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Cross Ridge Mining and Mountain Top Removal:
You have probably heard of Mountain Top Removal (MTR).
This is the mining which has devastated areas in southern West Virginia and northeast Kentucky.
But have you ever heard of Cross Ridge Mining?
There is a new form of Mountain Top Removal which is spreading in Tennessee: Cross Ridge Mining! Like Mountain Top Removal, Cross Ridge Mining operations will mine through an entire mountain peak and remove an entire seam of coal.
But unlike MTR operations, these Cross Ridge Mines will not get a "variance from AOC," that is they will not leave the mountain flat. Instead they propose to remove the mountain and then PUT IT BACK AGAIN!
Since 2003 permits have been issued to remove the tops of four mountains in Tennessee.
There are 8 more mountains that can be destroyed, depending on the outcome of a study TVA is doing on whether to mine the coal it owns under the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area.
The Strip Mine Committee is currently working to stop Mountaintop Removal from spreading in Tennessee.
In March 2006 SOCM's Strip Mine Committee, along with the Campbell-Anderson Chapter and the Sierra Environmental Justice Program, sponsored a tour of
areas that are currently being mined. Participants were leaders of the faith based communities in the affected areas.
See a summary of this event on the Campbell-Anderson page of this site.
In 2006, a request by TN Governor Bredeson to revise the 1985 Environmental Impact Statement on mining was rejected by The federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM).
The removal of a mountain top, by design, has an impact on water. SOCM's policy proposal to TDEC outlining why the water quality law should prohibit mountain top removal in TN received a
response from TDEC's Deputy Commissioner, Paul Sloan, saying, "..We believe that most situations in which adverse impacts occur (are) because of permit violations".
However, recent pollution of the Dan Branch stream on Zeb Mountain, and consistent failure to enforce existing regulations display the fact that TDEC is not enforcing the law.
We want the Governor to use Tennessee's Water Quality Law to prevent
mountaintop removal from spreading across east Tennessee. We also want Governor Bredesen to stand up to the Tennessee Valley Authority
and request that they not allow surface mining on the Tennessee's 53,000
acre Wildlife Management Area at Royal Blue. Royal Blue is a popular
hunting and outdoor recreation area. Strip mining and mountaintop removal
could put almost a quarter of this area off limits to hunting, four
wheeling, fishing, and hiking.
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ABOVE: SOCM members hold an on site news conference to urge Congress to provide more funds to Tennessee for abandoned mine clean up work
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What you can do:
• If you are interested in learning more about Cross Ridge Mining/Mountaintop Removal and trying to keep the practice from spreading across the Cumberland Mountains you are invited to join the Strip Mine Committee!
Please see the CONTACTS page for the Strip Mine Committee staff person to contact about this problem.
• Please see the CONTACTS page for the Strip Mine Committee staff person to contact about this problem.
• CHECK THE ACTION ALERTS PAGE!
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ABANDONED MINES CLEANUP CAMPAIGN:
The Strip Mine Committee is also working to bring jobs to the coal fields
and clean up abandoned mine sites by getting the federal government to
release millions of dollars in the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Fund: Money
which is currently going unused.
There are hundreds of abandoned mine sites in Tennessee, and it is estimated
that clean up of these sites will cost almost $40 million. According to
the Association of General Contractors for every million dollars spent on
AML clean up, 59 new jobs will be created.
Under current federal law the AML program is set to end in June of 2005!
If this happens the $1.4 billion which has been collected for AML clean-up
will likely be absorbed back in to the general fund of the federal government. Without this money coal field communities will have no help in
addressing the legacy of unregulated mining in their back yards. The state of Tennessee would be left with millions of dollars worth of clean-up.
We want Congress to reauthorize the AML program and improve it so more money
comes to Tennessee. The law needs to be changed so that states that do not have regulatory primacy but do have AML clean-up left to be done also get
minimum program funding. Congress should increase minimum program funding from $2 million to $4
million. Also the amount of money which is distributed to States based on Historic Production should be increased!
CHECK THE ACTION ALERTS PAGE to learn how you can help with this campaign.
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What you can do:
• Contact your US Senators Frist and Alexander and ask them to work with SOCM to pass an AML reauthorization bill which would increase the amount of money available to Tennessee for abandoned mine clean up.
• If you live in Blount, Knox, Loudon, McMinn, or Monroe counties we need your help. Congressman Duncan serves on the House Resources Committee where AML reauthorization legistlation will need to originate. We need Congressman Duncan to make sure that the AML bill that leaves his committee is an improvement for Tennessee.
We want to see an AML bill that gives Tennessee minimum program funding and raises minimum program funding to $4 million. If you would be willing to attend or set up an indistrict meeting with Congressman Duncan please contact the SOCM office or you can email Congressman Duncan by going to the following link:
http://www.house.gov/writerep
• There are four counties with AML problems which have not passed SOCM's resolution. If you live in, Claiborne, Marion, Rhea or Union county: Work with others in your area to pass the AML resolution.
Contact the SOCM office for materials to assist you in this effort.
• We need the support of a wide range of groups in order to win more money for Tennessee. If you are a member of an outdoors, sports, watershed, labor, or other group ask them to support the AML campaign!
• Join the SOCM Stripmine Committee to be a part of the group that helps coordinate the AML campaign in Tennessee, and help set national stategy. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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Why join the Strip Mining Committee?
David Hardeman explains: I've been a member of the Strip Mine Committee for almost as long as I've been a member of SOCM.
This committee deals with the issues that gave birth to our organization. I joined the committee because of a strip mine located on the property next to mine--I was scared of the consequences I had seen my neighbors suffer.
When I first joined the committee, I knew very little about strip mining. However, in the 10+ years that I have been a member, I've had the opportunity to learn about geology, hydrology, chemistry, and the 1977 Surface Mining Law.
I've helped work on mining legislation and lands unsuitable petitions. I've also had the pleasure of meeting and working with members of other grassroots organizations throughout the U.S. and American Indian Nations.
My experience on the committee is pretty typical: you don't have to be an expert to be involved, you just need to be interested in the issue and be willing to do some work and learn some new things.
If you would like to be a member of a committee with plenty of action and an ever changing workload, then this is the one for you!
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HISTORY:
SOCM has worked on coal related issues since the early 1970s.
Over the years Strip Mine committee has worked on getting the state and federal
government to enforce the existing laws.
In the Spring of 2000, the strip mine committee won a huge victory in their 25 year fight to protect
communities on the Cumberland Plateau from the devastating effects of strip
mining. The Fall Creek Falls watershed is the largest area ever to have
been declared unsuitable for mining by the Office of Surface Mining.
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