Our Best Chance to Rein In Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

by Mary Anne Hitt

This is my first post as director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, and I'm focusing on mountaintop removal because I've lived in Appalachia for most of my life.

My new baby daughter is an 11th generation West Virginian, and I often wonder how many mountains will be left standing in the Mountain State by the time she has a family of her own. For too long, mining companies have enjoyed loopholes and rubber-stamped permits that have allowed them to flatten over 500 mountains across Appalachia.

Earlier this year, though, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new guidance aimed at consistently protecting Americans from the pollution caused by mountaintop removal coal mining. I welcome these common-sense protections by EPA.

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Risking Arrest to Plant Trees on a Mountaintop Removal Site

by mogmaar

Today 44 volunteer 'reclamation workers' (activists) illegally marched onto a supposedly reclaimed mine site to plant trees.  Why?  Because the 'reclamation' efforts done by the mining company resulted in a barren hillside with sparse grass and baking sun - a far cry from the lush and diverse forest destroyed in the process.  

After negotiating with the police and planting all the trees, all 44 were allowed to leave the site without repurcussions.  

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The EPA Steps Up for Appalachia

by Michael Brune

Yesterday, Lisa Jackson and the EPA sent a clear message to those who would destroy Appalachia's mountains.

Back on September 27, the day of the Appalachia Rising events in Washington, D.C., I said this during a DailyKos livechat: "...it's up to Obama's EPA to put a halt to any further blasting in Appalachia. The biggest test of the Administration's commitment to coalfield residents, Appalachia's mountains -- and basic environmental sanity -- is whether the Administration will approve Arch Coal's Spruce mine MTR mining permit."

So kudos to the EPA, to Administrator Jackson, and to Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin for passing that test by recommending the withdrawal of the mining permit for the Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County, West Virginia.

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Ken Hechler .. a name maybe you've never heard of.

by shpilk

Ken Hechler is running for US Senate in West Virginia.
Of course, you'd be hard pressed to know that here.

http://abcnews.go.com/...

Ken's first act would be to offer legislation ending mountaintop removal of coal [MTR].

Here's his campaign site
http://www.kenhechlerforwestvirginia...

Joe Manchin will try to appear moderate, but he's in the pocket of coal mining interests, even as he mouths approval of a carbon tax, his past actions show him to be a Friend of Coal.

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She Won't Back Down: Ashley Judd Defies Critics, Continues to Blast Mountaintop Removal

by rperks

Today in The Hill, a quintessential inside-the-Beltway political newspaper, Ashley Judd scores a scathing commentary on one of the causes she cares most about: the campaign to abolish mountaintop removalcoal mining in Appalachia. 

"I am proud to stand with Eastern Kentuckians everywhere, building a positive future for our region," she writes.  "There’s so much potential today, right now, for Eastern Kentucky to proudly and bravely lead the way to a new energy economy in this country, with more jobs and overdue justice for the people of Appalachia.  It is time for a community abused and exploited by outsiders who have never had our best interests at heart to rise and lead the U.S. into a renewable energy future."

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Ashley Judd Fights Back After Big Coal Attack

by rperks

Ashley Judd won't back down.  Last week proponents of mountaintop removalhung a banner at a coal industry-sponsored golf tournament in eastern Kentucky, mocking the actress for her efforts to raise awareness of the environmental, economic and cultural damage being wrought by the world's worst coal mining.  If they thought this would back her down, they're as clueless as they are classless. 

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Ashley Judd is Doing the Right Thing

by Bruce Nilles

My colleague, Sierra Club Conservation Director Sarah Hodgdon, just wrote this excellent piece on Ashley Judd and I wanted to share it here:

Actress Ashley Judd has recently been the target of some very harsh criticism and language from the coal industry in Appalachia. This is not surprising behavior from the coal industry, since Big Coal often resorts to personal attacks when they feel like their dirty, dangerous, expensive way of life is threatened.

This harsh language and attacks are coming in response to Judd's June speech at the National Press Club where she railed against mountaintop removal coal mining as "the rape of Appalachia." (We blogged about that speech right here). I was at that speech and found it very compelling - Judd has been a longtime critic of mountaintop removal coal mining.

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Mountaintop Prison a Bust

by rperks

NRDC recently released a report -- Reclamation FAIL -- that debunked the coal industry's propaganda that mountaintop removal mining is beneficial because (1) Appalachia needs more flat land and (2) flattened mine sites are routinely converted for economic development.  Such claims are nothing more than a big, flat lie.

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EPA Inexplicably Greenlights WV Mountaintop Removal Permit

by rperks

Maybe the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should change its acronym from EPA to WTF.

How else to explain the perplexing and downright disgusting decision last week by the agnecy to recommend approval by the Corps of Engineers of a permit sought by Coal-Mac (subsidiary of Arch Coal) for the Pine Creek Surface Minein Logan County, West Virginia.  So much for EPA's supposedly hard-line water protection standards issued in April which promised tougher oversight of mountaintop removal. 

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Music Saves Mountains: Concert recap, photos and more!

by rperks

Was it all a dream?  That's what I keep wondering about NRDC's Music Saves Mountains benefit councert last week, the biggest gathering of singers and songwriters to raise awareness of -- and to fight against -- mountaintop removal coal mining.  Fortunately, I returned from Nashville with a souvenir Hatch show print that proves it actually took place -- not to mention the jaw-dropping press coverage detailing this special event.

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