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

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 House Environment subcommittee voted against HB3348 that would ban mountaintop removal mining in Tennessee.

The Senate Environment, Conservation, and Tourism committee is scheduled to hear companion bill SB3822 a second time today.Today's KNS has an editorial on issue.

UPDATE: Sen. Tommy Kilby has blocked a vote on the bill in the Senate committee. Kilby is bullying committee members, and they don't like it. Notes taking during live video stream after the jump...

UPDATE: Tom Humphrey files this report on the House subcommittee vote. Voting against the bill were William Baird, R-Jacksboro; George Fraley, D-Winchester; Joe McCord, R-Maryville; Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains; and John Tidwell, D-New Johnsonville.

The Tennessee Senate Environment and Conservation Committee had a somewhat confrontational hearing Wednesday on the bill to ban mountaintop removal. Chair Tommy Kilby blocked a vote on the measure.

There was some good news, though. See the LEAF update after the jump. Also see this report at Facing South.

(Cross-posted at TennViews.)

Today is the last day to for you to call or e-mail Governor Bredesen directly so that he can help push LEAF's state bills through subcommittee in order to halt mountain top removal (MTR) practices in Tennessee. The governor is said to already support the legislation, but our Attorney General publicly spoke negatively toward it, citing constitutionality concerns over potential conflict with federal mining laws that supersede the state's.

Fortunately, the wording in the bills has since been tweaked, as I understand it, to emphasize the critical water quality protections needed by the state which should overcome those objections and give teeth to the legislation.

However, the first of the bills (senate version) goes to subcommittee vote tomorrow and in order to survive the subcommittee, a critical push is needed from the Governor himself. It would also help to call and write the Senators in the subcommittee (via here) and urge them to attend and to vote in favor of the bill. The coal lobby is pressuring senators from even showing up, which is equivalent to flipping their votes from Yes to No. Don't let them get away with it.

Here is the latest Urgent Action Alert, copied in its entirety:

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It is critical that Governor Bredesen gets phone calls (615-741-2001 or 615-532-4562) and e-mails (phil.bredesen@state.tn.us) IMMEDIATELY from everyone who cares about Tennessee's mountains.

All you need to say is`: My name is ---, and I'm from ---- county. I'm calling to ask the Governor to publicly support the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act and help facilitate its passage. The bill numbers are Senate Bill 3822 and House Bill 3348. Thank you.

The few minutes it takes you to call could help save Tennessee's mountains forever! If you'd like to review the bill or read supporting arguments for ending mountain top removal (also called cross-ridge mining) in Tennessee, go to Link....

LEAF has attached a double copy of this alert so you can easily print it out, cut it apart, and post it or pass it on to friends. If each LEAF action team member will call the Governor, and then prompt 5 friends or family members to call, we will have a big impact. Please forward this alert to your e-mail address book. We need as many calls as possible. Today [is the last chance critical] time-frame for this action.

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Please also read the details in this update posted here by Betty Bean. More info. and background is here.

Thanks for your immediate attention to this.

It's too easy to think there is no link between the lights in your home and the disgraceful practice of mountaintop removal mines. This interactive site shows very clearly how Knoxville and KUB benefit from mountaintop removal.

Scraping away mountains in order to get energy is a sad practice. Please take a minute to email KUB to urge them to seek sustainable energy sources as quickly as possible.

"From purple mountain majesties..." Remember getting a lump in your throat when you were a kid? I do. America's mountains deserve to be protected.
Link...

The Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169) would reverse the Bush Administration’s 2002 decision that the toxic “waste” created by mountaintop removal could be defined as “fill material,” and recklessly dumped into our water ways. This practice has already destroyed over 1200 miles of American headwater streams, and eliminated access to safe, clean potable water for many communities. The CWPA (HR 2169) currently has 107 co-sponsors, and a lot of momentum. But we need more to get out of committee and onto the floor.

We have 3 of 5 Democrats from TN onboard, and we need to know if Lincoln Davis, Bart Gordon, and John Tanner are “wit’ us” or “ginst us” on stopping mountaintop removal.

If you have a moment, please take a moment to call Davis (202-225-6831), Gordon (202-225-4231), and Tanner (202-225-4714), politely but forcefully asking that they co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169), and take a stand against mountaintop removal.

A quick report on our TN Dems and mountaintop removal below…