disposable goods. Recently, his 35 person gospel choir has turned to the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining, writing many original songs about the dangers of the environmentally harmful mining practice.

Reverend Billy has been hosting various events around the country to spread his call to end mountaintop removal, and he and his choir will now perform in West Virginia in honor of the great local activists who have won several victories against Big Coal.

Reverend Billy and the choir will hold their event in Charleston, WV, on Saturday, July 24th at 8pm in the West Virginia Cultural Center Theater.

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

That’s the message the Obama administration sent last week when it proposed a new rule that would curtail pollution from coal-fired power plants in the eastern United States. According to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the rule should improve air quality as far south as Texas and Florida and as far north as Minnesota and southern New England.

More specifically, the new regulations would require utilities to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 71 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 52 percent - both relative to 2005 levels - by the year 2014.

Such reductions would significantly decrease unhealthy smog and soot levels and have a tremendously positive impact on the health of our nation. According to Gina McCarthy, head of the EPA’s air and radiation office, reduced emissions would save an estimated 14,000 to 36,000 lives every year. In addition, 240,000 cases of aggravated asthma, 23,000 nonfatal heart attacks, 21,000 cases of acute bronchitis and 1.9 million missed school and work days would be avoided.

Though the agency estimates the implementation costs of the new rule to be $2.8 billion per year, that cost pales in comparison to the rule’s estimated savings of $120 billion per year in avoided health costs, lives lost and sick days.

The rule would reverse and strengthen Bush era rules that have been met with intense scrutiny in recent years. In 2006, the previous administration decided not to lower the ten-year-old soot standard, despite the findings of its own scientists that compelled it to act otherwise. In response, over a dozen states, in addition to environmental groups, objected by suing the EPA.

“The E.P.A. proposal is a big step in the right direction,” said Frank O’Donnell of Clean Air Watch. “It’s a step toward taming the environmental beast known as the coal-fired power plant. But it is only a first step. E.P.A. still needs to move ahead with plans next year to limit power plant emissions of toxic mercury and other hazardous air pollutants.”

The EPA will be conducting hearings on the proposal in the months ahead. The rule is expected to take effect sometime next year.

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Last Thursday, activists with the Rainforest Action Network showed up at the headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, chained themselves to one another and began blasting a special edit of “Take me Home, Country Roads.” Their take on John Denver’s classic included intermittent sounds of the earth- and nerve-shattering explosives used during mountaintop removal coal mining practiced in Appalachia.

The protest was organized in response to the EPA’s recent approval of Arch Coal’s major new mountaintop removal operation in Logan County, W.Va. The approved Pine Creek Strip Mine would impact over two MILES of already-suffering headwater streams, create three new valley fills (each over 40 acres), and further endanger local communities already contending with increased flooding due to strip mining. As deforestation on the Arch Coal mine site would continue to dismantle an important global carbon sink, the mine itself would produce over 14 million tons of coal, which when burned in power plants, would contribute over 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas pollution to the planet’s atmosphere.

RAN’s Scott Parkin’s explains:

We’re sitting down inside the EPA to demand the EPA stand up to protect Appalachia’s precious drinking water, historic mountains and public health from the devastation of mountaintop removal. At issue here is not whether mountaintop removal mining is bad for the environment or human health, because we know it is and the EPA has said it is. At issue is whether President Obama’s EPA will do something about it. So far, it seems it is easier to poison Appalachia’s drinking water than to defy King Coal.

Click HERE to see more photos of the protest.