Come Out for Wellness and Water III

Update: Our registration page is finally live. Click here to register online.

Please plan to join us on October 3–4 for Wellness and Water III. For the third year in a row, people concerned about health issues in communities adversely affected by water pollution will gather to share experiences and knowledge and to explore solutions.

The first year in Morgantown and the second in Buckhannon both focused on impacts from shale gas drilling and mountaintop removal coal mining.

This year, we meet in Charleston and include a third source of pollution: chemical manufacturing and storage, which has been on the minds of many since the MCHM chemical leak in January that contaminated drinking water for some 300,000 people hooked into WV American Water’s water distribution system.

Wellness and Water III will be held at Village Chapel Presbyterian Church, 3818 Venable Ave., Charleston, WV 25304.

On the evening of Friday, October 3, we’ll kick things off with a concert featuring Andrew McKnight and Colleen Anderson & George Castelle. Registration begins at 6 p.m. and the concert runs from 7 – 10 p.m. It will be big fun, plus it will help raise money for conference scholarships. Help spread the word: download, print and post this concert flier in friendly locations. While you are at it, do the same for this flier promoting the entire event.

The Saturday program the program will include lively educational sessions and plenary speakers. Among those presenting will be Dr. Chuck Sommerville, who is performing water research at Marshall University, representatives from Downstream Strategies in Morgantown, WV, and Grant Smith of the Civil Society Institute, who will address the potential of truly renewable energy sources to alleviate health problems and water pollution. We’ll also hear from folks whose lives are negatively affected by water pollution from gas, coal and chemical operations.  Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the program runs 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Join in! Volunteers needed to help with set-up, tear down, promotion. E-mail info@ohvec.orgif you’d like to help out or if you need more info.

You’ll soon be able to register for Wellness and Water III online here. Please do pre-register; it will save you money and we’ll help our planning. If you want to register right away, call the OVEC office at 304-522-0246.

Featured speakers:

• Dr. Rahul Gupta — Executive Director/Health Officer, Kanawha/Charleston Health Department, central figure in the MCHM discussions and studies.
• Helen Slottje — 2014 Goldman Prize Winner, helps towns across New York defend themselves from oil and gas companies by passing local bans on fracking.
• Maria Gunnoe — 2009 Goldman Prize Winner and OVEC staff member, organizer, educator and leader in the opposition to mountaintop removal coal mining.

We’ll have plenty of “open space / tabling” time where you can meet and ask questions of people and groups working on water-related issues and solutions including: Bill Howley: PSC, solar; Mary Wildfire: sustainable living; Jon Christensen– MountainView Solar and others.

The event sponsors will all have tables so you can learn more about each of these groups.

Event sponsors: OVEC, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, WV Citizen Action Group, WV Surface Owners’ Rights Organization, Doddridge County Watershed Association, People Concerned About Chemical Safety, WV FREE, Sierra Club—WV Chapter, WV Sustainable Business Association.

Pre-registration fees:
Friday night concert only: $15 (reception included)
Saturday events only: $40 (includes lunch)
Fri. & Sat.: $50 (includes reception, lunch)

At-door registration:
Friday night only: $20 (reception not guaranteed)
Saturday events only: $55 (lunch not guaranteed)
Fri. & Sat.: $55, if paid Friday night (Friday reception availability and Saturday lunch not guaranteed)

Limited scholarships available. Contact info@ohvec.org if you’d like to find out about scholarships or donate to sponsor a scholarship.