Comments Needed on NWP 21!
Oct 22nd, 2009 by admin
From Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards www.samsva.org
Last week was a big step in the right direction to stop the destructive practice of mountaintop removal coal mining. The Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) held 6 meetings across Appalachia on its proposal to stop streamlining mountaintop removal coal mining permits.
At the hearing last Thursday, in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, many people came from all across the state to support their neighbors in southwest Virginia (video). The coalfield residents and their friends spoke out for clean water, protected mountains, and a sustainable future for the Appalachian Region.
If you were able to come, we THANK YOU! If not, you can still contribute by making comments to the United States Army Corps of Engineers by clicking here.
Coal companies are telling the people of Appalachia that projects polluting their water sources and destroying their mountains are critical to their economy. But the truth is that mountaintop removal coal mining costs state budgets more than it generates in revenue, and other types of mining already employ more Appalachian workers.1
It’s time to set the record straight. The Corps needs to hear the truth from you today.
If you listen to the coal companies, then you might believe that mountaintop removal coal mining is critical to keeping energy prices low. The truth is that ending mountaintop removal would have a negligible effect on electricity prices in the eastern United States, where mountaintop removal coal is currently burned.2
Coal companies don’t just want to keep you in the dark about the abundance of cost-effective alternatives to mountaintop removal coal. The destructive practice of mountain top removal coal mining actually destroys the mountains and valleys that will be necessary to develop clean energy sources like wind, small-scale hydropower, and solar.3
Turning to clean energy will benefit Appalachia’s economy and protect its communities. The first step is ending the streamlined permits for mountaintop removal coal mining projects that are standing in the way.
Thank you for all that you do,
Kathy Selvage
Wise Energy for Virginia
P.S. Please forward this message and help spread the word to your friends and family! Also you can learn more about the hearings, and watch video of them here.
[1-3] Read more about how studies show mountaintop removal coal mining costs local economies more than it provides. (pdf)
