An investigative report by Channel 5 in Nashville has revealed that the 74,000 acre Sundquist state wildlife area, which cost Tennessee taxpayers $40 million dollars to purchase, is now being mined by Knoxville-based National Coal. All Tennessee taxpayers should watch this 5 minute investigative report (15 second commercial first) and then take action below to put an end to the destruction. NC5 Investigates Strip Mining In Tennessee [1] According to the report, mountaintop removal is just now really getting cranked up in Tennessee. Now that 2,000 acres of Zeb Mountain have been pretty much reduced to just a big pile of rubble, the coal companies are moving on to assault other mountaintops in Tennessee. There are several pending mining permits just north of Knoxville, especially in Grainger County. We can still stop it - if you will take just 5 minutes to contact the representatives below to keep the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Act alive! The Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act recently passed a Senate committee vote but the bill was killed in committee in the House. However, if we can revive the House version, we might still have a chance to pass this legislation that will protect our mountains from being destroyed. There are far better ways to extract coal than this terrible process that reduces the mountain tops to rubble and pollutes the valley and the streams below with the debris. Please take 5 minutes to email or call the following people and ask them to revive the House version of the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Act. Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen, Phone 615 741-2001 fax 615 532-9711 or e-mail phil.bredesen@state.tn.us . Ask him to use his influence to help move the bill this year. John C. Tidwell (615) 741-7098 john.tidwell@legislature.state.tn.us Joe McCord (615) 741-5481 joe.mccord@legislature.state.tn.us Frank Niceley (615) 741-4419 frank.niceley@legislature.state.tn.us George Fraley (615) 741-8695 george.fraley@legislature.state.tn.us William Baird (615) 741-3335 william.baird@legislature.state.tn.us David Hawk (615) 741-7482 david.hawk@legislature.state.tn.us And don't forget to visit www.tnleaf.org [2] and www.ilovemountains.org [3] for more information.