WVEC Action MemoJune 13, 2006Below:
Keep Fox From Guard Duty At Henhouse--Call Today Why should we oppose Correll? Correll was instrumental in firing the man who dared to blow the whistle on the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) cover up of a major coal sludge disaster in Martin County, Ky. Yup, Correll helped axe mine safety hero and our good friend Jack Spadaro for refusing to sign off on a white-washed report. The report let both MSHA and Massey Energy off the hook for the worst environmental disaster -- a man-made, negligence-driven disaster -- to hit the Southeast. Jack had the integrity not to sign the report, and the courage to blow the whistle on the whole stinky mess, and for that Correll agitated to have him fired. It makes some kind of terrible sense that the Bush administration would want Correll to head OSMRE. The agency is supposed to make certain that coal mining is done in a manner that protects miners and the environment, to make certain the land is restored to some sort of "beneficial use" after the mining is done and to see to that that abandoned coal mines are cleaned up. So the man Bush wants to head OSMRE worked to fire Jack, one of the nation's most knowledgeable mining engineers--a man who really was working for miners' safety and the safety of coalfield residents. If that's not reason enough to oppose Correll, please read the May 19 "Throw him back: Nominee bad choice to oversee strip-mining"" scathing editorial from the Lexington (Ky.) Herald Leader. Also see "Bush's Surface Mining Nominee Up To His Neck In Improper Behavior While At MSHA." Please call* your Senators and Representative. Tell them no Correll at OSM. If they need a clue as to who could fill the position, tell them they really ought to know Jack. You can find out who your Senators are and their phone numbers by clicking here; for Representatives, click here. You may want to call Congressman George Miller no matter where you live--he's been a leader on mining issues. His office is 202-225-2095. *Please note that we recommend calling over e-mailing or letter-writing to DC. Senator Rockefeller, for one, has said phone calls have the most impact. Mail to DC has to go through "security" and can be greatly delayed. You might have better luck with letters written to your DC delegations' local offices, but phone calls are quick. And, e-mails apparently don't make as big an impact with legislators as do phone calls. June 16-18: WVEC Board of Directors Retreat. June 24: 4th Annual Lavender & More Fair, entitled "Livin' Easy". LaPaix Herb Farm, located in Alum Bridge WV (Lewis County). All day event - from 10 am till 5 pm. Highlights include: garden tours; sustainable initiatives; workshops; demonstrations; plants; presentations; wood walks; artisan, environmental, sustainable business, plant & herb booths. Straw bale style building (demonstration & hands-on workshop). Live music, gourmet food prepared by chef Dale Hawkins. Admission: $5. per person or $10. per family. Stay tuned for more detailed information & updates as this event draws closer. Please visit the website listed below! For more information & to register: www.lapaixherbfarm.com July 8-14 in Southern Indiana! Freedom From Oil Action Camp is a *Apply online now for Freedom From Oil Action Camp! * *Email FreedomFromOil (AT)ruckus.org for more information.* *Freedom From Oil Action Camp (8-14 July 2006 in Southern Indiana)* is a By day, participants will learn hard skills to build strategic and Important *alliance building* will take place to move forward on election *Constituents* *Apply online now for Freedom From Oil Action Camp! * Wow! The Environmental Defense community has really stepped up. Already, 50,000 light bulb swaps have been pledged, preventing more than 50 million of pounds of global warming pollution. But it's just the beginning of our Make the Switch Campaign to reduce global warming pollution through the use of energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Join the effort and switch a light bulb in your home. Our goal for the Environmental Defense community is to switch ONE MILLION light bulbs over the next year. This will cut global warming pollution by more than ONE BILLION pounds. Swapping out just one standard 100w bulb for a just-as-bright CFL reduces global warming pollution by more than 1,300 pounds! Here's what you need to know:
We're asking every member of the Environmental Defense community to pledge to switch at least one bulb in the coming year. But don't just stop at one bulb! If you and two friends pledge to change out all the bulbs in your homes, we'll easily beat our million-bulb goal! Please take the first step today. Pledge to switch at least one bulb in the coming year. Sincerely, |