CINCINNATI -- "Ohio Citizen Action and the Urban Appalachian Council proudly present author, award-winning journalist and cultural historian Jeff Biggers, reading and presenting from his new book, Reckoning at Eagle Creek: the Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland. The event takes place at 2pm Sunday, February 7 in the auditorium of North Presbyterian Church, 4222 Hamilton Avenue in Northside and is free and open to the public. Mr. Biggers is known as a thorough and passionate researcher and a very entertaining speaker. Books will be available for sale and donations will be accepted to promote the work of Ohio Citizen Action to stop mountaintop removal coal mining and of the Urban Appalachian Council to provide educational and cultural programs to, by and for urban Appalachian families in Greater Cincinnati," Melissa English, Southern Ohio Program Director, Ohio Citizen Action.

CHARLESTON, WV -- "A federal judge has temporarily ordered a halt to mountaintop-removal protests that involve trespassing on Massey Energy property or interfering with any of Massey's operations. U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger granted Massey subsidiary Marfork Coal Co.'s request for a temporary restraining order against non-violent civil disobedience actions aimed at stopping its mountaintop-removal mining operations. The order prohibits 'trespassing or otherwise congregating' on mining property as well as 'interfering, obstructing, blocking, impeding or tampering with' any mining properties in Southern West Virginia," Ken Ward, Jr., Charleston Gazette.

CHARLESTON, WV -- Judge bars protesters from Massey mines in West Virginia, Tim Huber, Associated Press.

• The last thing Ohio needs is another expensive, polluting coal plant

WASHINGTON, DC -- "The U.S. wind industry broke all previous records by installing nearly 10,000 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in 2009, enough to serve over 2.4 million homes . . . . These new projects place wind power neck and neck with natural gas as the leading source of new electricity generation for the country. Together, the two sources account for about 80% of the new capacity added in the country last year," release, American Wind Energy Association, dated January 26, 2010.

This new report may come as a shock to those who listened to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's State of the State speech in which he referred to "our place at the forefront of the energy revolution." The Wind Association reports that, not only does Ohio have a total of only 7 MW of installed capacity, the state added no new capacity in 2009 and appears nowhere in the list of new wind power projects under construction.



Jan 29: Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church helping its counterpart in Haiti



NORTH ROYALTON -- "Longtime friends in Cap-Haitien, Jacmel and Port-au-Prince are alive. Simply knowing they are alive, is enough for Rev. David Luecke, missions pastor at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Royalton and Cleveland resident Lynn Scheerhorn, a liaison to Ohio Hearts for Haiti and the metropolitan network of Lutheran churches... Luecke is Scheerhorn’s mentor. Together, the two have created a network that connects Lutherans living throughout northeast Ohio. There are roughly nine congregations working closely together now to deliver some kind of relief to Haiti. 'I am thankful and I feel incredibly blessed because I know so many people who care and are willing to help,' Scheerhorn said. 'It’s just so hard waiting and wondering. So many people want to go and help. But we also have to be sensible and let first responders get in there and do their job,'" Sara Macho, Sun Star Courier.

Lynn Scheerhorn is Finance Director of Ohio Citizen Action.



Jan 28: In State of the Union speech, Obama ignores the leveling of the Appalachian mountains
Adopts Bush energy policy: nuclear power, drilling, and coal



COLUMBUS -- "In his first State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama did not mention the leveling of the Appalachian mountains underway by the mountaintop removal coal companies. Instead, after the usual bow to 'green jobs' and the dead cap-and-trade bill, Obama set out his new energy policy, which is identical to the energy policy of his predecessor: 'But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. That means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies.' During his presidential campaign in 2008, candidate Obama said he was 'against' mountaintop removal coal mining. Since taking office, he has not said a word about it, letting the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers engage in a policy standoff while the destruction continues," Paul Ryder, Organizing Director, Ohio Citizen Action.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The historic cost of the State of the Union: Mr. President, Welcome to the Saudi Arabia of coal, Jeff Biggers, Huffington Post.
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Jan 28: National coal ash day of action

COLUMBUS -- "Do you remember the photos of the environmental disaster in December, 2008 when a dike at an 84-acre containment area in Kingston, Tennessee ruptured spilling 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash slurry onto surrounding property and into the Emory and Clinch Rivers? Coal ash contains a brew of toxins that pile up by the ton after coal has been burned to generate electricity. Shockingly, there are absolutely no standards for this waste in the U.S. Please join us, along with individuals and organizations across the country for a National Coal Ash Day of Action on Thursday, January 28. It only takes a minute to write a short email, or make a quick phone call. Tell the White House, EPA, Congress and others they must regulate coal ash to protect all of us from another terrible disaster that could have been prevented," Rachael Belz, Program Organizer, Ohio Citizen Action.
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Jan 28: Big news (maybe): EPA looking at ‘fill material’ definition

WASHINGTON, DC -- "Buried in a new Rolling Stone magazine profile of Obama EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is some potentially huge news for coal mining in Appalachia … it seems that EPA has quietly begun re-examining the definition of 'fill material' in its Clean Water Act rules and may make some changes. But if you look closely at what EPA has said, it’s not clear that they’re really going to do what environmentalists would like to … we’re a long way from knowing if this is a big deal," Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette.

