Tell Gov. Haslam: Veto the Strip Mine Tennessee Act
Earlier this month, the Tennessee legislature passed the “Primacy and Reclamation Act of Tennessee” (the Strip Mine Tennessee Act). If signed by Gov. Haslam, this bill will create a new regulatory body to oversee strip mining in Tennessee — one that is expected to be far more lenient than the current authority: the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
Take action today. Tell Governor Haslam to veto SB686/HB571, the “Strip Mine Tennessee Act!”
New coal mining permits are down in recent years and that trend is only expected to continue, but several counties of East Tennessee are left with contaminated water and vast scars on the land from the past impacts of this industry. In some communities, mountaintop removal mining is ongoing.
The regulatory body proposed in the Strip Mine Tennessee Act would likely make it easier for coal companies to acquire new permits and walk away from the environmental hazards and other liabilities associated with surface mines, leaving local residents and Tennessee taxpayers holding the bag.
The Strip Mine Tennessee Act puts our state’s natural heritage in peril and is projected to squander more than $1.5 million of taxpayer money in its first two years of implementation.
Gov. Haslam has until May 1 to veto this horrible legislation. Take action now to protect Tennessee’s natural heritage and taxpayers’ interests. Take the next step by calling Gov. Haslam at (615) 741-2001 to tell him to veto the Strip Mine Tennessee Act.
For the land and the people,
DJ Coker
Duff, Tenn.
