Current Work:
Victory: Zeb Mountain Stop
Work Order:
The chapter has been monitoring and working to
stop a 2100 acre “Cross Ridge Mine” on Zeb Mountain in Elk Valley (see ACTION ALERTS
page). Cross Ridge Mining
is a variation of mountain top removal in which all or most of a mountain is
removed, and then the operator purports to put the mountain back to
approximate original contour (AOC). There are approximately 100 homes and
an elementary school less than ¾ of a mile from the mine. Residents are
concerned about blasting damaging their homes and wells, coal trucks making
their roads unsafe, and flooding impacting their lives and property.
In 2006 the state legislature passed a law that enabled TDEC to issue a stop
work order to coal companies that violate the conditions of their permit.
Then on September 21, 2006 the Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation (TDEC) issued a stop work order to National Coal for violating
the conditions of their permit on the Zeb Mountain mountaintop removal
site. Cathie Bird, a resident of the Zeb Mountain area and chair of the
Campbell-Anderson Chapter stated, “We are very pleased that TDEC issued this
order. For citizens it is very difficult to hold the companies accountable,
even when we suspect they are violating their permits. We cannot have access
to observe what the companies are doing because it’s private property; in
many cases it is up to the regulatory agencies to determine if a company is
in violation. This is one of the first times we have seen a regulatory
agency really step up and uphold the laws which exist to protect the
environment and the people. We hope to see more of this.”
Since the order was issued, National Coal hired a lawyer to appeal the
order. SOCM members in Campbell County hope the
appeal is denied, and that further permits are turned down until National
Coal addresses their current outstanding violations.
Chapter
Counters TVA’s Plans to Lease Minerals for Mountain Top Mining:
The chapter continues to
address TVA’s plans for mountain top removal in the 53,000 acre Royal Blue
WMA. The final plans regarding mining will not be known until the final TVA
Environmental Impact Statement is released. Members continue to build
coalition support in the area. Zeb Mountain is concrete evidence that
mountain top removal does not occur without significant impact to water, the
environment, and the surrounding community.
Chapter Opposes Tipple Permit:
On September 19, 2006
members of the Campbell-Anderson chapter attended a public hearing they had
requested over two years ago. The hearing challenged National Coal’s permit
request to reopen Tipple No. 2 on Old Hwy 63 in Campbell County. At the
hearing Cathie Bird, Chair of the Campbell-Anderson Chapter, commented, “We
are concerned that some facts and assessments represented in this
application, now almost 2 years old, may not reflect current conditions.
This site has been used for stockpiling and loading coal since the
application was made in May of 2004. There has been at least one instance of
storm damage to parts of Old Highway 63 since then. The application
addresses certain structural deficiencies that were noted in 2004. It’s
possible there has been further deterioration requiring a more current
hydrologic reclamation plan.”
Other chapter members,
such as Ann League, commented on concern for the fact that the tipple is
located in part of the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area (WMA). She
pointed out that reopening the tipple is not only contradictory to the
county’s aspirations to develop the area for tourism, but also to the
healthy growth and development of Royal Blue WMA.
County Commission Resolution
Sought:
The Campbell-Anderson
Chapter is gearing up to renew efforts to convince the Campbell County
Commission to take a stance against mountaintop removal mining in Campbell
County. The local resolution, known as the “Community Assets” resolution,
was discussed in May of 2006. It was not voted on. Instead the commission
asked SOCM to postpone the resolution.
At that time the chapter conducted a workshop for the county commissioners
on the economic impact mountaintop removal would have on Campbell County’s
assets. A majority of the commissioners supported the presentation and
asked the chapter to redraft the legislation to have “more teeth” so that
they might vote on it at their next meeting. In one short week something
happened and without discussion the commissioners pulled the legislation
from the agenda.
Members of the chapter hope to work with the commissioners on wording of the
legislation before reintroducing it in 2007. Campbell County has the
highest tonnage of coal extracted from its mountains and members feel that
if the commissioners passed the resolution, it would send a strong message
to the Governor and the TN Department of Environment & Conservation that
mountaintop removal is not an economic asset for Tennessee.
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