Dear Jim,

Late Friday night, the House passed three amendments designed to give a green light to new mountaintop removal mines and to prevent the EPA from fulling its duties under the Clean Water Act to oversee the permitting of valley fills - the waste disposal sites for mountaintop removal mines.

Thank you to all who picked up the phone last week to ask your member of Congress to oppose these attacks on the Clean Water Act. We regret to inform you, however, that your member of Congress voted to roll back protections for Appalachian mountains, streams and communities.

Do not be discouraged! This was only the first vote and there will be several more opportunities to remove these amendments when the Senate takes up the budget bill next week. However, it's important to share your disappointment with your Congressperson before the next vote on mountaintop removal comes up in the House:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Wg9vdJrvNMEwlp9iNcmrS9g5f811ddCz

The good news is that, while we were unable to defeat the bad amendments, we received more than enough votes to ensure that a Presidential veto can be sustained in the House. It was also exciting to hear debate on mountaintop removal on the floor of the House, something that has not occurred in over 30 years.

With your ongoing support, we will continue to demonstrate America's commitment to ending mountaintop removal. We'll need your help again next week when the fight moves to the Senate.

It's a shame when members of Congress choose to put coal company profits ahead of protections for the oldest and most biologically diverse mountains and streams on the continent. Please take a moment to send your Congressperson a message now.

Thanks for standing up for Appalachia,

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

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