Coal plants = #1 source of mercury into our air. Bonding with water and falling from the air, mercury deposits in our lakes, rivers, streams, and other water bodies that provide drinking water, fish, recreation and ecological habitats. Read here & learn about mercury’s toxic effects.
Right now, you can take a stand to reduce mercury emissions from coal plants across the country. Click here to take action.

This past March, the EPA submitted stronger regulation standards for mercury, acid gases, and other toxic air pollutant emissions from power plants. Through July 5th, 2011, you can send a public comment to EPA Administrator Jackson in support of this progressive measure. There will be public hearings in Chicago (May 24), Philadelphia (May 24), and Atlanta (May 26). Comments can come in the form of letters, emails, or videos to be shown at public hearings.

A local example of mercury’s far reaching toxicity is Watauga Lake in Tennessee. As shown in the video below, Watauga Lake is a pristine, high elevation mountain lake with no direct pollution sources. Yet, the lake is listed under the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s precautionary fish advisory due to high mercury levels in fish tissue. Women who are nursing or pregnant and young children are advised not to eat these fish so as to reduce the risk of developmental and neurological deficiencies in children.

Clean air and water are human rights that must be protected from coal industry pollution. Your comment will only take a few minutes, but can help prevent years of environmental destruction from air toxins.

Voice your support for stronger EPA regulation of mercury and other air toxins HERE.

The Black Mesa Mine

Read more about the suit at the following links below:

• The Navajo-Hopi Observer: FOIA lawsuit filed for Peabody coal records
• CoalDiver.org

The cost of nuclear generated electricity
vs. solar generated electricity

Check out the rest of the post on FacingSouth’s Blog HERE.


Below is a teaser to tide you over until the FacingSouth Blog loads:

The report points out that both new solar and new nuclear power sources will cost more than present electricity generation. However, power bills will rise less with solar generation than with new nuclear.

Duke Energy and Progress Energy, North Carolina’s largest utilities, estimate that proposed new nuclear plants would generate power at a cost of 14 to 18 cents per kilowatt-hour. But commercial-scale solar developers are already offering utilities electricity at 14 cents or less per kWh.

Today an average North Carolina homeowner can have a solar electricity system installed for a net cost between $8,200 and $20,000 or more, depending on generation capacity.

The following email was sent to the 41,800 supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

On Sunday, a memorial service was held for the 29 miners who were killed earlier this month in the explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

The loss of these courageous men is a terrible tragedy, and as President Obama said in his eulogy, “Our task, here on Earth, is to save lives from being lost in another such tragedy.”

We agree. Mining — whether surface or underground — is an extremely dangerous occupation. More than 300 people have died mining coal in the United States in the past 10 years. Every day, three people die from black lung disease as a result of having worked in coal mines.

Yet the inherent dangers of coal mining are exacerbated by companies like Massey Energy, whose corner-cutting mentality has led to unsafe working conditions at the Upper Big Branch Mine and other facilities. Massey is also the number one producer of mountaintop removal coal in the country and, in 2008, was assessed the largest penalty in the history of the Clean Water Act.

Congressman Nick Rahall, Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and long time leader in protecting miner safety, represents the district where the accident occurred. He recently said, “this mining catastrophe shows us that there is still much more that must be done to protect those who enter the mines each day working to support their families.”

You have been instrumental in the recent victories to protect Appalachian communities from the permitting of new mountaintop removal mines. While there’s much that still needs to be done to end mountaintop removal permanently, today we ask you to help protect those communities in a different way.

Will you please take a moment to sign this letter supporting Congressman Rahall’s efforts to strengthen protections for our nation’s coal miners?

Lorelei Scarbro, a community organizer with Coal River Mountain Watch, whose husband died of black lung and whose has family that works at the Upper Big Branch Mine, will hand deliver the letter of support to his office.

Please join Lorelei in supporting Congressman Rahall’s stance on miner safety. Safe working conditions are just another aspect of protecting the people of Appalachia from the impacts of irresponsible coal mining.

Please add your name to the letter today.

Sincerely,

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

“25 miners were killed, and 4 remain missing, in a Raleigh County WV coal mine.”

