Winds of Change the newsletter of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition October 2004 E Huntington, WV www.ohvec.org Goodwin Says No Nationwide Permits Judge Expands Ruling Against Valley Fills Charleston original ruling. Gazette, August Originally, 14, 2004 Goodwin by Ken Ward Jr. blocked the A federal corps from issuing judge on Friday new fill permits expanded his July through the 8 ruling that streamlined blocked the U.S. process, but also Army Corps of blocked 11 other Engineers from operations if they approving had not yet mountaintop commenced fill removal valley fills construction. through a …In his streamlined permit original ruling, process. Goodwin said the U.S. Corps could no District Court longer approve Judge Joseph R. A little more of West Virginia’s heritage goes tumbling out the back of a valley fills through Goodwin granted massive dump truck (upper left) at a valley fill in southern WV. The U.S. a streamlined a request by the Army Corps of Engineers considers this type of destruction “minimal.” permit process Ohio Valley meant only for Environmental Coalition to add six specific mining operations activities that cause minor environmental damage. to the injunction. continued on page 3 Goodwin ordered the Corps to suspend Clean Water Act permits for the six operations if they had not But Bush Says, Not So Fast! commenced fill construction as of the July 8 date of his Charleston Gazette, Sept. 3, 2004 Inside by Ken Ward Jr. and Paul Wilson Reverential Reflections ....................page 4 The Bush administration moved Thursday to appeal Changing the FACE of Politics ....................page 9 the latest in a series of federal court rulings to limit MTR in the News, Big Time ....................page 12 mountaintop removal coal mining… The formal notice of Multicultural Festival a Hit ....................page 17 appeal was filed Thursday morning in federal court in Racism Workshop A Success ....................page 21 Huntington. continued on page 3 1 A Note from Dianne by Dianne Bady “Wow that’s it! That’s exactly what I need to do,” I thought, after reading an article that quoted Janet Fout as saying, “If you’re always focusing on yourself instead of others, then eventually you’re going to burn out.” So I called Janet to tell her that her words were exactly what I needed. “But YOU taught me that, years ago,” she said. “Oh. I did? Huh. Well, then, thank you for reminding me of something I’d forgotten.” I’ve had plenty of opportunity to be self-absorbed this year. During most of 2004, I’ve been either very Dianne with one of her cousin’s goats. sick or recovering from two major surgeries. I want to thank hundreds of you, my dear friends and colleagues, through the fog, through the thunderstorms, gray skies for the outpouring of love and care you’ve sent to me and drizzle, one step at a time. As always, what will during my illnesses. keep us going are the flashes of brilliant sunshine, the I’ve stared death in the face. I’ve been moments of awe, wonder and hope. The thrill of immobilized by physical pain and by stark fear. woodthrush song and of mountain grandeur. The care Please know how much EACH of your for those who walk our often rocky paths alongside of expressions of concern has enriched me. Put together, us – those who help pull us up when we fall and stay with your acts and words of care, and your prayers, brought us through the inevitable confusion, disagreements and me out of darkness and into the Light. less-than-admirable words or acts. I’m now back as OVEC’s co-director, alongside And so, my adventures, our adventures, continue. Janet. Because I’m a different person now, my job will I have so very much to be thankful for. be somewhat different. With the help of our staff and our board, my updated responsibilities will be figured (Dianne had her spleen removed in March and lung out one step at a time. cancer surgery in April. [No, she’s never been a For this is the way we frequently work together- smoker.] She is feeling well and happy. Ed.) Voices of the Coalfields Coalfield “terror” eludes authorities Recent reports of terrorist threats have prompted fellow American citizens? Oh my God, look at that. There’s me to share my observations. These reports are not only a 3-billion-gallon chemical dump ready to be released onto true, but there is a clear and present danger. Terrorists have Marsh Fork Elementary School! taken to the high ground in the coalfields and have It seems to me that if either of these two had seen accumulated weapons of mass destruction. the carnage below, they would have brought it to the attention President Bush and candidate Kerry have both of Homeland Security and every major television network recently flown over the coalfields. I realize they are both in the nation. Either of