Jan 27: Another voice for the mountains: Rep. Chu 162nd co-sponsor of Clean Water Protection Act

WASHINGTON, DC -- "Representative Judy Chu (CA-32) is the 162nd co-sponsor of H.R. 1310 the Clean Water Protection Act, an effective ban on mountaintop removal coal mining. Rep. Chu serves on the Education and Labor, Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform committees. She joins six House members from Ohio in co-sponsorship: Steve Driehaus, Marcia Fudge, Mary Jo Kilroy, Dennis Kucinich, Tim Ryan, and Betty Sutton. S. 696, the Appalachia Restoration Act, is a similar bill in the Senate, and has 10 co-sponsors. Neither Ohio senator has co-sponsored the bill. While Senator Sherrod Brown was a member of the U.S. House, he was a co-sponsor of the Clean Water Protection Act. Since June of 2009, Ohio Citizen Action members and friends have sent Senator Brown over 22,000 letters urging him to co-sponsor S. 696," Kate Russell, Organizer, Ohio Citizen Action.
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Jan 27: In State of the State speech, Gov. Ted Strickland doesn't mention his biggest 2010 project: Proposed $5 billion Baard coal plant

Avoids use of word "coal" at all

Words in State of the State speeches

In Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's four State of the State speeches, he has barely said the word "coal," despite his administration's extraordinary commitment to the coal industry's agenda. He only used the word "coal" once in each of his first three speeches, and not at all yesterday. He avoids mentioning coal by labeling his programs "advanced energy," talking extensively about wind and solar, and quietly including subsidies for coal companies.

COLUMBUS -- "Yesterday, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland delivered his fourth State of the State speech to a joint session of the Ohio legislature in Columbus. In the lengthy speech, Strickland did not mention his biggest 2010 project, a proposed $5 billion Baard Energy coal plant for Wellsville on the Ohio River. In fact, in the 5,461-word speech, the word 'coal' doesn't appear at all. When Gov. Strickland's EPA issued the third pollution permit for the project, Baard Energy CEO John Baardson said, 'Some questioned the ability of the project, the State EPA, and Governor Strickland's staff to accomplish this task in such a short time frame. However, due to the leadership of Governor Strickland and the Ohio EPA director, a rigorous work process was established which enabled the issuing of the permits. This type of professional approach will definitely help to create more jobs in Ohio (East Liverpool Review November 22, 2008). In fact, the permits had been pushed through so quickly that they have been tied up in legal challenges ever since," Paul Ryder, Organizing Director, Ohio Citizen Action.
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Jan 27: Suit alleges second Stark landfill has problems with aluminum wastes

AKRON -- "A second landfill in Stark County might have problems with buried aluminum wastes, according to a lawsuit. The possibility of aluminum dross problems at American Landfill near Waynesburg comes in a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Akron. Named defendants are American Landfill Inc. and its parent company, Waste Management Inc., a Texas-based trash hauling-disposal giant. Filing the suit last week were the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Solid Waste Management District; a Stark grass-roots group, Citizens Against American Landfill Expansion; and two of its leaders, Jill Van Voorhis of Sandy Township and Vivian Baier of Osnaburg Township," Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal.

CANTON -- Waste district files suit against American Landfill, Robert Wang, Canton Repository.
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Jan 27: Ohio Citizen Action staff attend President Obama's town hall meeting, urge ban on mountaintop removal


Gerald Abt, Jennifer Roddis, Governor Ted Strickland and Dave Ralph


Dave Ralph, Senator Sherrod Brown and Jennifer Roddis

ELYRIA -- "We were stopped by security when we tried to pass out our flyers about mountaintop removal to people waiting in line for the President's town hall event. We were told by a representative of the Student Life Office that he could not approve the content of the flyer and that the individual who could approve it was unreachable. We were sent to the designated 'free speech area,' located on the opposite end of campus. We decided that it wouldn't be very beneficial for us to stay in a place where there were no people, so we went inside one of the buildings on campus where the speech was being shown on a big screen. We sat down and a few minutes later Governor Strickland came in, we gave him our flyer, and he quickly went on his way. We also gave Senator Brown a flyer and I asked him what the hold-up was on co-sponsoring the Appalachia Restoration Act. He said that he 'has a lot more important things to worry about,' and brushed me off,” Jennifer Roddis, Ohio Citizen Action.
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Jan 27: The more things change...
Campaign finance reform still not on agenda of Issue 6 supporters

