"Mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for losses"
-- Scientists on mountaintop removal coal mining in the January 8 issue of Science
In this issue:
1) Take Action: Tell the Department of Education to Get Kids Outdoors and Learning
2) Take Action: Call for Ending Mountaintop Removal Mining
3) Coal: Massive Water Violations by Massey
4) Air: New Safeguards to Protect Health
1) Take Action: Tell the Department of Education to Get Kids Outdoors and Learning
America's K-12 students need your support to make sure they have opportunities to learn about the natural world, get outdoors and develop a foundation for success in the green economy.
The Department of Education is currently considering the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (aka No Child Left Behind) and we need your help to make sure that environmental education does not get left behind.
Please tell Secretary Duncan that you support the inclusion of the No Child Left Inside Act in the reauthorized ESEA.
2) Take Action: Call for Ending Mountaintop Removal Mining
Mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia destroys streams and headwaters, causes severe water pollution and flooding, and has the potential for serious human health impacts, according to an article published in the January edition of Science, one of the world's preeminent peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Please tell the White House Council on Environmental Quality to protect water, lands, and communities from the destruction caused by Mountaintop Removal coal mining.
A coalition of groups, including the Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Coal River Mountain Watch, and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy took action yesterday to hold coal giant Massey Energy accountable for over 12,000 violations of the Clean Water Act and surface mining laws associated with their mining operations in West Virginia. Massey continues to illegally dump pollution into Appalachian waterways despite a massive $20 million fine already placed on the company for thousands of previous violations.
The action comes just days after a groundbreaking, peer-reviewed scientific report in Science documenting the harmful impacts of mountaintop removal mining.
4) Air: New Safeguards to Protect Health
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new official limit on the amount of dangerous smog pollution in the air. Smog, which comes from sources like coal plants and automobiles, can cause a wide range of health problems, including asthma, permanent lung damage and even premature death. The new standard follows the recommendation of EPA scientists, the American Lung Association and numerous other health groups for protecting public health, setting the limit between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million (ppm).
We'll be working hard to support this strong standard so stay tuned for opportunities to get involved.