them could have been touted as a preoccupied with their respective campaigns, but if they hero. Alas, once again, our leaders are napping while the would have just looked out their airplane window, they future of our country and the health and welfare of our citizens would have seen that the U.S. has been hit again. They are threatened. would have had to ask themselves, who blew up those Bo Webb (a stellar volunteer with Coal River mountains? And what kind of weapons are those that are Mountain Watch) dumping all that debris into the valleys, and on top of our Letter to the Editor, Charleston Gazette, August 13, 2004 2 What a SHOCKING Surprise - Pulp Mill Was a Boondoggle After All In late September 2004, the Charleston Gazette following day, Parsons & Whittemore, based in New Jersey, reported: filed bankruptcy for all its operations. A Canadian “REMEMBER back in the 1990s, when Parsons businessman told us the firm’s actions were ruthless and & Whittemore planned a $1 billion paper pulp mill in Mason devastating.” County, but dropped the project amid controversy over Good thing indeed! This was the same project that pollution? Well, it’s probably just as well, because the firm West Virginia officials were willing to do anything to get, has gone bankrupt. The town of Nackawic, New including offering economic “incentives” of more than $1 Brunswick, Canada, is in shock. Bizarrely, the company million per job created, advising P&W on ways to keep the said it was closing the community’s pulp mill temporarily for unions out, and generally acting as P&W's bully boy in WV. maintenance and hired 40 contractors for that task – then Thanks to all the OVEC members and volunteers shut the plant permanently and threw 406 employees out of who are still with us from the days of fighting off what would work. Astonished workers occupied the mill in protest. The have been the continent’s largest, dioxin-spewing pulp mill. Bush Appeals, Brags to Big Business continued from page 1 By noon, President Bush’s top environmental adviser streamlined permit process meant only for activities that was announcing the action during a luncheon at the 68th cause minor environmental damage. annual state Business Summit at The Greenbrier. …The judge ruled with the Ohio Valley … In his decision, (Judge) Goodwin said the corps Environmental Coalition, and ordered the corps not to issue could no longer approve mining valley fills through a new Clean Water Act permits for valley fills in Southern West Virginia without individual reviews. Goodwin Ruling Originally, the judge also told the corps to suspend continued from page 1 “general” permits for 11 existing operations if they had not Rather than these “general” or “nationwide” permits, yet started valley fill construction. Goodwin said, coal companies must go through more A month later, on Aug. 13, Goodwin expanded that rigorous individual permit reviews when they propose to part of his ruling to suspend all such permits where bury streams with waste dirt and rock. construction of valley fills had not started as of the July 8 date of his original ruling. OVEC Board of Directors & Staff …Joe Lovett, another of the citizen group lawyers, said the Bush administration “is making a mistake by sending Board Members the chief bigwig of its Council on Environmental Quality down LaShonda Bare, Co-Chair John Taylor, Co-Chair Gregg and Melissa Anthony Jeff Bosley here to politicize its appeal of Judge Goodwin’s order. Greg Carroll David Duke “We know that West Virginians oppose efforts to Eric Fout Winnie Fox weaken the laws that protect our mountains and streams, Larry Gibson Regina Hendrix and I am just sorry that the Bush administration is more Dan Kash Thomas Kincaid interested in rewarding its contributors in the coal industry Elinore Taylor Full- and Part-Time Staff than in carrying out the wishes of the great majority of the Dianne Bady Janet Fout Vivian Stockman state’s citizens,” Lovett said. Maryanne Graham Abe Mwaura Tonya Adkins Through early August, the Bush campaign had Scott Straight, Intern received more than $230,000 in contributions from the coal OVEC Webmaster Don Alexander industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Winds of Change Editor Vivian Stockman Winds of Change Wooly Worm Counter Monty Fowler So far this election cycle, the coal industry has Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition contributed $1.7 million to federal campaigns. Almost all of P.O. Box 6753, Huntington, WV 25773 that money – $1.5 million of it – has gone to Republicans. phone: (304) 522-0246 fax: (304) 525-6984 …The share of coal industry contributions going to e-mail: [email protected] web page: www.ohvec.org Republicans has greatly increased, from about 62 percent OVEC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.