On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 2:51 PM, aaron.isherwood@sierraclub.org wrote:
Dear WV Chapter :
I wanted to be sure you all know about the upcoming hearing in Charleston on October 13 (more details below).
It is very important, in my view, that we turn out as many as possible to support the administration's proposal to modify the nationwide permit such that it can't be used for MTR.
If you have questions, please let me know.
Best,
Aaron
Aaron Isherwood
Senior Staff Attorney
Sierra Club Environmental Law Program
85 Second Street, 2d Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105-3441
Phone: (415) 977-5680
Fax: (415) 977-5793
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Thank you.
----- Forwarded by Aaron Isherwood/Sierraclub on 09/16/2009 11:39 AM -----
"Mary Anne Hitt" maryanne.hitt@sierraclub.org
09/16/2009 11:36 AM
Please respond to
cc
Subject Upcoming public hearings on mountaintop removal
Coal fighters,
I wanted to be sure everyone was aware of these upcoming public hearings on mountaintop removal, especially those are already working on mountaintop removal as part of their work plans and campaigns. More details about the hearings and the proposed rule, including specific hearings locations and times, are pasted below.
The focus of the hearings is the Army Corps’ decision to stop issuing rubber-stamp permits called “nationwide permits” in Appalachia, a type of permit that was designed to be used for projects with minimal environmental impact. During the Bush Administration, the Army Corps regularly granted nationwide permits for valley fills, even after federal judges found that the practice was illegal.
1. October 13, 2009, in Charleston, West Virginia
2. October 15, 2009, in Cambridge, Ohio
3. October 13, 2009, in Pikeville, Kentucky
4. October 13, 2009, in Knoxville, Tennessee
5. October 15, 2009, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
6. October 15, 2009, in Big Stone Gap, Virginia
If anyone would like to put together a quick call to strategize around these hearings, please reply to me off list and I would be happy to coordinate a call.
Mary Anne
Contents
Federal Register
Vol. 74, No. 174
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Engineers Corps
NOTICES
Public Hearings:
Proposed Suspension and Modification of Nationwide Permit (21) ,
46582–46583 [E9–21792]
[TEXT] [PDF]
~~~~~~~~
SUMMARY: In the July 15, 2009, issue of the Federal Register (74 FR
34311) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a proposal to take
two actions concerning Nationwide Permit 21, which authorizes
discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States
for surface coal mining activities. The two proposed actions are to
suspend NWP 21 to prohibit its use to authorize surface coal mining
activities in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, and then to modify NWP 21 to
make that prohibition permanent until NWP 21 expires on March 18, 2012.
In the July 15, 2009, notice we also offered commenters opportunity to
request a public hearing. In the August 13, 2009, issue of the Federal
Register (74 FR 40815), we extended the comment period to September 14,
2009. We have received several requests to hold public hearings, and
have determined that hearings would afford us the opportunity to gain
additional information to assist us in reaching decisions on these two
proposed actions. Therefore, we will be holding public hearings in each
of the six affected states. Written comments to supplement the hearing
records may be submitted until October 26, 2009.
....
....
The public hearings will be held on the following dates and at the
following locations:
1. Huntington District: October 13, 2009, in Charleston, West
Virginia at the Charleston Civic Center, Little Theatre. The public
hearing will start at 7 p.m. Additional information on this public
hearing will be available at: http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/permits/
publicnotices/wv/.
2. Huntington District: October 15, 2009, in Cambridge, Ohio at the
Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center. The public hearing will start at 7
p.m. Additional information on this public hearing will be available
at: http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/permits/publicnotices/oh/.
3. Louisville District: October 13, 2009, in Pikeville, Kentucky at
the East Kentucky Expo Center. The public hearing will start at 7 p.m.
Additional information on this public hearing will be available at:
http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/.
4. Nashville District: October 13, 2009, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The public hearing will start at 7 p.m. Additional information on this
public hearing will be available at: http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/cof/
special_notices.htm.
5. Pittsburgh District: October 15, 2009, in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. The public hearing will start at 7 p.m. Additional
information on this public hearing will be available at: http://
www.lrp.usace.army.mil/or/or-f/public_notice.htm.
6. Norfolk District: October 15, 2009, in Big Stone Gap, Virginia
at Mountain Empire Community College. The public hearing will start at
7 p.m. Additional information on this public hearing will be available
at: http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/technical%20services/
Regulatory%20branch/PN/PN.asp.
Specific information for each public hearing, including the
addresses of the hearing locations, will be posted on the district Web sites listed
above.
-
Jim Sconyers