TENNESSEE CITIZENS FOR WILDERNESS PLANNING *Newsletter Noo 52, January 8. 1973 As has become our custom, we bring you in this first Newsletter of the new year a summary of our work and achievements in the year just past (see Seco II), as well as 1)0 current news (Sec I) We hope that these will make you proud of your membership in TCWPo It is also a good way of acquainting prospective members with our activities. Make an effort to have at least one friend join; and don't forget that your own dues * are payable at this time (see enclosed slip) I 10 Current news First TCWP meeting of is January 240 ., ., Q a 0 II 0 Q Q po 10 1973 " Q a 1 0 20 TCWP ot'ganizes intergrou,p conference January 19-210 0 a Q Q " I) 0 I) pol 30 River news (Duck, Little T� Big S. Fork, French Broad) I) " 0 0 0 I) po 2 40 Stripmine news (federal legislation; suit against TVA; low-sulphur 0 ., coal) I) 0 I) � I) � 0 0 0 0 0 I) <) • I) • 0 • 0 0 I) • I) ••••••po 2 5� Miscellaneous news capsules (Tellico Plains-Robinsville road; North Ridge Trail. State natural areas; candidate questionnaire)o. po 3 60 Help influence future water resource policy. 0 0 I) I) I) I) 0 0 • 0 po 3 70 Other national items (SST; Highways bill; water pollution funds; off- ) 0 road vehicles; cabine,t changes 0 0 0 I) 0 0 I) I) I) 0 � I) I) • I) po 4 0 80 TCWP organizational 0 0 0 0 I) I) 0 0 0 • 0 0 0 0 0 I) 0 • 0 •••I) I) po 5 Result of TCWP electionso ... po 9. I) Q I) I) 0 • D • I) " I) 5 10. Reading matter. '. o 0 • I) I) I) I) I) ••••• . • • • • • •• p 6 11. Calendar 0 0 ., . ., I) I) " 0 I) I) 0 I) I) 0 I) " ••I) 0 • • 0 po 6 110 Summary of 1972 work and achievementso ., I) • I) Q DOl) • • pp. 7-10 10 FIRST TCWP MEETING OF 1973 When: Wednesday, January 24& 8:00 pomo Where: Oak Ridge Library Auditorium (NE corner of library wing of the Oak Ridge Civic Center) Oak Ridge Turnpike_ 2 blocks E of Highway 62 intersection 0 t t What: Thurman Ho Trosper:, president The Wilderness Society Washington D I) C �J will speak and answer questio,ns on "How Can We Save Wilderness in Eastern National Forests?" This is a most timely topic� and the battle in Congress between proponents of the 1964 Wilderness Act and USFS-supported in-lieu-of-wilderness bills appears imminent., At least two important potential wilderness areas are close to us (Slickrock-Kilmer and Cohuttas} 0 Mrc Trosper, a lively speakero is indeed an expert on the Forest Service, having worked for it for 22 years (after which he did a stint with BOR and then became Environmental Advisor to the Director of the NPS)o Be sure to come, and bring your * friends to what promises to be a fine meeting., 20 TCWP ORGANIZES INTERGROUP CONFERENCE As an outgrowth of our inter-group liaison activities, we are organizing the first Intergroup Conference on Tennessee Environmental Issues, to be held at Cumberland Mtno State Park, January 19-210 Indications are that representatives of at least a dozen groups, and invited members of the Depto of Conservation, Game & Fish CommissionD and a few legislators (probably over 60 persons altogether) will attendo The program provides for an exchange of information on a number of specified topical issues on � *Editor: Lee Russell, 130 Tabor Road, Oak Ridge, TN 378300 Phone: 615, 482-21530 2 Saturday; amd an opportunity to labor over more detailed 8,ction plans when we break up into smaller worki.ng groups Sunday" Patrick Noonan of the Nature Conservancy and Walter e Conservation!s D p t Chief of Planning , will address the group after Criley� Tenne o of Sat u1tdayw s lunch and dinner!) res.pectivelyo Both Friday and Saturday evenings will be devoted social activities (slidesp movies, folk dancing) T e intergroup conference to 0 h 18 open to TCWP members who are sericus about getting to work on an issue. Those inter­ * �',sted should immediately check with Fred Sweeton, Ph'Jlne 615, 483-3379, since accommodatious are somewhat limi.ted o 3" RIVER NEWS Ao Duck Rivero On 12/13i72c Judge Neese of the Federal District Court at WinchesterD acting oitthe' cam.plaint filed -; 5/72 by EDF and Duck River Preservation Aseno J upheld the s plaintiff ' allega tions l,xnder NEPAl) though he dismissed allegations under the TVA Act, t.he Natlo Historic-cal Ac,t!) the Pu,hlic, Tru.st Doctrine) and the Uo s� Constitution" Preas s report , probably b ased ov, TVA news r e leases f} gave the impression that the suit was 8,1.1 bu,t dismissed; but atto1.C'n�y Ric.:k Brown points out that dismissal of allegations based on grounds other than NEPA h£\s occurred in virtually all other environmental