How the E.P.A. Doesn't Even Deserve Its Title Anymore

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Sliding into home base as it is, the Bush administration has decided to give a few final plumps to its various friends in energy-resource (and anti-environmental) industry. In this case they're pushing through the de-regulation of stream and water-resource protection, the one that keeps those streams and wetlands that still exist in the Appalachian region from turning into slurries. While the E.P.A. will technically have to sign off on this "revision", they already turned a blind eye to an earlier tweak that removed regulations for dumping waste directly into the flow of streams and rivers. The repeal of the buffer-zone will allow companies to contaminate not only the water sources themselves but the space all around the water source, enabling them to dig access roads and tracks right down to the water, completely destroying not only the mountains but the ecosystems in the valleys as well.

Now, I'm not terribly skilled at deconstructing legal documents, even super-reductive ones such as this fact sheet detailing information on the Stream Buffer Zone rule, but it seems to me that the language at the bottom of page two is a bit faint-hearted (so basically people shouldn't disturb the wildlife, but dumping mining waste is different so that's...okay? I'm confused) and does not actually speak to the heading of the section WHATSOEVER (header being: How is OSM proposing to change SBZ). And without any concrete answer, what's the point of the fact sheet? And in re: the very last statement: I don't want to see anything about "explanations of why that alternative is not possible". That's the loophole, and it's not even a subtle one. They must really think we're all idiots, and maybe we are. Industry, and the corrupt governmental offices it panders to, will just keep getting away with this until we say something.

Coal River Mountain Watch has the talking points. They're better at this than I.

I Love Mountains has the petition. I strongly encourage everyone to visit and sign.

And finally, Hillbilly Savants are everything I want to be. Only they don't have the shoes like I do. And that's your yearly free-pass on redneck and hillbilly jokes right there, except that I still have all my teeth.