CLEVELAND -- "Big money is here to stay in national and state politics, judging from last week's controversial Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. But there are viable options to local campaign-finance reform, and if it is indeed going to happen on the local level, now is the time to ride the momentum, says Catherine Turcer of Columbus-based Ohio Citizen Action... 'You use the momentum to keep moving the process,' says Turcer. 'You need to make sure you have good [campaign- finance] rules in place beside the change in government. If you don't take care of it right away, you fall back into the same habits — it's hard work to raise money from alternative sources and not from your employees,'" Damian Guevara, Cleveland Scene.
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Jan 27: EPA releases results of manganese study of schools

MARIETTA -- "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wrapped up its study of toxic air pollutants at three area schools in early November, and data released Friday indicates a particularly high level of manganese outside Warren Elementary School on Oct. 22... According to the EPA's Washington County facility report for 2008, there are five facilities in the county that release manganese compounds and three facilities that release manganese. Eramet Marietta tops the list with 3,659,572 pounds of manganese compounds released, although a majority of that material is caught by systems at the facility and never actually leaves the site," Ashley Hill, Marietta Times.
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Jan 26: Baard Energy plans to buy 9 million tons of coal a year for its coal-to-liquid plant. Will it come from mountaintop removal coal companies?

COLUMBUS -- "Baard Energy wants to burn 9 million tons of coal a year in its proposed coal-to-liquid plant in Wellsville, Ohio. Where would it come from? Here’s what the company says in its September 2007 “Project Summary” which remains the most recent account on the Baard Energy website: 'The Project expects to use a combination of eastern bituminous coal and biomass to produce fuels including ultra low sulfur FT diesel, jet fuel and naphtha, all with a lower emissions profile than traditional petroleum based products,'" Paul Ryder, Organizing Director, Ohio Citizen Action. 152 KB doc.
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Jan 26: Old senator, new tricks
What’s behind Robert Byrd’s surprising smackdown of Big Coal?

WASHINGTON, DC -- "As a rule, politicians in West Virginia don't care for environmentalists. This is, after all, a state that supplies 50 percent of U.S. coal exports, a state where the mining industry is responsible for roughly 30,000 jobs—a state that essentially depends on pollution for its survival. And West Virginia's most prominent coal champion has long been Robert Byrd, who once slammed green critics of mining as 'head-in-the-cloud individuals' out to destroy jobs and impoverish the region. In 2008, Byrd was the lone Senate Democrat to vote against even starting debate on a bill to curb carbon-dioxide emissions. So just about everyone was shocked when, last month, Byrd did an about-face and wrote an op-ed that criticized modern-day mining practices and accused the coal industry of 'having its head in the sand' on climate change," Jesse Zwick, The New Republic.
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Jan 26: Arcelor Mittal shortlisted for anti-green award



CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- "Steel giant Arcelor Mittal's Vanderbijlpark plant has been shortlisted for an infamous international environmental award to be announced alongside the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos this week... The Indian steel giant Arcelor Mittal was nominated for a number of reasons, including that it was not only the largest, but also the filthiest steelworks in South Africa," Eleanor Momberg, Sunday Independent. Published January 24.
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Jan 26: National Parks Conservation Association celebrates successes in 2009

WASHINGTON, DC -- "When American Municipal Power announced plans for a power plant in Ohio that would threaten air quality at Shenandoah National Park and exceed acceptable emissions limits established by law, NPCA challenged the permit. We are delighted to announce that on November 25th, American Municipal Power announced the cancellation of its plan to build a new 960-megawatt coal-fired power plant, delivering a victory for Shenandoah National Park and ensuring clean air in the region," National Parks Conservation Association.
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Jan 26: Manchin promises review of coal critics' complaints


Raleigh County resident Bo Webb tells the media about his meeting on mountaintop removal Monday with Gov. Joe Manchin. (Chip Ellis/Charleston Gazette)

CHARLESTON, WV -- "Gov. Joe Manchin on Monday promised to review citizen complaints about lax enforcement of strip-mining regulations and urged the coal industry and its critics to discuss their differences without resorting to violence and intimidation. 'What we're looking for is trying to find a balance,' Manchin said after a private meeting with coalfield residents, environmentalists and several academics who have studied coal's negative impacts. 'You would like to think there's got to be some common ground,'" Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette.

CHARLESTON, WV -- Manchin calls for dialogue in the coalfields, "Goldman Environmental Prize winner Maria Gunnoe was at the meeting. She, too, called for dialogue between regulators, the coal industry and the environmental community. 'The people in the coalfields are reaching out to you,' she said. 'Don’t be a brick wall,'" Erica Peterson, West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

CHARLESTON, WV -- Gov. Manchin aims for balance between mining, environmentalists, Mannix Porterfield, Register-Herald.

