Otter Tail Power, the lead developer of Big Stone II, has just announced that it has withdrawn its support from the project. Activists in South Dakota and Minnesota have been fighting the 500-580MW coal plant for at least five years now, and let me tell you, it has been a rollercoaster ride.

Things were looking up earlier this year, when just days after Obama took office, the EPA revoked Big Stone II’s air permit. But months later, the developers turned in a revised air permit, which was later approved.

Then, this spring, the powerline that would carry the electricity from Big Stone II to Minnesota was approved by the Public Utility Commission on a 5-0 vote. This was after the PUC voted in 2008 3-2 to delay the powerline vote until more information on carbon costs and other variables was available. An independent report was commissioned that showed the estimated cost for the power plant was too low. This had led many to believe that the PUC might block the permit, but instead they decided to unanimously approve it.

This July, Elk River Municipal Utilities pulled their support from the project, citing cost and environmental issues. But a month later, the last environmental permits for the plant were approved, and the plant seemed headed to construction.

But earlier today, Otter Tail Power, the lead developer and project proposer, announced that it would no longer support Big Stone II. The press release notes that “the broad economic downturn coupled with a high level of uncertainty associated with proposed federal climate legislation and existing federal environmental regulation have resulted in challenging credit and equity markets that make proceeding with Big Stone II at this time untenable for Otter Tail’s customers and shareholders.”

The pullout of Otter Tail leaves only four developers, the Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Heartland Consumers Power District, Missouri River Energy Services, and Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Losing Otter Tail’s $400 million investment (of $1.6 billion) is no doubt hurting, but for now the four utilities are soldiering on. A responding press release noted that, “The remaining participants emphasized that Big Stone II will go forward if sufficient participants can be found to join the project.” I’d say that’s a pretty big if.

Some long awaited good news this morning.

EPA says that of 86 proposed MTR valley fill permits 79 MTR permits are temporarily held for further review due to violations of the Clean Water Act.

That’s 91% of the 86 permits held (not all 86  are MTR permits.)  This stay of execution for the mountains is a step in the right direction, but mountaintop removal still exists and there are lots of active mine sites.  Now we need to work on the existing permits, the remaining pending permits and the ugly disgusting practice itself. This is the time for some good ole fashioned lefty street organizing on this issue, in and outside of Appalachia.

Meanwhile in West Virginia today, 3 Climate Ground Zero activists who took non-violent direct action at the front entrance of Massey’s headquarters are still jailed with large bail.  Activists are mobilizing for anti-MTR actions on the ground in Pittsburgh at the G20.

This is not going to be a quick easy win and King Coal has long tentacles into the White House and the EPA.  Watch for their backlash. Continue reading ‘Breaking: EPA Temporarily Holds 79 Mountaintop Removal Permits’

A moment of truth has arrived for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and President Barack Obama, who has promised “unprecedented steps” to rein in the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining that is wrecking havoc across wide swaths of Appalachian mountains, valleys and communities.

EPA is expected to announce decisions this week on over 100 pending permits for new or expanded coal mining projects utilizing mountaintop removal (MTR), which uses huge amounts of explosives to decapitate mountains and access the coal beneath, dumping the remains of these once-verdant Appalachian peaks directly on top of neighboring valleys and streams.

Mountaintop removal mining has already buried more than 800 miles of Appalachian streams and destroyed hundreds of square miles of woodlands in one of America’s biodiversity hotspots, all while both the U.S. EPA and state environmental agencies have done little to curtail the practice. That’s left it to activists to slow these projects down and prevent their irreversible damages.

But if recent news that the EPA is seeking to revoke the permit for the largest mountaintop removal mining project in West Virginia history is any indicator, the agency may finally be earning the “Protection” part of their name.

With a self-imposed, September 8th deadline now expired, the EPA is expected to issue an “initial list” this week identifying pending mountaintop removal projects that pose potential environmental concerns. Continue reading ‘A Moment of Truth for Appalachia, Obama and EPA on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining’

A few minutes ago I received an action alert from my co-worker and friend Wahleah Johns from the Black Mesa Water Coalition.  She and I  used to work together on the Environmental Justice Climate Change Initiative Youth Committee.  Wahleah wasn’t the loudest person in the room or the most talkative, but when she did choose to offer up her truth her words were beautiful and poignant. So when she sent out a call for help and action, of course I wanted to send her words far and wide.

Her Words Follow:

We are hoping that you join the effort to oppose Joseph Pizarchik’s nomination for Office of Surface Mining (OSM) Director.  Apparently, Pizarchik has a track record of favoring coal companies and ignoring community environmental concerns.

Here in the southwest we are frightened by his nomination because this means more desecration of our natural landscapes for coal mining and testing grounds for future CCS (carbon capture sequestration) projects.   OSM is in charge of approving coal mining permits across the country.  And OSM’s structure for approving mining permit needs to undergo serious change, the standards and code books for OSM are so outdated.  In addition, their process for approval does not have to inform commmunity folks or ask for permission to bomb lands in our backyards.

When I heard Ken Salazar speak at Powershift 2009 I thought:  “Yes, maybe things can change and look upward for communities who are fighting these industries on the front line.”  But I think its going to take a lot more voices for that change to occur.

I ask you know to please contact your Senator, and Dept of Interior, and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to voice your concern!

In solidarity,
Wahleah Johns
Black Mesa Water Coalition

Continue reading ‘URGENT ACTION ALERT: Joseph Pizarchik is the WRONG Choice’

Lots of reasons.  Lots upon lots of reasons.

