Members gather at Hazard airport for congressional visit

Fifty KFTC members gathered at the Hazard Airport on Saturday awaiting a visit from Congressman Chandler and the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment,  Norm Dicks, of Washington State.  They  were on their way to Eastern Kentucky on a fact finding tour to learn more about the impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining.  However, they were unable to make the tour because the plane they were flying in on from Washington ,DC – a plane operated by the Office of Surface Mining – had a dead battery the morning of their flight. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment has jurisdiction over the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Office of Surface Mining (OSM).

"They'll set it up again and we'll be here again," said Dolvin Rattliff of Floyd County.

After learning that the Congressional Tour was not going to happen, the fifty community members that had come out to greet them quickly organized a press conference and turned the disappointment into a great event.  Members shared stories.  Rep. Don Pasley came out and participated in the press conference and told the crowd, "We need to praise you, citizen activists, for raising these important issues."  Ann League of SOCM came from Tennessee on her birthday to be a part of the day and to speak on behalf of the Alliance For Appalachia.  Her message for the press that this is a regional issue affection all Appalachians and the grassroots groups in the region are working together on solutions. Dr. Matt Wasson of Appalachian Voices gave a presentation to the group on the most recent scientific findings on mountaintop removal that was informative and compelling.  Members shared lunch and spoke with members of the press present.

Even though we are frustrated and disappointed that Chandler and Dicks were not able to be here, it was still a veery good experience because we were able to come together to share stories, learn about what's going on in different communities and gain information on the most current scientific research.  We're leaving today more knowledgeable and motivated

- Sara Pennington, Knott County Member

Chandler and Dicks say they are committed to coming to Kentucky and are working to rescheduling their visit.