Contact Congress to Reclaim Our Mountains; Plant Seeds of Resistance, More

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Jun 7, 2016

Tell Congress: It’s Time to Reclaim Our Mountains
This week, some OVEC volunteers and a staff member are joining about 40 folks in Washington, D.C. to speak up to defend our water and reclaim our future—and they need your help.

The RECLAIM Act, which would accelerate the release of $1 billion of Abandoned Mine Lands funding, is now before Congress. The bill supports our mountain communities by creating jobs and cleaning up dangerous former mine sites, without using one cent of taxpayer money. The $1 billion would come from the $2.5 billion Abandoned Mine Land Fund currently sitting in Washington. We just need Congress to release the funds so we can get to work.

Help the folks in D.C. by showing your support of the RECLAIM Act. Click here, and in just a few minutes you can learn a little more, and take action to urge Congress to invest in Appalachia’s future by passing the RECLAIM Act. OVEC organizer Dustin White says, “For more than 100 years Appalachian communities fueled America. We are proud to be home to many rich assets, including our land, water, heritage, and people.

“But as you know, we have made great sacrifices to mine, transport and process the coal that powered America. Now it’s time to clean up the toxic legacy of coal that haunts so many of our communities and create economic opportunities for these communities at the same time.”

Support Dustin and all the other folks heading to D.C. this week. Contact your legislator today and let them know that you support the RECLAIM Act, and that you want them to sign on as a co-sponsor.

While in DC, the WV crew takes in a showing of “Time to Choose.” OVEC helped the researchers and film crew for the MTR segment. Left to right: Dustin White, Wendy Johnson, April Keating, and Kevin Campbell.

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Thanks for Challenge Grant Support!
Thanks ever so much for the outpouring of generosity to help us meet our $20,000 challenge-grant goal. A week before the deadline, we were down $6,000. But thanks to all of you who responded to our emails, phone calls, and letter with donations and pledges, we not only met our $20,000 goal, but we pushed the “mercury” over the top to a whopping $31,200! Your contributions more than doubled in one week. Wow!

You showed super dedication and commitment to OVEC’s work! We are so grateful to individuals like you who support our ongoing efforts to protect our people and our precious natural resources (our water, our forests, our flora and fauna)—the places that we love—from extreme fossil fuel extraction. You give your time and money; also give yourself a big hug from OVEC to you.

If you’re one of the folks who wasn’t able to help with the challenge—remember, we have power in numbers, and you can help build our power by joining OVEC anytime. We have a “sweat equity” membership option that allows you to join at no cost, as long as you commit to taking volunteer action. Reply to this e-mail for details. You can also support OVEC at no cost if you are a Kroger shopper. Details here.

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June 7: Frack Free Day of Action
Frackfree America has declared June 7 a Frack Free Day of Action. We encourage you to get local in joining this national action by engaging in some type of public, legal and peaceful way of declaring your neighborhood and/or community’s aversion to gas fracking encroachment. Check out ideas on how you can take action here.

One simple thing to do is support what we are calling “Bike for Bill.” Details here.

Note that you can also join the fracking action underway (June 6 – 8) in VA and WV, the Seeds of Resistance Tour. All the details are here. If you contact us right away, you may get one of the last spots in an OVEC carpool heading from Huntington to Weston on June 8. Details here.

A shot from yesterday, Day 1 of the Seeds of Resistance Tour in VA/WV.

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Annual Picnic and Other Upcoming Events
Circle July 23 on your calendar and plan to join us for OVEC’s annual member and invited-guest picnic. We’ll gather at 5 p.m. at Coonskin Park in Charleston, WV, If you are a member, watch for a mailer with final details.

Bring a friend, neighbor, or family member along for a fun evening of socializing, complete with live music. We’ll be giving out our annual awards.

OVEC will provide the main-course vittles; you can feel free to bring a side dish if you like. We also encourage you to bring your own re-usable place settings and cups to cut down on waste.

If you miss the mailer, e-mail info@ohvec.org or call 304-522-0246 for details. We do hope to see you there!

Note that there is now only one way to enter the park:

Coming from the South: Take I-79 North to Exit 1 Mink Shoals. Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue. Travel about 1/2 mile to Coonskin entrance on right.

Coming from the North: Take I-79 South to Exit 1 Mink Shoals. Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue. Travel about 1/2 mile to Coonskin entrance on right.

More Events

June 10: Deadline to apply for Half-time Volunteer/Membership Coordinator at OVEC.

June 10: Update! Time moved to 2 p.m. Wear black! Fayette County Headwaters Defense calls on you to help pack the courtroom in the case of EQT Production Company vs Wender (that is the fracking waste injection well company VS. Fayette County Commissioners, who have banned fracking waste injection in the county), CASE # 2:16-cv-290.

The hearing takes place before U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver, Jr. in the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, 300 Virginia Street, East, Suite 2400, Charleston, WV 25301. Start time is 10 a.m.

Background: Ban passed Jan, 12. Ban restrained Jan. 20. Also see this story, as well as the case history here.

June 11-13: People from across the country will converge on Washington, D.C. for the Convergence to Support Eco-prisoners and Fight Toxic Prisons. Come for a weekend of workshops, strategizing and direct action. Learn from folks who lived it about experiences fighting repression and living behind prison walls. Full schedule here.

Learn more: Incarceration, justice and the planet: Could the fight against toxic prisons shape the future of environmentalism?

June 22: 6:00 p.m. Artist reception at Taylor Books with photographer Builder Levy. Join Builder in the Annex Gallery for a discussion about his collection Appalachia USA and the 30 years he’s spent traveling to Appalachia to make photographs. You’ll also hear about his travels to Africa and Mongolia, and his work photographing in the streets of New York City. See a slideshow of photos that weren’t included in the exhibit and hear from a few people who have followed his career. Presentation starts at 6 p.m., followed by audience Q&A. Refreshments available. Builder will sign books for those interested.