April 5th, 2010 – Background information
April 6th, 2010 – Press briefing from officials
April 6th, 2010 – Update from the WV Governor

The Appalachian Voices’ family – our staff, our friends, and our respective communities – hold the families of Raleigh County in our thoughts and prayers today. The sudden loss of these courageous men is unspeakable, and we encourage any and all efforts to see that no similar tragedy ever befalls our region again.

There ought be a monument to America’s coal miners in every town and city in the United States. As Jeff Goodell says, coal helped the US win two world wars and build the strongest national economy the world has ever seen. But, Appalachia can no longer be a national sacrifice zone. Our miners, our mountains, and our communities are non-negotiable.

We stand ready to join coalfield communities and Appalachian elected officials in encouraging safe, sustainable ways to grow our communities in Appalachia.

 Sen. Alexander      Sen. Cardin

Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), co-sponsors of The Appalachia Restoration Act, weighed in on the EPA’s announcement Thursday of a new policy to crack down on valley fills associated with mountaintop removal coal mining.

Both Senators expressed the usefulness of the new guidelines, but also stated that only an act of Congress—in the form of The Appalachia Restoration Act—would actually put an end to the practice of mountaintop removal mining.

“The new EPA guidelines are useful in stopping some inappropriate coal mining in Appalachia,” Senator Alexander said in a statement issued Thursday, “but Congress still needs to pass the Cardin-Alexander legislation that would effectively end mountaintop removal mining.”

Senator Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, acknowledged the EPA’s use of verifiable science in the recent decision.

“A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates with alarming clarity that waste from mountaintop removal mining is poisoning adjacent streams in a way we don’t have the knowledge or tools to reverse,” Cardin said in his official statement. “The new studies released today by EPA Administrator Jackson echo the commitment she made during her Senate confirmation hearing that ‘[s]cience must be the backbone of what EPA does.'”

“The guidance for approving mining permits, based on these new scientific studies, will help control the damage caused by mountaintop removal mining,” he continued. “But the science shows us that if we are to truly protect our mountains, streams and the people who depend on them, we must bring the practice of mountaintop removal mining to an end.”

“Coal is an essential part of our energy future,” Alexander said, “but it is not necessary to destroy our mountaintops in order to have enough coal to meet our needs.”

The Appalachia Restoration Act (S. 696) is a bill in the U.S. Senate which would sharply reduce mountaintop removal coal mining by making the practice of valley fills illegal. Valley fills—the dumping of waste from mountaintop removal mining into adjacent valleys and on top of headwater streams—have buried or polluted nearly 2000 miles of streams in Appalachia to date.

Here are links to more information about yesterday’s announcement:

EPA’s announcement
Alliance for Appalachia press release
Story by Bill Kovarik of Appalachian Voices
Senator Byrd’s response
Senator Cardin’s response
Senator Alexander’s response

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Contact:
Dana Kuhnline (304) 546-8473 …Dana@TheAllianceForAppalachia.org
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Members of The Alliance for Appalachia praised the new policy released today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which would regulate mountaintop removal mining. This tough new guidance would severely limit the impacts on water caused by mountaintop removal in central Appalachia, an important step forward for protecting communities from the environmental and health impacts of mountaintop removal.

Noting the numerous peer-reviewed studies that have highlighted the enormous cumulative impact of mountaintop removal in Appalachia, the EPA said that their actions were intended to reduce the environmental and human health impacts of the practice.

“Appalachia thanks Lisa Jackson and the EPA for taking the impacts on human health and environmental justice into consideration when issuing permits,” said Judy Bonds of Coal River Mountain Watch in West Virginia.
“Our 13,000 members are pleased that their pleas and prayers are being heard – the grandmothers and grandchildren I work with are seeing a new spark of hope today,” said Ann League of Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment in Tennessee.

Community members hope that this decision is merely a first step along the path of ending this destructive practice – which has destroyed nearly 2,000 miles of streams and 500 mountains to date. “While there is much good news for us today, we also wonder — will this help save the community of Twilight in Boone County, WV and so many other communities that are in the mountaintop removal cross hairs? The safety of these communities depends on how these guidelines and laws are enforced,” said Vivian Stockman, with the Huntington, West Virginia based Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.

