save tennessee mountains with a call

Phil Bredesen, the 48th governor of Tennessee, took office in 2003, with a promise be the "environmental governor" and "to make government work on behalf of its citizens for the betterment of the entire state." Instead Bredesen and his administration have flung open the door to mountain top removal mining in clear violation of the laws they swore to uphold.

Please place on all groups you are a member of and circulate far and wide.

Save Tennessee Mountains! Action Now!! Please help us.

You can help save entire mountain ranges and mountain sides in Tennessee with a few calls, emails and a fax or two.

Tell Governor Bredesen (http://mountainjusticesummer.org/bredesen.htm) that the ridges of Tennessee are at risk unless he acts to force state agencies to follow the law. Tell Governor Bredesen that he has a duty to protect Tennessee’s water producing mountains. Tell him that Mountain Top Removal AKA Cross Ridge mining is the final solution for Tennessee's Mountains unless he acts.

Normally Katuah Earth First! regards politicians as scum who are not to be trusted on any level. Power comes from the grassroots–not elected officials. We cannot compete financially with the corporations for large centralized power basis–but we can with decentralized grassroots power. Anarchism is the idea that we don’t need large centralized power structures to govern ourselves, and perhaps we don’t need to be governed at all.

But tactically at this juncture in our campaign here in Tennessee all the arrows are pointing to our state agencies. Philosophical objections to an existing power base is all very well–but we must save our mountains. The Tennessee Department of Environment (TDEC) is regulates water permits for Tennessee. Mountain Top Removal AKA Cross Ridge Mining by its very nature destroys highland watersheds.

Call Governor Bredesen and request that he tell TDEC to get off the fence and enforce the law against these rapacious mountain gobbling coal companies. Also call TDEC officials and ask to speak to the TDEC commissioner Betsy Child. TDEC and Governor Bredesen–we need to get thousands of people to call/email/fax these people–polite but a grassroots push.

Take 5 minutes to do some internet research on the subject. Goto the website mountainjusticesummer.org Email, call and fax. Our goal is to get several thousand people to comment in some manner or form. 300 people could save one of Tennessee’s mountain ranges on the Cumberland Plateau. 1 contact could save a mountain. You could be the call/email/ letter that saves a stream, highland watershed–or even a mountain.

It’s a hassle calling public officials but at this time this is a solid commitment of energy. Governor Bredesen is an avid fisherman that fishes the Cumberland River. TDEC has been wavering lately on the wisdom of being a rubber stamp for the final solution for our watersheds. A massive landslide happened in the New River area in February from an “reclaimed” mine site that has alarmed the State of Tennessee–not to mention getting a huge color photo in the Knoxville paper.

In terms of our campaign in Tennessee for once old fashion lobbying on a targeted basis can create significant obstacles in the path of the greedy coal companies after Tennessee’s mountains. In short–now is the time to call TDEC and Bredesen.

Below are the numbers/and emails to contact. Be polite–this is Tennessee and rudeness to staff of the State would be a tactical blunder–educate don’t eradicate. Constant inquires and lobbying will have effect at this juncture in our struggle to save our mountains. Thank you so much for helping the mountain of Appalachia with a few minutes of your time.

Bredesen prefers to look the other way as permits for the destruction of our mountains are handed out like candy. Zeb Mountain is currently being torn apart for corporate short term profits. The mountains of Tennessee not only provide us with clean water, abundant wildlife, places to recreate and tourism opportunities, but most of all our mountains are the backbone of Tennessee's cultural heritage.

Contact Governor Bredesen and tell him to stop the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) from giving permits to out of state coal companies like National Coal Company (from Florida), or to any coal company. Make him force TDEC to follow the law and its own regulations. The Tennessee Water Quality Control Act forbids issuing permits for activities that pollute the waters of the state. Mountain top removal blows up the mountains layer by layer, destroying everything that lives in them.

Katuah Earth First!
Ministry of Mountain Propaganda Faction

Email: phil.bredesen (at) state.tn.us
Sure, give him a call!
Phone: 615.741.2001
Fax: 615.532.9711
Contact Phil & ask him to do his job.
Governor's Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001

TDEC Commissioner Betsy Child: Betsy.Child (at) state.tn.us

Dave Turner: Dave.Turner (at) state.tn.us
Don Owens: Don.Owens (at) state.tn.us
Bredesen: Phil.Bredesen (at) state.tn.us
Alan Leiserson: Alan.Leiserson (at) state.tn.us (TDEC's lawyer)

TDEC homepage
http://www.state.tn.us/environment/ask.tdec@state.tn.us
(888) 891-TDEC (8332)
401 Church Street
L & C Annex
1st Floor
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0435
Governor’s office
Tennessee State Capital
\Nashville, TN 37243-001
615.742.2001

Check out Mountain Justice Summer-an effort to save our Mountains based on Rewood and Mississippi summers.

mountainjusticesummer.org
See also:
http://mountainjusticesummer.org
http://mountainjusticesummer.org