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West Virginia
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G.R.E.E.N.
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Mark Blumenstein's work has been the exploration of the physical properties of recycled metals. He uses parts created in the past and applies intense heat to sculpt new creations. Since 1973 the process, the shapes and interaction of materials with the elements has intrigued him. His sculptures are the product of this search and the direction that it takes is dictated by the discoveries divulged in their creation. |
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Mark has donated this piece, untitled, to the West Virginia Environmental Council as a means to support our organization in a creative way.
To enter: Open to all WVEC members. The sculpture will be on display at the Fall Convention, November fundraiser, and in the office at all times. Attend these events, come by the office, or send in your raffle ticket donations to: West Virginia Environmental Council, 1324 Virginia Street East, Charleston WV 25301 to the attention of Denise Poole, and we will enter your name and send your ticket receipts back.
The drawing will be held at a Fall Fundraiser (exact date and location to be announced) in November, 2002. The winner will be notified at that time.
Thank you Mark, for this generous donation to WVEC!
Air Pollution Issues Building in West Virginia
by James Kotcon
Air quality has often been a problem in West Virginia, but this year's ozone season may be the last straw. Ozone levels in many areas routinely exceed EPA health standards, and are far in excess of the levels that produce injury to crop plants and forest trees.
However, new rules proposed by the Bush Administration may actually make it harder to clean up pollution emissions from the oldest, dirtiest power plants.
For 30 years, the Clean Air Act set standards for new power plants and other pollution sources, but allowed existing older plants to meet less stringent requirements. Power companies argued that these old power plants were nearing the end of their useful life, and that it was cost-prohibitive to meet the same standards as a brand new power plant. So as part of a compromise, Congress established rules, called the "New Source Review" program, which require that power plants that make modifications that increase pollution emissions should be treated as a new source and meet the same requirements as other new sources. Old power plants would be grand-fathered from "New Source" emission requirements only so long as they did only routine maintenance and did not increase their emissions capacity.
The New Source Review program was not enforced until the Clinton Administration, when it was found that many of the changes that power plants had been calling "routine maintenance" had actually increased the capacity, and the corresponding emissions, of the power plants.
Lawsuits were filed by several states, environmental groups including the Sierra Club and the West Virginia Environmental Council, and ultimately by EPA itself. The lawsuits claimed that power plants such as John Amos, Kammer, and Philip Sporn operated by American Electric Power, and the Mount Storm plant operated by Virginia Electric Power Company had each made modifications that violated the New Source Review rules.
A tentative settlement was reached for the Mount Storm facility, but AEP dogmatically refused to negotiate. Then, with the inauguration of the Bush Presidency in 2001, all progress was brought to a halt. Tentative settlements were never finalized, court delays were obtained, and Vice-President Cheney's Energy Task Force recommended changes to the NSR rules to provide more "certainty" to the industry.
In January of 2002, the Justice Department concluded that EPA's lawsuit was well-founded and should be pursued. Later, EPA announced that it would propose revisions to the NSR rules, but was still pursuing its lawsuits.
Industries complain that the enforcement of NSR rules is "inconsistent", that EPA has "changed the rules in mid-stream", that the NSR program inhibits innovation and improvements in efficiency, and that even "routine" maintenance might now bring enforcement. What all of these arguments neglect to mention is that NSR rules only apply to changes in power plants that would INCREASE emissions. Routine maintenance or improvements that actually improve efficiency do NOT trigger an NSR review.
The current status is one of great uncertainty. EPA attorneys and environmental groups are continuing their legal challenges of the pollution emissions, but no court action is likely any time soon. Utilities attorneys offer numerous motions for delay or dismissal, losing virtually every round but continuing to delay the process.
Meanwhile, here in West Virginia, emissions continue to increase. Sulfur dioxide emissions increased by over 15,200 (15.6 %) tons at Mount Storm (Grant County) between 1995 and 2000 and by 18,900 tons (26 %) at the John Amos plant (Putnam County) in the same period. Allegheny Energy's Fort Martin power plant (Monongalia County) increased emissions by a whopping 20,000 tons (28 %). The report Darkening Skies, is available at: http://cta.policy.net/fact/darkening_skies/
These emissions, along with particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions, cause serious health effects. A report by Abt Associates identifies 52 deaths per year in West Virginia from AEP emissions (available at: www.rffund.org). Ozone-related health advisories have been issued numerous times this summer (see www.ea.gov/airnow).
To make matters worse, new power plants are being proposed throughout the state. The most recent, a proposal by GenPower, would build a 600 MW plant in Monongalia County.
What you can do!
