It’s Getting Hot In Here

Update:

If you appreciate Senator Byrd’s opinion, give his office a call to say thank you.  202-224-3954

Hooo boy, please note this amazing dispatch from one of the most powerful coalfield Senators -and one of the most powerful Senators, period.

West Virginia Blue has posted the full copy of this important new dispatch from Senator Byrd, in which he asks important, if difficult, questions about mountaintop removal and the economies relying on the coal industry. You can listen to the speech here (highly recommend).

The Senator notes:

…There is a strong bi-partisan opposition in Congress to the mountaintop removal method of mining [coal].

and that:

The increased use of mountaintop removal mining means that fewer miners are needed to meet company production goals. Meanwhile the Central Appalachian coal seams that remain to be mined are becoming thinner and more costly to mine. Mountaintop removal mining, a declining national demand for energy, rising mining costs and erratic spot market prices all add up to fewer jobs in the coal fields.

and of particular importance to community members in the coal fields who are facing threats against their families and lives because of misinformation from the coal industry, Senator Byrd says that:

The greatest threats to the future of coal do not come from possible constraints on mountaintop removal mining or other environmental regulations, but rather from rigid mindsets, depleting coal reserves, and the declining demand for coal as more power plants begin shifting to biomass and natural gas as a way to reduce emissions.

This speech (you really should listen to it, Senator Byrd is such a great and unique orator) directly confronts some very powerful players in the coal industry and in the state of West Virginia (aka the coal industry). It should be very exciting to see what happens next.

Obama has been tip-toeing around the idea of taking action to end mountaintop removal — but his administration has made a bonehead move that shows they may not be serious about protecting communities from outlaw mining companies — Joe Pizarchik, his nominee for the Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has repeatedly disenfranchised citizens during his time in Pennsylvania and ignored good science to allow companies to continue poisoning communities with coal combustion waste, as well as turning a blind eye to terrible long wall mining. Not a good sign.

Laws are only as good as they are enforced. We can make all the rules we want regarding mountaintop removal, but the Director of the OSMRE makes sure coal companies follow them — and do something to clean up the mess afterwards.  Pizarchik is not going to do that.

In an attempt to rush through this terrible nominee, on August 6th, 2009, The US Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee will hold hearings to consider Joseph Pizarchik for the position of Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). To prevent further damage and to ensure proper reclamation, we need someone who is not from an agency with a history of lack of enforcement or calling for a weakening of standards.

Don’t like it? Please tell the committee to deny Pizarchik — and ask some hard questions about his history in Pennsylvania at this site

In his most recent blog post, Ken Ward highlights Rick Boucher’s love of the climate bill because of the amount of coal support in it:

…The EPA projects that by 2020, coal usage in America, under the terms of this bill, will actually grow.

As transportation electrifies and the demand for electricity increases, coal, our most abundant fuel, will still be the fuel of choice to meet that rising demand. The claims of opponents that the CO2 controls under the bill will force utilities to surrender coal use, causing an overreliance on natural gas with attendant broad economic harm to the Nation are also simply wrong.

~Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., on the climate bill

If you didn’t know already, Boucher is the man that has taken more money from the coal industry than any other representative — despite the fact that he has run unopposed! His dirtying up the climate bill inspired this awesome protest last month.

Ward also points out that

The United Mine Workers union concluded the bill ensured that “the future of coal will be intact” (but still withheld its endorsement, seeking more concessions for coal companies and coal-fired utilities).

Hundreds of anti-mountaintop removal activists gathered today at the Marsh Fork Elementary in Sundial, WV, deep in the Appalachian mountains. Hundreds of pro-coal counter protesters also turned out, resulting in constant interruption of speakers and musical performers and culminating in charges of battery against a local woman who struck Goldman Environmental Prize winner Judy Bonds in the face.

Check out Climate Ground Zero for pictures and updates, Jeff Biggers always excellent article for more info.

You can check the Charleston Gazette for more info — including a brief video.

Editor’s Update: RAN is pulling together a group to continue fighting Mountain Top Removal Mining, click here if you are interested in learning more.

This is a historic week in the coalfields of Appalachia. A historic study quantifying the cost of coal in the form of human lives has come out (see below), and an historic action will take place in Coal River Valley on Tuesday.

