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Jan
5
On Saturday, December 27, I wrote Rachael Belz at Ohio Citizen Action the following e-mail:
I’m a freelance writer and blogger based in NEOhio.
I’ve been following the Harriman, TN fly ash incident since it happened but I would really like to understand better its implications for Ohio.
Have you written anything about that yet, or would you be willing to tell me about it?
Thanks.
Today, I received the following response (and permission to publish) from Paul Ryder, Organizing Director, Ohio Citizen Action:
We have not written about it. Here are some notes on implications:
1. It is a reminder that the existence of the coal industry in Ohio and every other coal state depends on massive shifting of costs to innocent people. If the coal companies had to pay for all the costs of their operations, they would immediately go out of business.
This cost shifting is made possible by the servility of federal and state governments. Ohio is among the worst: http://www.ohiocitizen.org/moneypolitics/2006/strickland_memo.html.
2. It is also a reminder that “clean coal” — peddled in Ohio as much as anywhere – is a joke. “Clean coal” enthusiasts talk only about burning coal cleanly, ignoring the devastation of coal extraction. (And they can’t even make the case that coal can be burned cleanly.)
3. It is a comment on the bigotry of the national media that it occurred on Dec 22, and it took almost a week for the national media to take it seriously. Had this taken place in Washington or New York or LA, it would have been covered round the clock as the catastrophe it was. Since Appalachians suffered, the national media took its time.
4. For background on impoundments, here are a few places to start:
Chuck Nelson, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, (304) 934-0399
Vivian Stockman, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, (304) 522-0246http://www.ohvec.org/issues/slurry_impoundments/index.html
http://www.sludgesafety.org/
http://www.coalimpoundment.org/
I hope this is helpful. Please call if you have any questions. (614) 263-4600.
Now, I’m just a lowly blogger with less than 350 “visitors” a day, probably a lot of those 350 are repeats – so maybe I have 175 people who read? Maybe?
And I’ve been writing (via blogging and tweeting) about the Harriman, TN coal ash disaster since the day after it happened.
But our Ohio press? Which covers our governor? And our coal industry? And the energy and environmental issues of our state? And the health of Ohio’s residents?
Not so much.
And that’s just plain wrong, I don’t care how many years their Editors and Editorial Filters have been around. They are making a very bad, wrong and hurtful decision by not investigating and exposing more about what Ohio is – or is not – doing that it should be doing to make sure a Kingston-style disaster can’t happen here and that Ohioans are assured as much.
Many thanks to Ohio Citizen for taking the time to respond.
NB: A story by the AP, about the Crandall Canyon coal mine collapse (the mine owned by Murray Energy Corp., headed by Pepper Pike’s Robert Murray), did make it to cleveland.com on 1/2/09. But still no larger picture stories about the faux hope and real threat of continuing to think that coal is even part of The Answer.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:37 pm January 5th, 2009 in activism, Business, Economy, Energy, Environment, Health Care, Law, Marketing, Ohio, Politics, Resources, Utilities
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7 Responses to “Impact of TN coal ash disaster on Ohio? “Clean coal…is a joke””
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Its quite interesting article. Posting a massive article in the body where elaboration on the question is supposed to be… not the best idea.
good for you, posting this and doing the groundwork to connect it to the state!
From what I’ve learned thus far, Ohio has more coal ash stored in these holding ponds than almost any other state in the U.S.
Keep digging.
Thanks, Matt. I really am in shock over the complete silence on the Ohio press on this issue. It’s as though there’s a gag order in place. Maybe I’m just missing them all but I don’t think so.
I agree; the silence is almost deafening.
I’m a freelancer based out of Cinci, and have been gathering local info on the subject since the TN disaster, hopefully to get someting out to the local public sooner rather than later.
It amazes me that the myth of clean coal is not adequately discussed in the television news media, however, it does give me hope to see people commenting on just that, even if it is online. We all know that the internet has the ability to affect massive amounts of change, and I hope the issue of clean coal is one of them. If you have not yet discovered it, there is a coalition of many groups dedicated to fighting the misinformation about clean coal. http://www.powerpastcoal.com has launched a 100 Days of Action to Power Past Coal campaign, and its goal is to provide, through the website, the ability for community activists to add their local events and gather information about clean coal. Please check it out, and let’s make this a powerful campaign. In order to do that, we need all the assistance we can get.
Families for a Clean Tennessee Video Hits the Streets!
VIEW THE VIDEO NOW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4AfA2_fNMM
Families for a Clean Tennessee released a video reinforcing a poll conducted by Insider Advantage. The poll uncovered that more than 80% of voters oppose dumping nuclear waste in ordinary commercial landfills.
The poll also uncovered the following:
* 90% believe nuclear waste should be disposed of in long-term isolation facilities.
* More than 75% of likely voters-both Democrats and Republicans– are more likely to support a candidate for Governor that is opposed to nuclear dumping and the BSFR program.
* Nearly 60% are more likely to support a legislative candidate that is opposed to nuclear dumping and the BSFR program.
* More than 50% have stated they would actively work for the election of any candidate from either party that opposes the dumping of nuclear waste in Tennessee landfills.
* More than 50% support Senate Bill 687, and more than 60% are more likely to vote for candidates that support Senate Bill 687.
* 63.5% believe that under no circumstance should nuclear waste be dumped in Tennessee.
A copy of the poll has been sent to every legislator in Tennessee along with a pledge asking them to support ending the practice of Bulk Survey for Release.
VIEW THE VIDEO NOW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4AfA2_fNMM
Families for a Clean Tennessee are very concerned about this latest development: DOE wants to ship low-level radioactive waste to an Anderson County landfill from a closed plutonium extraction plant in New York. See the news article at: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/oct/09/doe-wants-ship-low-level-radioactive-waste-anderso/ Equivalent to 200 dump truck loads of waste! We must act now. To support this effort call Senator Tim Burchette at 615-741-1766 now! Tell him you are opposed to accepting New York’s nuclear waste in our backyard! Visit our website for more ways you can help combat this activity at http://www.cleantennessee.org/