News
I Love Mountains Day in Kentucky
Thursday, February 12th, 2009
Invitation to I Love Mountains Day from KFTC Staff on Vimeo.
Residents of Kentucky will again be out in force next Tuesday, February 17th, to demand an end to mountaintop removal. They’ll be participating in the annual I Love Mountains Rally at the State Capitol in Frankfort organized by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth [www.kftc.org]. Last year, more than 1,200 people from all across Kentucky and allies from other Appalachian organizations participated in a massive rally to demand that legislators stop this immoral practice.
They will be there this year specifically pushing for passage of the Stream Saver Bill — common-sense legislation that would prohibit the dumping of toxic mining wastes into any Kentucky stream. According to U.S. EPA’s count, between 1981 and 2005 more than 1,400 miles of eastern Kentucky streams have been buried or severely impacted by this practice. The headwaters of four major rivers are located in eastern Kentucky, and the three largest are all severely polluted with sedimentation from coal mines.
That’s one of the reasons downstream legislators are among the chief proponents of the legislation. Their communities pay the costs of this pollution. In testimony last year, Dr. Nathanial Hitt, a researcher at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, presented scientific data to show that burying streams with mining wastes lowers their quality and recreational value, increases flooding, and increases treatment costs to communities and businesses for many miles downstream.
This year’s I Love Mountains Day activities start with a half-mile march from the Kentucky River to the front steps of the capitol to symbolize the focus on water. The noon rally will feature several speakers, including special guest Ashley Judd, and music. KFTC has asked for a meeting with the governor and other top officials for the afternoon.
Learn more and register at: www.kftc.org/love