Contact Governor Bob Wise and ask him to support clean, renewable sources of energy and to enforce air quality rules. Gov. Wise appointed a West Virginia energy task force last year that, like Vice-President Cheney's Energy Task Force, is heavily slanted toward fossil fuel industries. Insist that new fossil-fuel power plants be required to offset their pollution emissions and that total emissions in West Virginia must be reduced. Ask that new energy policies be adopted that encourage renewable energy sources and energy conservation in West Virginia.
For more information: (304) 594-3322
Overweight Coal Truck Victory
by Gary Zuckett, WV Citizen Action
I'm sure most everyone has heard of the stunning defeat Big Coal suffered in July's special session on overweight coal trucks. In my 10 years of lobbying I have never seen the coal industry take it on the legislative chin like they did last month. After all, this is West Virginia, where coal is king. Add the fact that the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, and Governor Wise all actively supported coal's position and the magnitude of this populist victory can be better appreciated.
Last September WV-CAG and WVEC decided to make overweight coal trucks a major legislative priority. We never could have imagined the outcome of this campaign. During the regular legislative session it dominated the media with citizen rallies and monster coal trucks circling the capital bellowing their horns. Wow! Unless you've been traveling out of state all summer, you already know that the ad hoc coalition against raising truck weights scored a major victory during the July special legislative session.
What won it? As in every victory there's a slew of factors. Certainly the able leadership of Delegate Mike Caputo (D-Marion) and the generosity and energy of Ken Hechler were among the most important elements. Hechler's "We the People" TV and radio ads inspired thousands of people to literally get off their couches and express their opinions to elected officials. Groups like the Coal River Mountain Watch, Citizens Coal Council and the United Mine Workers worked along with WV-CAG and E-Council lobbyists to convince delegates of the folly of raising legal truck weights. And we must remember that there were 48 courageous House members that withstood tremendous pressure from Coal, Speaker Kiss and the governor and voted their conscience.
Those of you planning to attend the E-Council Fall Gathering in September will be in for a treat on Saturday night. Delegate Mike Caputo (a UMWA officer) will be our Keynote speaker. You'll get an earful from Mike, whose hard-hitting speeches on the floor of the House of Delegates swayed enough votes to pass his amendment and effectively kill the weight increase.
Delegates who voted against House Speaker Kiss and governor Wise will be getting tremendous pressure to "get back in line" with leadership when the issue returns to the legislature. Log on to www.wvcag.org to find out how your delegate voted. Thank the ones who voted "for the people" and ask them to hold firm against increasing truck weight limits next time. If they didn't vote right in July, ask them to reconsider and keep existing weight limits while voting to increase enforcement and make shippers and receivers of illegal loads share liability. When coal producers and receiving docks are penalized for loading and accepting overweight trucks, the practice will end.
Corny as it may seem, this victory was like a lesson we learned in 8th grade Civics class: Democracy is about the power of average citizens getting involved in their government. All political victories are temporal and the coal truck issue will resurface next session if not before. In the months ahead, WV- CAG will be managing the "We The People" campaign in conjunction with former Sec of State Ken Hechler. The challenge is to sustain citizen outrage and continue organizing the opposition to increased truck weights. This issue has shown that the days when King Coal gets whatever it wants is over. The resurgence of involvement in state politics certainly makes the truck issue a very important catalyst for future citizen action. Stay tuned for round three of the Coal Truck fight!
Call For Mountaintop Removal
CD Submissions
Aurora Lights, a 501(c)-3 non-profit, in conjunction with FEC III Publishing Studios, will be producing a DC of songs about Mountaintop Removal and its impacts on the people and land of Appalachia.
Proceeds will benefit local activist organizations and flood victims.
Contributions of art and photography will also be considered for the CD cover.
If you aren't artistic but want to help, letters of support and donations will be helpful as they seek additional grants to cover expenses.
Submissions should be received by October 1, 2002 through e-mail or snail mail.
Send self addressed envelope if you would like your submission returned:
Jennifer Osha, Aurora Lights
RR 1, 230-G
Aurora, West Virginia 26705
jen_osha@yahoo.com
Father Al Fritsch to attend
WVEC's Annual Fall Convention
"I don't know how much more of this these mountains can take" said Fritsch, a 68 year-old Jesuit priest and scientist who is retiring after 25 years working to preserve the appalachians.
Fritsch, a native of Maysville, Kentucky, has watched as mountaintops have been stripped away in search of coal. He has seen hillsides sawed bare of trees by loggers. He bemoans reports of streams so polluted that fish are dying.
"Father Al", as he is known, until recently headed the group Appalachia Science in the Public Interest, and used this position to preach the need to be sensitive to the environment. He began his "public interest ministry" in Washington, but returned to Appalachia in 1977 to teach residents how to better care for the mountains.
