More Mountaintop Removal? Say NO to the Governor’s Plans
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Pine Branch Coal Co. mountaintop removal mine ner the Hazard airport |
Did you catch the news earlier this week? Gov. Steve Beshear wants a new state energy plan and he wants more mountaintop removal, more coal burning and possibly even nuclear energy to be part of that plan!
The same day this announcement was released the City of Louisville issued an air quality alert. And — if the day was like any other average day in Kentucky — two Kentuckians died prematurely because of complications caused by air pollution from coal-fired power plants, and another coalfield family lost their water well as a result of mining.
While much of the rest of the world works to wean ourselves from the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, our officials in Frankfort are embracing coal — including mining it in the most destructive way possible. It is hard to believe that this is what Kentuckians want. In fact, we know it’s not. We need your help in convincing Gov. Beshear that this is the wrong path for Kentucky.
Starting last night in Pike County, Gov. Beshear began a series of town hall meetings throughout Kentucky. Over the next five weeks the governor will hold a dozen more such meetings. We hope that at every stop KFTC members will be there to challenge the governor on his misguided policies, that not only include his active promotion of mountaintop removal but also:
-- the horrible budget he proposed earlier this year that included massive cuts for education, human services and environmental protection;
-- his failure to support the restoration of voting rights for former felons legislation until it was too late in the session to do any good;
-- his administration’s blocking of efforts to expand the goals of Kentucky’s economic development programs to include reducing poverty and inequality, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, and conserving the integrity of Kentucky's natural and cultural heritage.
ACTION:
Kentuckians want and expect better. We hope all KFTC members will make an effort to attend one of the town meetings below and speak out about these and other issues that concern you.
The "Beshear About Kentucky†tour includes:
- July 21 – Somerset: Somerset High School
- July 24 – Winchester: George Rogers Clark High School
- July 28 – Ashland
- July 31 – Madisonville
- August 5 – Shepherdsville
- August 6 – Bowling Green
- August 11 – Owensboro
- August 12 – Hazard
- August 13 – Northern Kentucky
- August 18 – Henderson
- August 19 – Murray
- August 20 – Paducah
All events will begin at 6:00 p.m. local time. However, the governor’s office is not releasing the location of each gathering until a few days prior. You can call the governor’s office at 502-564-2611, check his web site and we will put it on the KFTC calendar as soon as we know.
There are other actions you can take:
1) Call the governor’s office (502-564-2611) and leave a message that more mountaintop removal and more fossil fuel dependence is wrong for Kentucky. He should oppose these practices, not embrace them.
2) Write a letter to the editor about any of these issues that most concerns you — coal, energy, budget, voting rights, accountable economic development. Help create a public conversation that will move Kentucky forward by investing in a better future for all Kentuckians.
THANKS for taking action!
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