The following email was sent to the 41,000 supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.

Because of your actions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made an unprecedented and historic move yesterday toward curbing the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining. The new policy, effective immediately for pending surface mine permits, stipulates that the practice of valley fills - which bury streams and poison Appalachia’s water sources - will not be permitted unless they meet a high standard.

While this is indeed a historic moment in the fight to end mountaintop removal, and we applaud the EPA for this decision, the policy itself could be overturned by a new presidential administration. We need to pass a law making it permanently illegal to pollute the waters of Appalachia.

As Senator Lamar Alexander said in a statement issued Thursday:

“The new EPA guidelines are useful in stopping some inappropriate coal mining in Appalachia but Congress still needs to pass the Cardin-Alexander legislation that would effectively end mountaintop removal mining.”

Please help us pass the Clean Water Protection Act and the Appalachia Restoration Act, two bills which are currently in the U.S. Congress, to ensure that no administration can overturn policy and allow mountaintop removal to continue devastating the communities and environment of Appalachia.

Contact your Congressional representative about the Clean Water Protection Act (H.R. 1310) and your Senator about the Appalachia Restoration Act (S. 696) TODAY and urge them to cosponsor these bills.

Our goal is to pass this legislation THIS YEAR — help us make this a reality by calling today!

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org