Volunteer to help!  There are plenty of great ways to help make this day a fun and successful event for local KFTC members.  We would appreciate help with:

• Inviting people -- this is a great introductory event for people wanting to learn more about KFTC in a fun, relaxed environment.  If there are people you can think of who should be members of KFTC, please invite them!
• Bringing larger dishes of food (potato salad, pasta salad, etc.)
• Bringing a gas-grill to use for the cookout.
• Helping to organize some fun Derby games for the children and adults
• Bringing items for the silent auction (hand-made or locally produced items are especially appreciated)
• Helping on the day of the event (set-up, manage the potluck or silent auction, etc.)

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW --  you won't want to miss this.

Late last week, 15 students and KFTC members in Bowling Green took a tour of the campus steam plant at WKU. Organized through Greentoppers, the campus environmental sustainability group, the tour allowed concerns students and KFTC members to get a first-hand look into how WKU is heated and cooled.

Members of the tour learned that over 95% of the campus heating comes from coal fire power, with natural gas contributing to the rest of the energy. Natural gas is used to heat the campus at the very beginning and very end of the heating season, but does not have the capabilities of carrying the campus demands for the entire season. The coal burned at WKU each heating season amounts to roughly 500 pounds of coal for each person on campus every year - this includes those who live on campus, commuters, all faculty and staff. However, according to WKU Sustainability Coordinator Christian Ryan-Downing, this is a relatively small amount, compared with most other campuses in the state and region.

The group also learned that none of the coal burned at WKU comes from mountaintop removal mines. "Deep mined coal burns better, longer and cleaner," said the tour guide and Facilities Management worker of over 20 years. KFTC member Ka'Seana Jones, however, was quick to remind the group that "Clean coal does not exist."

Christian Ryan-Downing stressed that most of our coal dependency lies in the electricity that we get from TVA, and not campus heating, and expressed that conservation education is the first step to alleviating the coal problem at Western. Our coal dependency, she said, cannot be replaced overnight, but in the meantime, we can take "no cost" steps to reduce our energy consumption on campus. "Entire computer labs are left running all night long," Ryan-Downing said. "And lab managers refuse to turn them off."

Ryan-Downing also commented on implementing green jobs for Facilities workers on campus - soon there will be training available that deals with green jobs and green energy for all Facilities employees.

Members of the group left the steam plant with many questions as to how to go about pressuring the administration to transition away from coal. KFTC member and WKU student Greg Capillo observed, "I think there's a lot to be said for energy conservation and education, as a short-term solution."

Bowling Green KFTC members have an event planned on WKU's campus in celebration of Fossil Fool's Day this coming Wednesday April 1st, including a "Clean Coal Monster Mash" at 11 am and a critical mass at noon. The events aim to spread awareness about the Clean Coal myth, and to encourage students to become less dependent on fossil fuels such as coal.

Photos courtesy of Emily Wilcox.

                                                - Meredith Wadlington, KFTC member from Bowling Green

On the Herald Leader website there is an Associated Press report of a mine blowout on Robinson Creek, near the town of Chappell. However, I believe they mean Robin Branch rather than Robinson Creek.

The following are clips from the AP article:

According to Paul Rothman, a spokesman for the Energy and Environment Cabinet, the water was flowing directly out of the mine, owned by Bledsoe Coal Corp., and into Robinson Creek, at approximately 10,000 gallons per minute.

Mr. Rothman called that amount of water "a fairly significant release ... a fairly large amount."

According to Mr. Rothman, samples of the water have been taken to be tested, but at this time they do not believe "there is a water quality issue at this time."

"There's no homes in danger," said Chappell resident Bill Lewis, who spoke to The Associated Press by telephone, saying he lived downstream from the blowout but was not asked to leave. "No big deal at all."

An old, inactive slurry impoundment and a fresh water impoundment are located over portions of the old mine, and it is unclear whether they are leaking into the old mine or whether there is any relationship between them and the blowout, Rothman said.

A mine blowout typically occurs in an unused mine when water collects at low points and pressure builds up, Rothman said. The water will come through the surface of an area that has eroded over time, he said.

On Thursday morning a school bus with a 60-70 students from elementary to high school age ran off the road while trying to avoid an on coming coal truck. The school bus traveling on Route 1499 in Pike County near the community of Biggs, slid off the road and scrapped a rock cliff next to the road.

The police reported up to 20 students were take to the hospital for minor injuries. The bus driver blamed the on coming coal truck, wet road conditions and mud on the road for accident.

You can read about the report on wlex18 website and watch the video news cast. You can also see a picture of the accident by visiting the Appalachian News Express website.