“We expect Congress to follow the Administration’s lead by passing popular bipartisan legislation such as the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310), which would permanently protect the headwater streams of Appalachia,” said J.W. Randolph, Legislative Associate for Appalachian Voices.

The Alliance for Appalachia is a regional coalition of 13 groups in five states working to end mountaintop removal coal mining and support the creation of a just, sustainable economy in Appalachia. Members include: Coal River Mountain Watch, SouthWings, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, SOCM- Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, The Appalachian Citizens Law Center, Appalshop, Heartwood, Mountain Association for Community Economic Development and Appalachian Voices.

###

Many thanks to the folks at Ohio Citizen Action for their organizing, advocacy, and support of Appalachian coalfield residents. We should also thank Mari-Lynn Evans for producing the incredible movie, Coal Country. Below is a post from Ohio Citizen Action’s blog:

Sen. Sherrod Brown announces his co-sponsorship of S. 696, a ban on mountaintop removal coal mining

AKRON — On Wednesday night, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced that he was a co-sponsor of S. 696, a bill to ban mountaintop removal coal mining. The announcement came at a political fundraiser in the Akron home of Mari-Lynn Evans, Executive Producer of the movie Coal Country, which examines mountaintop removal and what it has done to Appalachian communities. After Brown’s introductory remarks, he asked for questions. Jenn Roddis, Ohio Citizen Action phone canvass crew manager, said, “I can’t help but notice that we’re standing in the home of a lady who has spoken out so passionately and eloquently against the destructive practice of mountaintop removal. I can’t help but wonder why you haven’t co-sponsored…” At this point, Brown interrupted Roddis, “I am a co-sponsor. As of today.” Then he laughed, saying, “I knew you were going to ask me that question.”

Since last June, 23,586 Ohio Citizen Action members have sent Brown letters, mostly handwritten, urging him to co-sponsor the ban. Brown is the 11th co-sponsor of the legislation, including chief sponsor, Sen. Benjamin Cardin (MD). Other co-sponsors include Sens. Lamar Alexander (TN), Bernard Sanders (VT), Robert Menendez (NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Richard Durbin (IL), Amy Klobuchar (MN), and Frank Lautenberg (NJ). Of all the states represented by co-sponsors, Ohio uses the most coal for electricity production, and has the most powerful coal lobby.

— Paul Ryder, Organizing Director, Ohio Citizen Action

As always, the award winning Ken Ward Jr. breaks the story, posting an article on his blog even before the EPA finished their conference call. We’ve re-posted snipits below. Be sure to read his entire post on his blog, Coal Tattoo.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is releasing a bombshell: A major new guidance document that provides the coal industry and coal-state regulators with “clarity” regarding the permitting of mountaintop removal coal mining.

The biggest step included? EPA is warning that water pollution from these mining operations dangerously increases the electrical conductivity of streams — and setting up a much more rigorous mandate that coal operators and state mining regulators face up to this looming and long-ignored problem. But the new EPA guidance also addresses a host of other issues, from water quality monitoring to environmental justice, that are important to folks who are concerned about mountaintop removal.

As the new guidance document says:

It has been a high priority of this Administration — and EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson — to reduce the substantial environmental and human health consequences of surface coal mining in Appalachia, and minimize further impairment of already compromised watersheds.

As scientific evidence grows, EPA has a legal responsibility to address the environmental consequences of Appalachian surface coal mining.

Regarding the key issue of conductivity (a key measure of the presence of many harmful pollutants, such as chlorides, sulfides and dissolved solids), EPA cites the previous work of agency scientists who found that streams with conductivity of more than 500 microsiemens per centimeter were impaired.

But, EPA has also completed a draft of a new study by the agency’s Office of Research and Development that warns of impacts at even lower levels of conductivity of 300 microsiemens per centimeter.

. . .

Well, the short version is that EPA may block new permits or demand significant changes in mining plans where mining proposals are projected to cause conductivity downstream to exceed 500.

. . .

Read the entire post here.

Links to a few of Ken Ward Jr’s awards:
https://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.viewContributors&bioid=202
https://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-14761739.html
https://www.sejarchive.org/about/stolberg_ward.htm
https://www.nationalpress.org/info-url3520/info-url_list.htm?cat_id=643
https://www.ire.org/contest/06winners.html