"I came back because the mountains were sick and dying....they're still ailing. With mountaintop removal and logging, we are probably in as bad a shape if not worse now than we were in the 1970's."
Father Fritsch will participate in our Coal Sludge Impoundment Forum, during The WVEC's annual Fall Convention.
(portions of this article are reprinted here from The Associated Press, Roger Alford, reporter)
Stanley Heirs Labor Day Picnic
The Stanley Heir Foundation invites you to their 13th annual Labor Day event August 31-September 1 on Kayford Mountain (near Daves,WV).
Saturday there will be a covered dish dinner, with open mike entertainment throughout the day. Tours of the nearby Kayford Mountaintop removal mining site will be available. Sunday a church service led by the Riddle family will begin at 1 p.m., followed by a buffet covered dish dinner. Gospel singing will be provided by the Riddle family, as well as traditional songs by Rachel Verginia, folksinger from Hinton, West Virginia.
All are welcome! Come and enjoy (what is left of) God's Creation!
For more information call Larry Gibson at (304) 542-1134.
Sustainable Fair 2002 was HOT HOT HOT!!!
by Denise Poole
Even the lushness of La Paix Herb Farm, site of the third WV Sustainable Fair,
could not cool the dedicated participants completely from the heat.
On what seemed like the worst "dawg day of August" I've ever experienced, over 130 folks traveled the winding road to La Paix to participate in something else that is HOT - Sustainability in West Virginia!
Did I say dedicated? Everyone persevered - including Willow Creek Glass,Inc., bringing their glass-blowing oven which remained fired-up throughout the entire day. Melissa Dennison's Soapmaking demonstration went on as scheduled, using boiling water during the process.
Spirits remained high, and everyone enjoyed attending workshops & demonstrations on Essential Oil Distillation, Environmentally Friendly Building, Solar Energy (needless to say the solar fountain and solar panels were operating at peak capacity!), Whole Foods, Hydrogen Fuel Cell's and medicinal & culinary herbs.
Booths were packed with beautiful hand crafted items and eco-products for sale. Information on environmental, consumer, and humanitarian issues were plentiful.
We took cooling, educational walks in the woods, learned about Reiki, drank tree water (water naturally filtered from maple trees, consumed fixins from Spring Creek Natural Foods, splashed in the water from the Solar Fountains, listened to music, visited in the shade - and vowed to have future outdoor events in early Summer or Fall!
For more coverage of the WV Sustainable Fair 2002 visit our web-site: www.sustainabledevelopmentforwv.com
or go to: www.hurherald.com, an on-line news site.
WVEC Annual Convention September 6-8, 2002
Bluestone Conference Center - Hinton, WV
(Note: See the PDF version of this G.R.E.E.N. for a printable registration form)
Directions: I-64 east. Take Sandstone Hinton exit #139. Proceed 10 miles on Rt. 20 into Hinton. Continue until you reach traffic light. Turn right and cross the bridge. Turn left after crossing the bridge. Proceed 2 miles. Look for the state Police building and signs for Rt. 3. Turn left onto Rt. 3 (will take you across another bridge). Bear to your right after crossing bridge. Proceed 3 blocks - look for BCC sign on left & historical marker on right. Turn right on this road (Cedar Ave.). Bluestone Conference Center is 10 miles away. Follow signs.
Check in/arrival time: Friday 4 p.m. till late - Complimentary snacks will be available. We will get settled in to our accommodations, socialize and begin the Silent Auction this evening.
Saturday Highlights:
Breakfast
Dot Session
Regional Meetings
Lunch Open time for nature walks, workshops, relaxing
Coal Sludge Impoundment Forum Dinner
Keynote Speaker: Delegate Mike Caputo - Overweight Coal Trucks
Silent Auction Evening Music & Dancing Camp Fire
Sunday Highlights:
Breakfast
Set Legislative Agenda
WVEC Board Meeting (11:00)
Check out time: 1:00
| Lodging Rates: |
per Adult (12-over) |
per Youth (7-11) |
per Child (6-under) |
| Cabin beds (per night - must bring own linens) | $21 | $10.50 | Free |
| Tents (per night) | $5 | $2.50 | Free |
| Breakfast | $3 | $1.50 | Free |
| Lunch | $5 | $2.50 | Free |
| Dinner | $7 | $3.50 | Free |
| WVEC Registration fee | $10 adults | $5 students | Children 12 and under: Free |
Print the PDF for a registration form and send it to:
WVEC Convention, 1324 Virginia Street E., Charleston,WV 25301 (by 9/03/02 or call office (304) 346-5905)
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