THE EPA has vetoed the Spruce No. 1 mine in West Virginia. Letting this mountaintop removal mining operation go on as approved by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (in violation of Clean Water Act regulations) is a victory for the people of West Virginia, especially the residents of Logan County. It stops removal of 2000 acres of the mountain and the valley fills in the Spruce Fork watershed of the Pigeonroost Branch and the Oldhouse Branch of the Little Coal River, which flows into the Coal River. Now a federal court has overturned the EPA ruling. The Coal River Mountain Watch and Earthjustice are calling on friends and supporters to submit messages to the EPA telling them to appeal the courts ruling and reinstate the EPA ban on Spruce No. 1 mine. Click the links to participate. AND if you wonder what mountaintop removal mining does to the people and the environment of the region watch the documentary "On Coal River" which is being made available for free through the CRMW link below. Last is the original EPA decision issued in 2010. And if you like heroes check out my post from 21JAN11 on the death of Judy Bonds, she gave her life to the fight against this mine and all mountaintop removal mining at "THOUSANDS PAY TRIBUTE TO JUDY BONDS: SHE HAS BEEN TO THE MOUNTAINTOP-AND WE MUST FIGHT HARDER TO SAVE IT
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6156607164032733669#editor/target=post;postID=2715201580236200713
In this Issue:
1. Support the EPA's veto of the Spruce No. 1 Mine
2. Tell the Office of Surface Mining to revoke mountaintop removal permit on Coal River Mountain
3. "On Coal River" free online
1. Take Action! Support the EPA's veto of the Spruce No. 1 Mine!
Late
last week, a federal court overturned the Environmental Protection
Agency's veto of several valley fills for one of the most disastrous
and destructive mountaintop removal mines in U.S. history, the Spruce
No. 1 Mine in West Virginia.
The EPA was right to veto
the valley fill permits of this terrible mountaintop removal coal mine.
The Spruce mine poses serious threats to the communities below the
mine, many of which have already suffered from the water, air, and
health impacts of mountaintop removal mining.
The EPA has a very strong
case for appeal, but they need your support to continue to use and
defend their right and obligation to stop destructive mining.
Will you take a moment to urge the Obama administration to move forward in its efforts to address the extreme destruction of mountaintop removal coal mining? Please take action now
and urge the Obama administration to stand strong amid coal industry
attacks and take even more action to protect the waters and people of
Appalachia. Also, show your support for the EPA's Spruce decision by
voting on Charleston Gazette's online poll (scroll down, on the left).
2. Take Action! Tell the Office of Surface Mining to revoke a mountaintop removal permit on Coal River MountainIn
2008, the WV Department of Environmental Protection granted Massey
Energy a permit for mountaintop removal on Coal River Mountain. This
permit allows Massey (now Alpha) to destroy 2000 acres of the mountain,
despite the objections of community residents living directly at the
foot of the mountain.
Fortunately, Alpha has not
yet started mining on this permit. According to federal law, any
permit which does not start within 3 years of being issued is
automatically terminated. Eagle II is one example of what appears to
be Alpha/Massey's strategy of getting permits for areas that they have
no immediate intention to mine before they are faced with stricter
regulations and more science clearly proving the irreversible impacts
of mountaintop removal.
3. "On Coal River" documentary free online
We are very excited that the
award-winning documentary film "On Coal River," which features the
work of Coal River Valley activists and Coal River Mountain Watch
volunteers, is now available for free online here.
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Destroying
mountains and dumping toxic waste in communities’ waters is wrong.
Please urge the Obama administration to stand strong amid coal industry
attacks and to protect the waters and people of Appalachia.
Take Action Today! |
Late
last week, siding with the coal industry, a federal court overturned
the Environmental Protection Agency’s veto of one of the most disastrous
and destructive mountaintop removal mines in U.S. history, the Spruce
No. 1 Mine in West Virginia.
This
ruling was a heartbreaking setback for the people who’ve been fighting
to protect their communities from this destructive mine for more than a
decade now, and for the 38,000 Earthjustice supporters like you who had
urged the EPA to issue that veto. But it doesn’t have to mean defeat—as
long as the Obama Administration keeps standing behind EPA and the Clean
Water Act. That’s why the White House needs to hear from you now.
Along
with our partners in Appalachia, we will continue fighting the Spruce
mine permit and all mountaintop removal mining until protections and
justice are brought to Appalachia. We vow this much because destroying
mountains and dumping toxic waste in communities’ waters are plain
wrong. People deserve clean water and a safe environment—it’s just that simple.
Will you stand with us
against this grave threat to the communities of Appalachia who live
below the mine and have already suffered the water, air and health
impacts of this extreme mining practice?
We believe the EPA has a very strong case for appeal, and we need your help in keeping up this fight for what is right.
Please
take a moment to urge the Obama administration to move forward in its
efforts to address the extreme destruction of mountaintop removal coal
mining. Act now to urge the Obama administration to lead its agencies to more actions to protect the waters and people of Appalachia.
Sincerely,
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Liz Judge
Campaign Manager
Earthjustice
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©2012 Earthjustice | 50 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94111 |
415-217-2000 |
action@earthjustice.org
Spruce No. 1 Mine
After extensive scientific study, a major public hearing in West
Virginia and review of more than 50,000 public comments, EPA announced
that it will use its authority under the Clean Water Act to halt the
proposed disposal of mining waste in streams at the Mingo-Logan Coal
Company's Spruce No. 1 coal mine. EPA is acting under the law and using
the best science to protect water quality, wildlife and Appalachian
communities.
Clean Water Act Section 404(c) authorizes EPA to restrict or
prohibit placing dredged or fill material in streams, lakes, rivers,
wetlands and other waters if the agency determines that the activities
would result in "unacceptable adverse effects" to the environment, water
quality, or water supplies. This authority applies to proposed projects
as well as projects previously permitted under the Clean Water Act
although EPA is not considering such action for other previously
permitted projects.
Location of the Spruce No. 1 mine in southwestern West Virginia
The Spruce No. 1 Mine is one of the largest surface mining
operations ever authorized in Appalachia. It is located in Logan County,
West Virginia in the Spruce Fork Watershed, which has been impacted by
previous mining activities. The Mingo Logan Coal Company has been
authorized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District to
construct six "valley fills" and numerous sedimentation ponds in Seng
Camp Branch, Pigeonroost Branch and Oldhouse Branch and certain
tributaries to those waters by discharging excess spoil generated by
surface coal mining operations. These on-site streams are tributaries of
and exhibit surface water connections to Spruce Fork of the Little Coal
River, which ultimately flows into the Coal River.
EPA has reason to believe that the Spruce No. 1 Mine, as currently
authorized, will result in unacceptable adverse effects to fish and
wildlife resources. EPA's action prevents construction of valley fills
in Pigeonroost Branch and Oldhouse Branch. It does not affect current
mining operations in Seng Camp Creek.
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