Watch video of the press conference
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Jan 26: Ohio Citizen Action nominated for Cincinnati City Beat’s “Best Of” issue

CINCINNATI -- "In recognition of Ohio Citizen Action’s campaign to stop mountaintop removal coal mining, local independent weekly newspaper City Beat nominated the group for its annual ‘Best Of’ issue. The organization was nominated for Best Cause, campaign director Melissa English received a nod for Best Do-Gooder and last August’s Music for the Mountains benefit was nominated for Best Fundraiser. Online voting is open until Sunday, February 21st and results will appear in the March 31st issue. For details or to cast your votes, visit citybeat.com," Ohio Citizen Action.
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Jan 25: Watch the complete Kennedy-Blankenship debate on coal



CHARLESTON, WV -- "Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship and Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. debated the role of coal, and its future, as part of the United State’s energy supply. Topics ranged from use of renewable energy, employment rate within the coal industry, mountaintop removal coal mining, economic benefits and costs, and the costs of human health impacts. Staged at the University of Charleston, West Virginia, the debate was broadcast live on the internet by local television stations,” Kate Russell, Organizer, Ohio Citizen Action.
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Jan 25: Anatomy of a victory

PARKERSBURG, WV -- "A report released this week by the journal Environmental Health Perspectives said a study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found an association between C8 and thyroid disease in adults. The study, according to the report, revealed people with higher concentrations of PFOA (C8) in their blood have higher rates of thyroid disease. The researchers analyzed samples from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey... C8 is used in the manufacture process of Teflon and can be found in other stain and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics," Pamela Brust, Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Published January 23.

The Sierra Club has picked Mike Brune to replace Carl Pope as the organization's executive director.

CINCINNATI -- "'The Tillers, a Cincinnati-based folk trio, specialize in creating scenes one might expect to have seen during the Great Depression, if not for the tattooed punk rockers sprinkled throughout the crowd and the listeners on cellphones in the back. 'I Ain't Got No Home'--one of several Woody Guthrie melodies featured in this show--was first recorded about seventy years ago. But considering the sky-high number of foreclosed houses the recent economic crisis has spawned across the country, the music is eerily relevant today... Given the number of songs they play about being penniless and itinerant, it isn't surprising that The Tillers have done their part by performing at homelessness benefits. In addition to food and clothing drives, their musical interest in coal mining songs led to an interest in current mining issues. They recently worked with Ohio Citizen Action to combat mountaintop removal," Geoffrey Dobbins, The Nation.

NEW YORK, NY -- "'Goodbye purple mountain's majesty--here comes Patriot Coal! Last night on the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert hosted scientist Margaret Palmer in a brilliant takedown of the Obama administration's recent decision to green light more mountaintop removal permits, in light of a blockbuster new scientific study that concluded that "mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for losses," Jeff Biggers, Huffington Post.

CHARLESTON, WV -- "'Given the numerous challenges working against any substantial recovery of the region’s coal industry, and that production is projected to decline significantly in the coming decades, diversification of Central Appalachian economies is now more critical than ever. State and local leaders should support new economic development across the region, especially in the rural areas set to be the most impacted by a sharp decline in the region’s coal economy.' That’s the take-home message from a major new report issued today by the Morgantown consulting group Downstream Strategies. The report is called, 'The Decline of Central Appalachian Coal and the Need for Economic Diversification.' It’s must-read material for anyone who cares about the future of the Appalachian coalfields, and especially for elected officials who keep hoping that the next coal boom is just around the corner," Ken Ward Jr., Coal Tattoo, Charleston Gazette.

Dr. Margaret Palmer tracks a stream ecosystem threatened by heavy development in the watershed near the University of Maryland.

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "Acting on the wishes of Martinsville and other members, AMP in November terminated one of the projects under development, a coal-fired power plant in Meigs County, Ohio. The project ceased after construction cost estimates rose about 37 percent during the preceding six months. AMP spent about $200 million on developing the plant, and Martinsville’s share was estimated at about $2.08 million, officials have said. Martinsville now has two options, according to officials. One is fully pulling out of its commitment to buy the power that the Meigs plant would have generated. The city would pay AMP the $2.08 million, or what it has not paid already, over a 10- to 15-year period, officials have said. The other option for the city is participating in future AMP projects. Councilman Danny Turner said he wants AMP to account for how the $200 million was spent," Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin.

PAINESVILLE -- AMPGATE, "The contract states that even if a super majority of the participants want to cancel the project AMP-OHIO is entitled to be compensated for money they have spent. At this time they claim to have spent 200 million dollars and Painesvilles share of this would be close to 3.3 million," What's Happening Painesville blog.
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