Remember those other sorts of non-renewable fuels, aside from oil?
Yes, we are still fighting them too. If you are like me and want a small amount of good news among all the not so good news coming from the Gulf, today is your own lucky day. Today, the Army Corps of Engineers launched that they are going to stop rubber-stamping valley fill permits in Appalachia.
As of right now, the Corps will get rid of giving Nationwide Permit (NWP) 21, that has been utilized to "authorize discharges of dredged or load material into waters of the United States for surface coal exploration activities." Valley fills are a vital element to mountaintop removal mining, simply because once the mountaintops are blasted off, just about all that stuff needs to go someplace. In Appalachia, that someplace has been streams as well as headwaters. Without having the capability to push all that rubble, i.e. previous mountain, into valleys, mountaintop elimination mining becomes far less...well, feasible.
The suspension in Appalachia will remain in effect right up until the Corps calls for further action on NWP 21 or right up until NWP 21 expires on March 18, 2012. While the suspension is in effect, people who propose surface coal exploration projects which entail discharges of dredged or load material straight into waters of the United States must obtain Department of the Army authorization under the Clean Water Act, by the Individual Permit procedure. The individual permit assessment procedure offers greater public involvement within the permit evaluation process, including a chance for open comment with individual projects.
NWP 21 was meant for dredge and fill projects that might result in minimum aquatic impacts. By any estimation, wrecking headwaters, producing new topography and polluting downstream habitats isn't small. While this particular action by the Corps does not entirely eliminate the potential for additional valley fill permits in Appalachia, it does signify that there are going to be opportunities for open public notification, opinion and participation. Nor does it stop prevailing mountaintop removal mines from creating valley fills. However, with this regulatory climate, it's not likely that lots of, if almost any, new personal licences are going to be approved.
This selection included more than just the Army Corp of Engineers. In hearings last fall season, the actual coal industry crammed open public hearings using their own supporters, trying to intimidate and drown out supporters of the Corps proposal. Based with the Corps, around 23,000 comments were sent in, plus the substantive comments were nearly equally divided amongst support and resistance for that proposition. Owing to the countless brave residents of the coalfields that stood up against the actual coal industry and made their support known and noticed. Submitting open public opinion is seldom a sexy for activity, but it's critical to influencing policy in the federal organizations.
Today is a good day for the mountains. It is time to end valley fills and mountaintop removal completely. Encourage your member of the Legislature to cosponsor and move H.R. 1310, the Clean Water Protection Act, and permanently ban valley fills.
Yes, we are still fighting them too. If you are like me and want a small amount of good news among all the not so good news coming from the Gulf, today is your own lucky day. Today, the Army Corps of Engineers launched that they are going to stop rubber-stamping valley fill permits in Appalachia.
As of right now, the Corps will get rid of giving Nationwide Permit (NWP) 21, that has been utilized to "authorize discharges of dredged or load material into waters of the United States for surface coal exploration activities." Valley fills are a vital element to mountaintop removal mining, simply because once the mountaintops are blasted off, just about all that stuff needs to go someplace. In Appalachia, that someplace has been streams as well as headwaters. Without having the capability to push all that rubble, i.e. previous mountain, into valleys, mountaintop elimination mining becomes far less...well, feasible.
The suspension in Appalachia will remain in effect right up until the Corps calls for further action on NWP 21 or right up until NWP 21 expires on March 18, 2012. While the suspension is in effect, people who propose surface coal exploration projects which entail discharges of dredged or load material straight into waters of the United States must obtain Department of the Army authorization under the Clean Water Act, by the Individual Permit procedure. The individual permit assessment procedure offers greater public involvement within the permit evaluation process, including a chance for open comment with individual projects.
NWP 21 was meant for dredge and fill projects that might result in minimum aquatic impacts. By any estimation, wrecking headwaters, producing new topography and polluting downstream habitats isn't small. While this particular action by the Corps does not entirely eliminate the potential for additional valley fill permits in Appalachia, it does signify that there are going to be opportunities for open public notification, opinion and participation. Nor does it stop prevailing mountaintop removal mines from creating valley fills. However, with this regulatory climate, it's not likely that lots of, if almost any, new personal licences are going to be approved.
This selection included more than just the Army Corp of Engineers. In hearings last fall season, the actual coal industry crammed open public hearings using their own supporters, trying to intimidate and drown out supporters of the Corps proposal. Based with the Corps, around 23,000 comments were sent in, plus the substantive comments were nearly equally divided amongst support and resistance for that proposition. Owing to the countless brave residents of the coalfields that stood up against the actual coal industry and made their support known and noticed. Submitting open public opinion is seldom a sexy for activity, but it's critical to influencing policy in the federal organizations.
Today is a good day for the mountains. It is time to end valley fills and mountaintop removal completely. Encourage your member of the Legislature to cosponsor and move H.R. 1310, the Clean Water Protection Act, and permanently ban valley fills.
About the Author:
In case you seriously value your future, be eco friendly. We could do this by utilizing eco friendly products and participating in environment friendly activities. We only have one world to live in so let's stand up for this!
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