TN Senate Dodges Historic Vote

The following email was sent to the supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

Last night, in a calculated act of political cowardice, the Tennessee Senate voted 19-14 to further delay the Scenic Vistas Protection Act — a bill that has been active for more than 5 years — to April 2 in an attempt to kill the bill in the House and avoid an outright vote.

But the fight is not over yet! The Tennessee House Subcommittee on Conservation and Environment is scheduled to vote on the House version at 10:30 a.m. this morning (Tuesday).

Check the list below and contact your representative in the Conservation and Environment subcommittee before 10:30 a.m. today — tell them that the people of Tennessee are speaking with one voice to members of the House and Senate: Pass the Scenic Vistas Protection Act so that no more mountaintops are removed in Tennessee.

The Senate’s decision ignores the wishes of thousands of constituents, creates a decoy and is a delay tactic initiated by the coal industry themselves.

As bill sponsor Senator Eric Stewart said, “removing the top from a mountain is removing the top from a mountain, no matter what you call it, or where you put the little pieces after the damage is done.”

The senator went on to say that allowing the coal industry to blow up mountains results in reduced pride in mountain communities. Help us reclaim that pride! Contact your representative before 10:30 a.m. TODAY and ask that they support the protection of our scenic vistas — ask the House Conservation and Environment subcommittee to support the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act!

For the mountains,

J.W. Randolph
iLoveMountains.org

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Apply Today! Week in Washington June 2-6th, 2012

The following email was sent to the 104,000 supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

Registration is now live for our 2012 End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington this June 2-6th, 2012! Click here to apply today!

If you are seeking a scholarship, the deadline is Friday, April 6th. Full and partial scholarships are available on a needs-basis. If you do not need funding support, the regular deadline is Sunday, April 15th.

If you can’t come but want to help others attend, donate here to support the 7th Annual End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington or to sponsor an attendee scholarship.

Last year’s Week in Washington was a tremendous success. More than 150 people from over 20 states came to Washington, holding over 200 meetings with Congressional offices, the EPA and the Obama administration.

This year, participants will not only meet with their Congresspeople and agency officials, but also stand up and take action to stop mountaintop removal coal mining. That’s right, this year we will have a Day of Action to End Mountaintop Removal. But space is limited, so apply today!

The 2012 elections mark a critical moment to make the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining a top priority issue in Washington. At Week in Washington, we’ll not only focus on how to work to end MTR in DC, but how to fight this injustice in your local community.

Can you join us this year in Washington? Click here to apply:
iLoveMountains.org/wiw

We hope to see you in Washington!

Thanks for all you do,

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

P.S. Please forward this invitation to friends or colleagues who may be interested in joining us in Washington.

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URGENT: Don’t Let Big Coal Poison Virginia’s Groundwater!

The following email was sent to the supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

Last week we called on many of you to take action to protect the health of Virginia’s groundwater from attacks by the coal industry, and now we need you to take action again.

A bill, HB 710, has been introduced into the Virginia General Assembly that would allow the coal industry to dispose of toxic mining waste in empty underground mines in Virginia – without the consent of the surface landowners.  From there, the waste can leach into groundwater, wells and streams – a major threat to the health of Virginia groundwater. Because of your support we almost stopped this bill last week in committee, but unfortunately it passed by one vote.

HB 710 will be voted on in the Virginia State Senate either today or tomorrow!

We need you to take a moment to call your senator’s office and urge him or her to vote against HB 710.

Look up your senator’s phone number at this link and then you can follow the script below.

Suggested Comments:
Hello, this is [your name] and I live in [your town or city] in the senator’s district. I am calling to ask that the senator VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 710. This bill would violate private property rights by allowing coal companies to dispose of toxic mining waste in empty underground mines without the landowner’s consent.

Once you have made the call please let our allies at the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition know how it went by reporting your call here.

For the Mountains,

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

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