Oct. 26: Deadline to Comment on Stream “Protection” Rule

Mountaintop removal coal mining is still destroying our mountains, our streams, our health and even entire communities.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is one of the agencies that is supposed to be protecting us from coal industry abuses and keeping coal companies from breaking laws. In July, OSM released its long-awaited draft of the Stream Protection Rule (SPR), regarding restrictions for surface coal mining near waterways.

Please take a few moments for our streams. Click here to submit comments on this rule. The public comment period ends Monday, October 26.   

If you want to learn more and submit more extensive written comments, follow the links here.

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Hey WV – Take Action for Racial Justice
We hope many of you will join us:
Take Action for Racial Justice
November 3, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Wilson Student Union
WV State University

Take Action for Racial Justice will be an opportunity to join a team that is working on assorted racial justice issues facing WV, such as reducing racial disparities in arrests in Charleston, Second Chance Employment Act + Let Me Drive, Let Me Work (both criminal justice reforms), juvenile justice reform, West Side/East End reinvestment, and racial justice dialogue and education.

These teams have been coalescing since last November, when nearly 200 area folks attended the Summit on Race Matters in Appalachia. In Charleston, in April, 40 community leaders took an Undoing Racism training, in August, 40 students were educated about structural racism at the first ever WV Freedom School, and in June more than 150 people attended the Call to Action for Racial Justice event. Needless to say, a lot of inspired ideas have been generated.

Now we invite you to join student and community leaders alike as we build power around a racial justice platform of issues and campaigns that we will — with your help! — advance and win on in 2016.

Before the November 3 meeting, help out:

1) Spread the word: Copy this post with your contacts and join and share the Facebook event. post, share!

2) Join a team: If there’s a team you would like to join in advance of the event OR if you are unable to attend on Nov. 3, please contact Takeiya Smith at TRSmith@afsc.org with what team you are interested in joining and she will get you connected with the team leaders!

3) Sponsor the event: If you would like to be a sponsor of this event, please contact Lida Shepherd at Lshepherd@afsc.org.

4) Visit the brand new Race Matters in WV website, created with grant funding from the WV Humanities Council and support from the WV Center on Budget and Policy. If there is something you would like listed or included on this newly developing site, please contact Tara Martinez at Tmartinez@wvpolicy.org.

5) Register to attend the Summit on Race Matters in Appalachia November 10 – 11 in Lewisburg.

Take Action for Racial Justice event sponsors include:
Partnership of African American Churches / WV Citizen Action Group /Tuesday Morning Group / Our Children, Our Future / WVSU Student Chapter / OVEC / WV Center on Budget and Policy / Hope CDC Inc. / NAACP-WVSU / Temple Israel / ACLU-WV / WV FREE / Inspire WV / WV Coalition Against Domestic Violence / National Association of Social Workers / Black Ministerial Alliance / YWCA of Charleston / Mothers of Diversity of America / Healthy Kids and Families Coalition / American Friends Service Committee / Covenant House / East End Family Resource Center

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Come Out Monday: We Need a Public Water System!
On October 26, the WV Public Service Commission will host a public hearing on West Virginia American Water’s pending rate increase case at PSC HQ in Charleston at 6 p.m.

West Virginia American Water wants to raise our rates by 28%. Meanwhile, they have no plans to make our system safer, to fix our water mains any faster, or to increase their workforce.

On October 26, come a little early to join folks outside PSC’s HQ at 201 Brooks St., Charleston, WV. Be there at 5:30 p.m. Learn more, then come inside together to pack PSC’s hearing room to say “No Way.”

If you are frustrated by the water company’s high rates, poor service, main breaks and continued vulnerability, then the Public Service Commission needs to hear from you! Learn more here. 

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Treehuggers’ Ball is Back!
Save the Date: December 4. OVEC’s board is planning the comeback of a long-time OVEC member favorite event — the Treehuggers’ Ball.  Join us at the V-Club in Huntington starting at 6 p.m. More details to come. Start shining your dancing shoes now!

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