And for the first time in over a generation we have legislation to end mountaintop removal proposed in both chambers of Congress and a hearing scheduled in the Senate. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2009 3:30 p.m.  Room 406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building there will be a hearing to discuss MTR’s impacts on water — please come, but if you can’t, invite your Senator to attend by dialing (202) 224-3121 or email them to come out to the hearing.

And in case you’re still not sure how you feel about coal — a new study recently released has found that  coal lowers life expectancy — not a surprise to those living in coalfield communities. This study assigns a monetary value to the human life lost and finds that coal comes up $34 billion short each year. Please note that carbon capture and sequestration does NOT prevent this loss of human life.  The estimated number of lives lost each year to destructive coal practices is 1,736 and 2,889 people. Hendryx and Ahern measure that these human beings are collectively worth about $42 billion. The coal industry contributes $8 billion in revenue.

Assigning a monetary value to a human life is a cruel bottom line, but the premature death of thousands of good people — in the Appalachian region alone —  each year is crueler still. This study illustrates this tragic loss of human life for “cheap” energy in a way that coal companies and governments understand — cold hard cash.

One hopes that this study will wake our government up, that officials will realize human lives are worth even more than money, and the swift transition to a healthy, sustainable economy begins as soon as possible. More info on the study after the jump.

Continue reading ‘Coal and Mortality in Appalachia and Making History’

We need your help today or tomorrow to fight for an ethical Director for the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement.

If someone broke into your home, you would expect the law to be enforced against them, right? Unfortunately, across the US, homes and communities are being devastated by outlaw mining companies – and the agencies in charge of policing them have been asleep on the job.  It’s the job of the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement to enforce the laws governing mountaintop removal and other destructive forms of mining.  We need to outlaw mountaintop removal altogether — but as of now, regulations around mining and reclamation are barely enforced and exceptions have become the rule.

Rumor has it that Secretary Salazar is looking to appoint another director of the OSMRE with history of bowing to coal companies at the expense of communities across Pennsylvania.

If we act now, we can prevent this terrible nomination – Use this letter-writing tool or give a ring at 202-208-3100 to tell Secretary Salazar (CC: President Obama) that you are concerned about mountaintop removal and you demand an ethical new OSMRE Director who will enforce the law.

The singer in this video is the grandson of Sidney Moye, who was among the 17 folks were arrested on Saturday, protesting mountaintop removal and the presence of unstable 9 billion gallon toxic waste coal slurry dams that, if it fails, would kill over 1,000 people. Also in the video is West Virginian hero and former congressman, and former WV Secretary of State Ken Hechler (the only congressman to march with Marin Luther King, Jr.) (born in 1914) (architect of the Mine Health and Safety Act) — who wanted to be arrested, but the authorities refused. 

9 of those were taken into prison with a $2,000 cash bail each — despite the fact that the fine for trespassing is a maximum of $100.  Activists raised over $10,000 in 24 hours to release 5 of our heroes, the rest will spend at least 3 days in jail, hopefully to be released tomorrow. 

For more updates or to donate towards legal efforts, visit www.mountainjustice.org

Reason #1534 to Support a Strong Climate Bill that Moves Us Away From Coal ASAP:

(Thanks to www.ohvec.org)
It’s springtime in Appalachia, and that means gardens, flowers and more flowers, wild edibles like ramps and molly moochers, old-timers sitting on their front porch with kids running around the yard and, sadly, catastrophic flash flooding made worse by mountaintop removal.

Late Friday night and early Saturday morning, heavy rains hit southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. Many could use help with clean-up of their homes and yards. Communities report flooding debris with mud, stumps and rocks coming off the mountaintop removal site above their homes.

News reports says at least 300 buildings in Mingo County alone were destroyed in the flooding. The National Guard has been called in and the Red Cross is on the scene.

Continue reading ‘Flooding in the Appalachian Coalfields’

In case anyone thought coal wasn’t hip, fun, or down with the kids, I thought you would enjoy these hilarious coal “ringtones” you can download for your “cellular telephone.”  Next time your phone rings on the bus, in the grocery store, or while you’re coming up with the light for America…(AMERICA!) everyone will know you love coal and/or just terrible music. (true story side note, my cat cried when I played the New Orleans re-mix)