lawSluits: tQo date, and that the ca'se i� more alive than evero EDF is now fi1i.ng additional affi­ davits and hopes that a date fer a hearing in the suit will soon be set� Note the Deck Conservation Float anr.,!;)l.liucad in our Calendar-. �2 Little To In mid-Decemb er � the 6th District Court of Appeals at Cincinna,ti u.pheld Judge Taylor's 1/10/72 ruling g!'2uting a, prel:iminary injunction to EDF and eo-plaintiffs against construc tion of Tellico Damo Cg E·ii SQ.Utb fork.., SensJ:'9r Baker will a.ttempt to a,gain in,c;lude the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area as part of the Omnibus Rivers & Harbors bill that is re-int:n)� ducedo Opposition fx>om the Off:i,c;e of Management an.d Budget 1.s expectedo There are rumors of a rival proposa,l with NP S admi.nist:r.ationo D9 ...EIench BXQado It was an.nou.nced ill November that TVA has cancelled plans for building 14 r d.ams in the Upper F ench -Broad River B.s!sin because of "the lack of adequate loc2,1 support ,. " v;rell-orgaoized Gitiz'en effoI,il"; Q't"er f"he past cO:l)1p�-e of years; finally paid off� ��, ta us of , ede The House-passed re--introduced t f ral le.sislatiolQc 1972 bill hB,S been by Rep � l\rayne Hayes, and the Senate Interior Committee is working en a Senate bill" We must continue to urge oux' congressiona,l delegation to vote for a bill .!.t least alS strong as, last yearS sHouse billt to contain& as a minimu.m. the ma.ndatory slope ba,l1 of 20° that l\"as part of that bill (TCWP would actu�lly prefer a lesser slop�)" Of p:resrent Tenness ee Congressmen. LaMar Bakerfl Evins � Fulton.� and Jones voted in favor of the strong bill OIl 10/11/72. and these gen tlemen should be en.couraged to stick to their guns; and Gong!'., t Kuykendall , who fa.iled to vo e � as well as newcomer Beard � should be encouraged to j o�,-n their line-up A special appeal is ne d Reps" Duncan Quillen, 0 e ed to and who were among only o gressmen who actually voted against the bill (tota,l 265:75) 15 C n 'Jate, 0 Suit a a ns TVA On December It in U"S" ist ict Be g i t 0 D r Court� Easte�rn D:i.strict of Tenn0Jj i plai.ntiffs (NRDC, S erra Clu,b, EDF, soeM p TCWP. SOK) filed a� IDotici1l')( for prellmfna"t:y injunction or, in the alternativep partial summary j udgement � Seve:ral affidavits were submitted" among them some by TCWP members Don Todd and Jack Gibbous" Du.e to Judge Taylor!s absence (to conduc t a lengthy lawsuit in Chicago)t hearings ate not. expected for a while" 3 Jan� 8, 1973 its xp m coal �o��sulphur coal� TVA has claimed that e eri ent in the use of low-sulphur in the Johnsonville stee.mpIant was a. failure in that it produced more fly-ash than the plant was designed to cepe withe Strip Minin.& Information Service int.erprets this as part of a strategy "to stick with high sulphur coal in ways which force a confrontation with EPA's air quali.,ty standards and force the Federal government to back down [on s hur emission sta,nda',tds] major electrical producers have controlling influence ulp 0 I) () The upon what type of coal i6 actually availableol)Qu A recent report by EPA. Commerce Depto, FPC, etc 01 declat'ea that sulphur removal from powerplant stack gases is technologically feasible" 50 MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.CAPSULES Tellico Plains - Robbinsville load� In November� the Federal Highway Administration wi thdrew $206 million earme,rked-fu:t this road and. ci t.ed E.n"ironments.. l considerations", A draft environ,mental impact statement on the portion of the road from Rock Creek Knob, N ..C., to Beech Gap$) Tennn was made available to CEQ and to the, public 12/29/72� TCWP has a copyc {For background on this issu� see Sec� II�5)o TCWP' 5l NOJ1:th�_Ridge Trai:1" FollQwing BOR inspection of our trail on 9/7/72 (see NL 1150), the City of Oak, Ridge, through its Enviroomentaol Quality Advisory Board, made an offi(;i�l request that the t'J:ail and the nea1cly 600 ac.res of greenbelt it traverses be given NatiQnsll Recreation Trail statu� for a minimum of 10 years, with TCWP recognized as the responsible civic organizationo Designation, if granted� will come from the In or Secretary of the teri 0 AdministJratioD sponsoring bill the State Natural Areas � The is a to designate under Natural Areas both s s Preservation Act of 1971 a !lumber of areas in c las e t' (Note: the Act passe,d without naming specific areas 0) Inclu.de,d in Class I, Scenic-Recreational Areas, would be Ozone Fal1s� Big Cypress Tree � Reelfoot Lake!) Natural Bridge!) Falling Burg�ss, a s n r Lak II Dunba,r ss Water Falls,.