A quick search of the state Department of Mining Reclamation and Enforcement website under the interactive maps shows that there are about 35 active mines and 20 pending mine sites within a 2-3 mile radius of the community of Biggs. I can only wonder how many coal trucks are traveling daily on the curvy two lane road, route 1499.

The accident happened at about 8:00 AM on Thursday morning.

We are truly grateful this accident was not worse.

Yesterday folks who stopped by Berea Coffee & Tea for a jolt of caffeine also got a chance to use that extra energy to send a message to their lawmakers about mountain-top removal coal mining.  The Madison County Chapter of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth had a table set-up in the coffeeshop where people could stop by and sign some notes to President Obama, Congressman Chandler, and Governor Beshear.   They collected more than 85 signed postcards and notes.

Many who stopped by to fill out postcards had heard about Tuesday’s Environmental Protection Agency announcement that they would begin reviewing valley fill permits.  People were excited to sign thank you notes to the Obama administration thanking them, but also aware that this is just a first step and that more work is needed.

Many thanks to Berea Coffee and Tea for supporting KFTC and letting us host a letter-writing table!

As expected, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's announcement Tuesday that it would review valley fill permits for their impact on water quality brought a storm of protest from the coal industry and its backers. In Kentucky, Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo seemed to be leading the charge, telling WYMT-TV News that he “worked all day and into the night” to contact the Obama administration to protest EPA's action.

The EPA issued a clarifying statement late Tuesday, assuring the coal industry that it had not blocked any valley fill permits, even suggesting that it may not block any.

"We fully anticipate that the bulk of these pending permit applications will not raise environmental concerns.  In cases where a permit does raise environmental concerns, we will work expeditiously with the Army Corps of Engineers to determine how these concerns can be addressed."

We tried to report this accurately in our original blog post Tuesday, that the EPA did not shut down any coal mines and did not block any valley fill permits, but that it would consider scientific data in its review of permits. As Rick Handshoe pointed out, "It's a victory that they are even looking at the impacts of these valley fills."

What the EPA did do was send two letters to the Army Corps of Engineers that questioned the Corps' readiness to issue permits to two specific valley fills, including one in Pike County, Kentucky.

Congress may soon weigh in on the destruction caused by mountaintop removal mining. On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the dumping of mining waste into streams. The Appalachia Restoration Act would amend the Clean Water Act to prevent the dumping of what is known as “excess spoil” from mountaintop mining into streams and rivers. The intent of this legislation mirrors that of the Clean Water Protection Act that has been introduced in the U.S. House.

“The two letters reflect EPA’s considerable concern regarding the environmental impact these projects would have on fragile habitats and streams,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in a press release. The letter stated that the coal mines would likely cause water quality problems in streams below the mines, would cause significant degradation to streams buried by mining activities, and that proposed steps to offset these impacts are inadequate.

None of that has mattered to the Corps, which has routinely issued valley fill permits under the pretense that dumping mining wastes into streams does not have a significant environmental impact. So the EPA's announcement is significant because it is a major shift in the "turn a blind eye" policy of the Bush administration.

Besides expressing serious concerns about those two permits, EPA also indicated it wanted more dialogue with the Corps and would review other valley fill permits. Apparently that dialogue hasn't started yet. On Wednesday, the Corps' Louisville office issued a permit for the Thunder Ridge mine in Leslie County, near the home of KFTC member Daymon Morgan. That valley fill is already the subject of a lawsuit by several environmental groups.

A distinction we try to make clear: a valley fill permit is not the same as a permit allowing the company to mine using mountaintop removal or any other mining method. Those permits are usually issued by the state.  Valley fill, or "404" permits (referring to the section in the Clean Water Act), are issued by the Corps of Engineers. The EPA has overall responsibility for enforcement of the CWA, including some oversight authority over the Corps' actions.

But just the possibility that the damage to water quality might become a factor in the granting of valley fills permits apparently sends fear into the coal industry because there is an overwhelming body of scientific data that shows filling our headwater streams causes significant and permanent damage to both those headwater streams (which are eliminated) and for many miles downstream. The hope is that this might matter to the Obama administration, and Tuesday's announcement excited so many people because it was the first indication that it will.

• Mountaintop Removal Blow-Back
• Corps escalates mountaintop removal mining fight
  

The Lexington Herald-Leader published three letters to the editor today on the topic of voting rights and former felons.  Most of the letters directly responded to an earlier Herald editorial in support of allowing a vote on House Bill 70. 

You can read all of the letters on the Herald-Leader's web site Here.

Today, just seven days after members of KFTC, The Alliance for Appalachia and other allies from across the country met with  the  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the EPA expressed grave concerns about two pending valley fill permits and indicated that hundreds of other pending applications would come under much more strict review.

It's the first step that the citizens urged the agencies to take, and one that many KFTC members have been waiting and hoping for.

