Live blogging the Pikeville valley fill hearing

Thousands of miners lined up outside of the Expo Center prior to the hearing

KFTC members from all over the state have come together in Pikeville to participate in the Army Corps' public hearing on valley fill permitting.  Comments made at this hearing will weigh into the Army Corps' decision as to whether or not they will eliminate the Nationwide Permit 21 (NWP 21), a rule that allows coal companies to receive valley fill permits with very little environmental oversight. 

The event is happening at the East Kentucky Expo Center, a large arena in downtown Pikeville with a capacity of about 4,600 seats.  People on both sides of the issue have signed up to speak publicly on the proposed rule change.  We will be live blogging the hearing, so we will be updating this entry as things happen.  Please check back through the evening for the latest updates.

6:30 p.m. - People are waiting outside the Expo Center for the doors to open.  The coal industry is holding a large rally in a city park across the street.

Some of the KFTC members in the audience at the hearing

6:45 p.m. - We've arrived in the arena.  It is now about 2/3 full.  Most of the KFTC members are in a clump on the second level, taking up about 5 rows.  We also have a few members down on the floor.

6:59 p.m. -  A member of the Army Corps just spoke telling us that they will be postponing the beginning of the hearing for a few minutes so everyone can get a seat.

7:03 p.m. - A number of us were holding up the blue signs from this year's I Love Mountains Day rally.  Then a guy with a walkie talkie comes by to tell us that we aren't allowed to have them.  They weren't blocking anyone's view, so it isn't clear why they aren't allowed.  There are plenty of people wearing t-shirts with messages on them.  

7:22 p.m. -  The internet is being really spotty here so we might have some gaps in reporting.  The hearing has yet to start, and people are still filing into the building.

Some of the signs held by supporters of the coal industry at the NWP 21 hearing -Photo by Beth Bissmeyer

7:32 p.m. - Coal industry supporters are chanting "We need coal!" clapping, and cheering.  The Army Corps rep is on stage and is opening the hearing.

7:39 p.m. - Army Corps rep, "Even if we do eliminate NWP 21 there are other options to obtain permits for mining"  This is followed by boos and expletives.

7:50 p.m. - The floor is now open to comments.  The Army Corps rep is limiting comments to 3 minutes.  The first batch of speakers are Bob Mitchell representing U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, a representative from Sen. Imhoff from Oklahoma, Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, Rep. Leslie Combs, and State Sen. Ray Jones. 

Bob Mitchell - Coal industry supporters are cheering after everything he says, causing him to go over time.  He claims coal provides 50% of the nation's energy, but the number is actually closer to 43%.

8:03 p.m. - Dan Mongiardo compares MTR to surgery in his operating room.  "It may look bad while it is happening, but in the end it will only leave a small scar."  "We should stop calling it mountaintop removal, instead call it mountaintop development."  Stuff about trails and adventure tourism.

8:07 p.m. - Ray Jones is speaking.  The hearing is starting to feel more like a pep rally than a public hearing. "Coal provides us energy security." "I don't want my children to speak Chinese."

KFTC member Rachel Harrod speaking at the hearing. Photo by Beth Bissmeyer

8:26 p.m. - "if you all who aren't standing up and cheering don't like our coal, you call your electric company to cut your power off."

8:38 p.m. - A speaker claims that if NWP 21 is eliminated then counties will not be able to pay for sewers leading to more straight piping and worse water than we already have.

8:41 p.m. - We've been hearing comments for more than an hour now and we still yet to hear from one directly affected person, only politicians and businessmen.

8:47 p.m. - Rocky Adkins is speaking now

8:52 p.m. - "Repealing NWP 21 is discrimination against the people of Appalachia"

8:58 p.m. - The crowd and commenters are becoming increasingly verbally aggressive towards the "tree huggers" in the audience.

9:14 p.m. - KFTC members still haven't had a chance to speak.  Currently an employee of a coal company, not a miner, is speaking.  Some nearby coal industry supporters have been harassing/arguing with a couple of our members.  The crowd has begun to thin out some as well.  The arena is less than half-full now.

9:29 p.m. - Mary Love, our first speaker, is now at the microphone.  She is being greeted wih boos and heckling.  It takes a couple attempts by the representative from the Army Corps to quiet down the hecklers.

9:32 p.m. -  Doug Doerrfeld is on the stand.  The boos and expletives from the crowd continue making it difficult to hear his comments.  There seems to be an increasing number of coal supporters leaving the arena.  About 1/3 of the original audience remains.

9:36 p.m. -  Vanessa Hall, a member from Pike County is on stage, but people are yelling at her to "get a job."  "As you can see it isn't easy being green in Pike County." "I deserve clean water!"

9:57 p.m. - Lyle Snyder, a member from Hazard, is up to speak next.

10:03 p.m. - Lyle, "The people who live near proposed mining sites deserve to have a say about those sites' permits."

10:25 p.m. - KFTC member Margaret Stewart, "We have a moral and sacred obligation to protect water."

10:28 p.m. - Speaker, "As you can see most of the audience has left, maybe next time you can put the coal miners first and the politicians last."  Only about 10% of the seats in the arena are occupied now.

People continued offering up comments until after midnight, long after the majority of the audience had left, including a number of KFTC members who had driven 3 hours or more to be heard.  All told 22 members were able to present comments at the hearing.