Notes from Lisa

"Redneck Legacy" & Mountaintop Removal Mining: Thoughts on a Presentation by a West Virginia Activist

Chuck Keeney, from Friends of Blair Mountain, gave a fabulous presentation at Bowdoin College last night on the history of coal mining and the unionization of miners in West Virginia. His great grandfather played a central role in the miners’ early resistance to coal company exploitation that eventually led to the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. This was one of the largest civil uprisings in United States history and the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War. For five days in Logan County, West Virginia, around 10,000 coal miners confronted an army of 30,000 police and strikebreakers backed by coal operators. The battle ended after the U.S. Army intervened by presidential order.

This longstanding resistance to the coal companies, according to Chuck, is not taught in school textbooks anywhere in Appalachia but is passed down through storytelling from generation to generation. The United Mine Workers were strong in West Virginia for about 50 years but as coal companies turned to mountain top removal and the greater use of machinery, the number of workers was halved, and the strength of the unions has been weakened. The coal company lobby remains stronger than ever, and the devastation left by continued mountaintop removal mining is horrific, now covering an area the size of Delaware in moonscapes across Appalachia. Chuck listed off a deeply disturbing list of human health problems in areas where mountaintop mining takes place: cancer rates double in towns around mountaintop removal mining; there’s an increased rate of brain tumors and birth defects. There’s also increased flooding; water resources in these areas becomes poisoned. Hear Chuck talk about some of these environmental impacts on this short YouTube video we put together from the event.

Brownie Carson, NRCM’s former executive director, and Henry Heyburn (link), current NRCM board member, both originally from the Appalachia region, participated in the 2011 March on Blair Mountain along the route of the 1921 march of the miners to battle. NRCM took the opportunity of this presentation to call upon the audience to support the recently released, first-ever carbon emissions standards  for new power plants issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. These draft rules are a critical first step in addressing climate change, which is why they will be heavily lobbied against by the same coal companies that Chuck says still rule West Virginia today. Across the country, we are working to collect over one million supportive comments on the rules in the next few months. Please take a minute and write a comment here and we will deliver it to the EPA. Thank you!

Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director

Related: Take Action: the Carbon Emission Standard

             Take Action: Mercury and Air Toxics Standard

Why the Rush? Last-minute Bills Undermine Democracy

There are bills that have been introduced in this “emergency” second year of the legislative session that are truly alarming for those of us who care about Maine’s environment. We knew when the session started in January that some of them were coming. We knew that we faced the “takings” bill that would require taxpayers to pay landowners to obey the law when environmental protections negatively impact property values. The bill to weaken the ability of the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) to protect Maine’s North Woods was in play. Others appeared early in the session, such as a bill to restrict the public from appealing agency decisions (LD 1647) and the bill to ban dam removals (LD 1718). You have been with us, turning out for hearings, calling your legislators, and writing letters that appeared in your newspapers. You have made a positive difference in how legislators are dealing with these bills as we get closer to the finish line. Elements of some of these harmful bills are still in play and will be through next week at least.

But in the final days of this session, there is a new “sneak attack.” A truckload of bad bills were introduced just recently with the clear intention of ramming them through with little public notice or debate. This is not against the rules; it’s just very bad process. This late in the session, bills can be introduced with only 24 hours notice to the public. Who has time to take off work and come to testify with that kind of short notice? What kind of window does that allow for you to learn about the bill and call your legislator? Such an onslaught of bills on so many fronts borders on being undemocratic. These proposals have been rejected before or are, understandably, unpopular with most Maine people.

These late bill introductions are also meant to tie the hands of groups like the Natural Resources Council of Maine, who carefully anticipate, track, analyze, and strategize around all bills that could have an impact on Maine’s environment. It is our role to keep our members informed and poised for action. NRCM supporters care deeply about clean water, clean air, protecting special places—the qualities that make Maine special. As we have seen this session and going back decades, when given enough notice, you contact your legislators and participate in the public dialogue of letters-to-the-editor where issues are considered openly and on a reasonable timeline.

So we were shocked and outraged when a bill to gut Maine’s mining laws (LD 1853) suddenly appeared just last week. This sweeping, complex bill was drafted by Nevada lawyers and the Pierce Atwood law firm in Maine. Maine’s existing mining standards took 18 months to write, yet LD 1853 was released for “public review” less than 24 hours before the public hearing. Now Pierce Atwood is pressing hard for the bill to be adopted immediately. J.D. Irving, Limited, from Canada, wants to create a huge open-pit mine in Maine’s North Woods and this bill would open the door for mining everywhere in the state. Such projects could seriously pollute our water and land, putting the health of wildlife and people at risk. We are working with the legislators on both sides of the aisle to beat back this misguided bill.

Another example is the late introduction of Governor LePage’s four bad energy bills intended to destroy the independence of Efficiency Maine and undermine Maine’s renewable energy progress. These are issues that Maine people and businesses care deeply about, but Governor LePage apparently has decided to subsidize Canadian government-owned Hydro Quebec, and allow it to flood the Maine market and undercut the Maine businesses and jobs in Maine’s growing renewable energy industry. Bringing these controversial bills to the table so late in the session flies in the face of the “transparency” the Administration has been touting.