"I was hoping this would happen in the first 100 days [of the Obama administration]. It's made my day," said Rick Handshoe of Floyd County. "There are 9 existing valley fill permits in my neighborhood and three more valley fill permits proposed within a mile radius."

"EPA will use the best science and follow the letter of the law in ensuring we are protecting our environment,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson in a press release.

"We finally have an administration that uses scientific reasoning to make decisions instead of ideology. We fought for this for years — I hope the EPA comes through and permanently stops the permits in our community," said Carl Shoupe, a retired union coal miner in Harlan County.

Handshoe and others were quick to point out that even considering science in decisions about mining and valley fill permits is something new.

"I was hoping they would look at what's happening to the people and the water.  It's a victory that they are even looking at the impacts of these valley fills. If they look at the science they will see what's going on," Handshoe said.

There is an overwhelming body of evidence, including much gathered by the EPA, that valley fills cause significant environmental destruction, both in the communities where the mining takes place and for many miles downstream.

Typical valley fills

EPA's announcement today came with the release of two letters it sent to the U.S Army Corps of Engineers in Huntington, West Virginia where permits for valley fills that would bury hundreds of miles of streams are pending. The letters addressed the Corps' inadequate review of the impacts valley fill permits for CAM Mining in Kentucky and Highland Mining in West Virginia would have on water quality.

“The two letters reflect EPA’s considerable concern regarding the environmental impact these projects would have on fragile habitats and streams,” said Jackson. The letter stated that the coal mines would likely cause water quality problems in streams below the mines, would cause significant degradation to streams buried by mining activities, and that proposed steps to offset these impacts are inadequate.

This step forward by EPA to reclaim its role in protecting the nation's waterways is a reversal of the Bush administration policy of allowing the Corps to issue the valley fill permits without oversight or consideration of scientific evidence of the harm being done.

The Huntington Corps' office is the permitting agency for all valley fill permits in West Virginia and some in the eastern Kentucky coalfields (Big Sandy River watershed). The Corps' Louisville office has jurisdiction over other watersheds in Kentucky, and KFTC is working to make sure the EPA's action applies to all pending valley fill permits.

ACTION: Please call the White House message line and leave a message to thank President Obama for taking this important first step toward protecting the land and people in coalfield communities.

MESSAGE: Mountaintop removal and valley fills must stop. Thank you for taking action through the EPA to see that our streams are protected.

PHONE: 202-456-1111

or use this online contact form.

EPA press release:  EPA Acts to Reduce Harmful Impacts from Coal Mining

Media Coverage;

• EPA to crack down on mountaintop removal coal mining (Lexington Herald-Leader)

• Obama EPA starts crackdown on mountaintop removal (Charleston Gazette)

• EPA puts brakes on mountain mining permits (The Courier-Journal)

• EPA Takes on Mountaintop Mining (solveclimate.org — good background)

For several years, KFTC members have had an ongoing conversation with U.S. Rep Ben Chandler about coal, water and energy issues, but especially about mountaintop removal mining. That included a mountaintop removal tour last year where Chandler was accompanied by Rep. Norm Dicks, who holds a key committee chairmanship.

KFTC members with Rep. Ben Chandler in 2006. We presented him with a copy of the book Missing Mountains, and have been back several times to follow up that conversation.

Of course, Chandler knows well the cost of the abuse of land and people by coal. Several communities in his Central Kentucky district get their drinking water from the Kentucky River and have to pay extra to treat the water because of the pollution from coal mining upstream. Tourism activities are hurt because the river is usually unappealing for swimming and water recreation. And Lexington was determined to have the heaviest carbon footprint of the 100 largest cities in the nation (on a per capita basis), largely because electricity in Kentucky comes mainly from coal burning.

In 2006, Chandler became the first legislator from a coalfield state to cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act, which would prohibit the dumping of mining wastes into the nation's streams. This year, he again cosponsored the reintroduction of the CWPA, issuing this statement:

“The Clean Water Protection Act is much-needed legislation to safeguard Kentucky’s fragile streams and creeks while maintaining a strong and viable coal industry. In these hard economic times, Kentucky enjoys some of the lowest energy costs in the nation. However, we don’t have to sacrifice our environment, our watershed and our communities to do so.”

The education and persistence by KFTC members paid off again on Wednesday when Chandler pressed Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. for answers about the Obama's position on mountaintop removal. You can read a transcript of that exchange and WV Gazette reporter Ken Ward's report here.

The Obama position is still weak and lacks an understanding of the deeper issues underlying the destruction of the Appalachian coalfields. You can send a message to President Obama that mountaintop removal coal mining needs to end immediately and decisively. Here is the contact information:

Online email form: www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Comments Line: 202-456-1111        TTY/TDD  202-456-6213
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500