Stop Big Coal from Dumping Toxic Mining Waste into Our Streams

Please call your Representative today and ask him or her to become a cosponsor of The Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1375).

This bill will protect our headwater streams where our rivers–such as the Mississippi and the Ohio–are born. Over 2,000 miles of streams have already been buried and polluted. But we can stop this.

With your help, supporters of the Appalachian Mountains will make thousands of calls, and make a difference in protecting our mountains forever.

Be sure to fill out the feedback form below to let us know you called.

Step One

Please call your Congressperson at (202) 224-3121 and ask him or her to cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act. It’s fast and easy! Ask to be connected with your representative, then follow this sample script:

SAMPLE SCRIPT

Hello, my name is ______________ and I live in ______________ . I’m calling to request that Representative ______________ cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1375), a bill that would help to end mountaintop removal coal mining — an extreme form of coal mining that has already destroyed over 500 mountains in Appalachia and over 2,000 miles of streams. A number of recent scientific studies have also shown that mountaintop removal poses serious health risks to local citizens. I urge Representative ______________ to cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act today.

This Congress, the Clean Water Protection Act has 121 cosponsors. Please become a sponsor by contacting Tuley Wright in Congressman Pallone’s office or Michelle Tranquilli in Congressman Reichert’s office.

TALKING POINTS

• During the last Congress, the bill was introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) with Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) and Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA). It finished the session with 173 co-sponsors.
• The Clean Water Protection Act is necessary to protect clean drinking water for many of our nation’s cities.
• The Clean Water Protection Act is also necessary to protect the quality of life for Appalachian coalfield residents who face frequent catastrophic flooding and pollution or loss of drinking water as a result of mountaintop removal.
• Make it personal by mentioning a local treasure that you would not like to see destroyed. For example, we would not blow up Mt. Rushmore for coal. Similarly, the Appalachian Mountains are a national treasure that the whole country must work together to preserve.
• This issue is urgent – scientific studies have shown we need to act now to prevent future destruction and to protect Appalachia for future economic opportunities.

Step Two

Please tell us what your Congressperson said.