Georgia to Ban Mountaintop Removal Coal? « It’s Getting Hot In Here

Georgia, the US’s number one user of mountaintop removal mined coal, has introduced a bill that would ban the use of coal mined via this incredibly destructive form of coal mining.

From Reuters:

House Bill 276 calls for utilities to eliminate the burning of Central Appalachian coal mined by “mountaintop removal” by mid-2016 and would suspend permits filed before July 2009 to build new coal-fired generation.

OH, and also suspend the building of new coal plants. Amazing!

I’ve heard rumors that other high users of mountaintop removal mined coal, including North Carolina, which pioneered this form of bill last year, are looking at similar bills. This is an amazing way to be in solidarity with impacted communities and take a stand that clean water, heritage, and the lives of folks living with the impacts of coal are more important that money and convenience. If you want to be a part of more exciting and breakthrough connections between coal movements, check out www.powerpastcoal.org which is connecting actions working for justice on coal issues and for clean energy alternatives every day for the first 100 Days of Obama’s presidency — 26 actions in 14 days in 15 states so far!

About

Dana works on the national council of the Student Environmental Action Coalition in Charleston, WV Visit www.seac.org. She likes to make papier mache stuff with five year olds. She likes mountains that haven't been blown all to hell. She likes communities that fight back when their mountains have been blown all to hell. She doesn't like coal, or blowing up mountains. She especially doesn't like (not so) Clean Coal (no such thing) and thinks Carbon Sequestration is a bad deal for communities and kids. And really, who else matters?

It’s Getting Hot In Here