I went with a group of residents, many from the coalfields, representing all four states [Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia] impacted by mountaintop removal delivered a petitionwith over 20,000 signatures gathered by Rainforest Action Network. The petition asks EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to visit Appalachia and see the devastation of mountaintop removal for herself. Director of Wetlands Division, David Evans, came down to accept the petition on behalf of Administrator Jackson.
During the exchange of pleasantries, Director Evans insured us that the EPA was concerned about the issue and that Administrator would be going on an EPA sponsored flyover. He raised the issue of the agency maintaining an objective perspective and not being seen as too tied to activists [and opening itself up to industry criticism]. It was pointed out to him by a resident of West Virginia that when EPA officials visited the region a few months earlier, that it was on a flyover sponsored by the State of West Virginia which is essentially the mining industry.
A 15 year old resident of Campbell County TN also described to Director Evans how the drinking water in her house runs brown and black. To which, he responded all Americans should have access to clean drinking water.