And tomorrow Obama’s EPA will be releasing a list to be placed into a final review so that some amount of these permits can go forward, be rubber stamped by the Army Corp. of Engineers and go onto destroy mountains and devastate communities.

I’m not a total anarchist cynic though.  It’s possible that the EPA could be a serious hamper on these 86 permits, preventing 70, 80, 90 or 100% from going forward.  Just last week, they let us know that they are reconsidering a 2007 permit issued to Arch coal for the largest strip mine in West Virginia.  This could be a harbinger of good news.

Things are already stirred up around mountaintop removal in the grassroots.  In West Virginia today, an octogenerian named Roland Micklem joined a septugarian named Fred Williamson and two others from Climate Ground Zero in a multi-generation blockade at Massey’s West Virginia HQ (they are currently being held on $5k bail each.)

In New York, the New York Action Network continues doing creative direct action at the biggest funder of mountaintop removal on Wall Street-JP Morgan Chase.  (They even know how to play the accordion!)

Things are starting to happen in Philadelphia and Atlanta as well (home to EPA regional offices that actually review the permits. Continue reading ‘We Need 86 Mountains Because……’

Sounds controversial at first, doesn’t it? Perhaps you’re thinking ”Why would anyone be so foolish as to attempt to stop the first piece of climate-oriented legislation produced by the U.S.?”  While some think this is madness and counter-productive, others argue that to the passage of this bill is insanity- the absolute worst decision we could make environmentally.  And if the major corporations like it, we should be suspicious…

Climate SOS is a new and expanding network of individuals and organizations concerned with ensuring that U.S. climate legislation effectively rises to the challenges we face from global warming.

The propagandizing around the ACESA climate bill, with its host of corporate giveaways and its deliverance of a carbon trading regime is summarily described best by James Hansen:

[ACESA would] do more harm to the environment than doing nothing at all.

ClimateSOS and its members are extremely disturbed by the inadequacies of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, passed by the House, which contains numerous provisions that lead us to conclude that such a bill would be worse than doing nothing and set us on a path to failure.

Given the primary responsibility of the U.S. in causing global warming, ClimateSOS feels that Americans must also take responsibility both in doing what is necessary to avert the worst, and to fulfill our obligation to the world as we all face the consequences. Our aim is to first prevent disastrous “false” legislation from being passed, and then to replace it with visionary measures that will be truly effective and adequate in setting us on the path to avert global climate catastrophe. Continue reading ‘Climate SOS: We Must STOP the ACESA Bill’

Almost 3 months to the day since I arrived back home in Omaha, NE from school out East and started working on the Omaha Summer of Solutions with my great friends Lance, Tyler and Matt. I was a wide eyed visionary, believing I would change the face of my fair city with my bold and organized climate activism. I believed I would engage hundreds, if not thousands, of citizens and neighbors, empower them to create real climate solutions and establish a kick ass organization that would have me leaving the summer wiping my hands on my jeans, brushing my shoulders off and whistling dixie at having solved climate issues in Omaha. I expected to hop on a plane to head back east at the end of the summer and see solar panels on every roof, smile at the wind turbine production factory in low income North Omaha and notice waves of native prairie grass being grown for sustainable bio-fuel production. In short, I expected to make the sort of drastic changes that usually take years if not decades.

Needless to say this didn’t happen. But a lot of things did happen. Continue reading ‘The Only Thing That Could Have Happened…’

In the latest development of the events leading to Van Jones’ resignation as Special Adviser to the President on Green Jobs, it has emerged that the effort was spearheaded by Americans For Prosperity (AFP).  Adele Stan of AlterNet writes:

If you thought the targeting of Van Jones for vilification by the right was about his race, his youthful flirtation with socialism, or a petition he signed about the 9/11 attacks, you’d only be a little bit right.

And if you think it was about the Color of Change campaign against Glenn Beck’s show on Fox News Channel, you’d really miss the mark.

The racism and red-baiting suffered by Jones at the hands of Beck and his admirers are simply key elements in a marketing strategy designed to serve Very Big Business — the oil and other business interests that support the astroturfing group Americans for Prosperity.

The strategy is simple: Prey upon the worst fears of the right-wing folks who live next door in order to get them to organize against their own interests.  Continue reading ‘Big Business Targeted Van Jones in Plot to Stop Climate Legislation’

Crossposted from Funding Our Future, the Campus Progress blog promoting policy that provides economic opportunities for our generation.

On their first day back to work after an eventful summer, Senators were greeted by 40 climate activists eager to demonstrate what clean energy jobs look like. Smack in the middle of the Hart Senate Office building the 40 activists built miniature windmills and made mechanical noises until interrupted by the Capitol Police. At that point, a 50 ft banner dropped demanding that the Senators “Get to Work” for “Green Jobs Now”. This protest was organized by a coalition of climate organizations including the Energy Action Coalition, Avaaz.org, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Campus Progress.

“As the Senate reconvenes today, too many Americans are out of work and getting sick from our current dirty energy systems. We must act now,” said Pete Griffin, Campaign Director for Energy Action Coalition. “This historic youth movement fighting for jobs and clean energy is getting larger every day and the action, or inaction, of the Senators walking through those doors today will influence how young people mobilize next year as 36 of them make bids for reelection.”

Mirroring the upsurge in climate organizing happening throughout the nation, this action launched a new season of inside-the-beltway activity around climate legislation. The Senate is set to discuss a climate bill around the end of the month and they can be sure to be greeted by young people in hard hats demanding that they stick to the science and keep the world’s most vulnerable nations in mind.

Continue reading ‘*Updated w/ Video* Wind Energy Assembly Line Welcomes Back Senators from Recess’