NRCM’s job is harder than ever, but I am proud of our dedicated staff that works at the State House every day and late into the evening talking to legislators and gathering information so we can share it with you. We don’t like the way this process is playing out but we are determined to make sure your voices are heard from near and far, and to fight for what we know is right. And I’m proud of you. Some of you have made it to hearings and called your legislators despite the last-minute calls to action.

Your voices are so critical. Thank you. We will continue to keep you informed and ready for the next step.

Lisa Pohlmann, NRCM Executive Director

Related:
No Gold Rush Mentality on Mining Rules

Maine Lawmakers Should Not Back New Energy Policy

Citizen Action Day 2011 Has Record-high Turn Out

Once a year, NRCM organizes a day for Maine citizens to come together at our office, to learn about policies that affect our land, air, water, and wildlife during in the legislative session, and to go together to the State House so they can speak to their representatives. Today we had the largest turnout ever – with more than 100 folks from all around the state attending Citizen Action Day 2010. We had so many people we had to carry on sessions on both floors of our building! Most had never been to this kind of an event before.

 

I began the program by asking everyone to think of a moment when they were recently enjoying Maine’s great outdoors – and remember once they get to the State House that this is what they are trying to protect. After my short opening remarks, NRCM policy experts briefed everyone on some of our priorities right now. By the time we headed down the street, everyone was gung ho to tell their representatives why we need to keep our safeguards strong.

We packed the hallways on the 3rd floor of the State House as we waited for Representatives and Senators to come from their chambers to meet with us. Intense conversations took place between constituents and their reps up and down the corridor as these citizens shared concerns about proposed legislation to rollback the Kid-safe Products Law, Maine’s iconic bottle bill, Land for Maine’s Future, energy efficiency, and shoreline zoning and vernal pools that provide essential habitat for wildlife.

Some of the lawmakers were very responsive; others were elusive. But this is just the beginning. These 110 activists are now going back home to contact their friends and neighbors to make calls, too. And they are going to write more letters and send more emails to these reps and hold their feet to the fire when it comes time for the final votes.

This is how we win. This is how we keep Maine the treasured place we love rather than a replica of so many states with bad air, sprawling development, and polluted lakes, rivers, and streams. Thanks to everyone who came to Citizen Action Day! Thanks also to everyone who could not make it but is doing their part back home. We are making progress and we can’t let up!

U.S House Budget Would Block Progress on Clean Air and Land Conservation

The U.S House passed their version of a “continuing resolution” to fund the federal government through the end of this fiscal year (September 30). The cuts to programs for wildlife protection, land conservation, and clean air and water send us back 40 years. While Maine’s Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree joined all other Democrats and four Republicans in voting against this budget, it passed.

Particularly bad for Maine are the federal funding cuts for land conservation that have supported Acadia National Park, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and many other special places. In fact, the Land and Water Conservation Fund was essentially eliminated – with a 90% cut from FY10 levels. This would bring land conservation to a halt across the country. The Forest Legacy Program, which has helped pay for many landscape scale conservation easements in the North Woods, was also gutted. Both of these federal programs are also essential in providing the “matching funds” that are required by the Land for Maine’s Future program.

This budget stops our efforts to improve air quality and combat climate change by undermining the Clean Air Act. It provides no funding for the Environmental Protection Agency to move forward on regulating carbon emissions and to assist states – like Maine – in their efforts to reduce emissions.

Fortunately, this is not the end of the story. President Obama has submitted his version of a continuing resolution and now the Senate will need to pass theirs. A final continuing resolution must be passed by March 4, or the federal government may shut-down.

We are counting on a reasonable budget compromise, with help from moderates like Senator Snowe and Senator Collins from Maine, that protects our land, water, and air from declining in quality. Maine people have a great deal at stake.

Rally Against the Rollbacks

Hundreds came to rally at the State House on Monday to support our environment and to reject the LePage Administration’s rollback agenda. The energy was powerful as citizens from across Maine crowded the stairwell above the Hall of Flags and packed the rest of the area, most wearing stickers that said “I Love Maine’s Environment” and “Maine’s Environment is Our Business.” Cheers rang out when it was suggested that the LePage proposal was a non-starter and should be shelved with all 63 attempts to gut Maine’s environmental protections. Several business people spoke at the mic about the importance of Maine’s environmental standards for their businesses. They rejected the “pickerel vs. payroll” mentality as a throwback to some bygone era that the vast majority of us have long left behind. The last speaker was Jim Wellehan, owner of Lamey Wellehan, and a long-time believer in a sustainable business model for his company. From recycling waste to installing efficiency lighting, Jim has been investing in Maine’s environment as part of his business plan because he wants to save money and he wants clean air and clean water for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

During the rally I spoke with many passionate citizens. One woman shared that she and her husband moved to Maine to set up their small software business because they wanted to be in a place where the environment was still protected, unlike the large Midwestern city they moved from with its growing sprawl, crime, and environmental degradation. I urged her to write up her story and submit it as a letter to the editor tomorrow. Someone else said to me, “I want to do more.” I suggested that she contact her local legislators who will be dealing with these bills in coming weeks.

 This is a time for all of you to tell your stories to the media and to your legislators about why you care so much about the Maine environment. We need to let Governor LePage know just how out of step he is with Maine people with his assault on the environment that supports our economy and our quality of life.

For more information about the rollbacks and how to take action, visit NRCM's website at  http://www.nrcm.org/stop_environmental_rollbacks.asp.

Thank you,

Lisa