Here’s a message we received from Heather Sage, Vice President of Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, regarding upcoming legislation:
Don’t let coal companies trash our streams
We need your help. Our streams are at risk from the coal industry again.
Ask your state representative to oppose House Bill 1847 and your senator to oppose Senate Bill 1034 . These two dirty water bills would allow coal companies to bury streams with waste from mining.
Pennsylvania’s highest water quality classification for rivers and streams is Exceptional Value (EV). Only 2 percent of all stream miles in Pennsylvania are clean enough for this classification, which gives them extra legal protection against pollutants and harmful alterations.
One of the current protections is a ban against dumping coal waste in watersheds designated as EV.
But these two bills, now working their way through the legislature, would remove this prohibition, and allow EV waters that are adjacent to coal refuse disposal sites to be filled with coal refuse obliterating the EV streams and eliminating their critical ecological functions. Even worse, the legislation would actually do this by labeling these sites as “preferred,” which would actually encourage coal companies to ruin these previously unspoiled waterways.
Take action now. We need your help to stop this legislation. Contact your state legislators now to urge them to vote against House Bill 1847 and Senate Bill 1034 to protect Pennsylvania’s most treasured rivers and streams.
Thanks for your support. Together, we can make a difference! Sincerely, Heather Sage
