Asthma, Heart Disease, Cancer and General Illness Found in Kentucky Mountain Top Removal Community

BEREA, Ky., March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A study published in the Journal of Rural Health reveals that people living in communities where mountaintop removal (MTR) mining occurs experience higher levels of illness compared to non-mining areas close by.

Michael Hendryx, Chair of the Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership in the School of Public Health, Director of West Virginia Rural Health Research Center of WVU, said, "Combined with all of the other human health and environmental studies on MTR, the weight of the evidence clearly indicates that MTR is harmful to human health."

MTR strips mountaintops to access coal seams using explosives. Fine dust, soot, and heavy metals are released into the air and waterways.

Floyd County resident Bev May, a nurse practitioner in eastern Kentucky for 18 years says, "The excess chronic lung disease this study found in Floyd County supports my observations that dust from surface mining is not just an annoyance, but a risk to our health."

The study came from a community participatory health survey of residents in Floyd County, Kentucky where MTR is taking place, compared with Elliott and Rowan counties with no MTR.  Data shows higher reported incidences of asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;  illnesses involving multiple organs; and general illness.  MTR community residents also reported more serious illness and cancer deaths in family members, than residents in the non-MTR communities.

Kentucky Representative John Yarmuth and 26 other House members have introduced the Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act (ACHE - H.R. 526) that places a moratorium on permitting for MTR pending health impact studies by the Department of Health and Human Services,

"I want my state Representative Greg Stumbo, and Representative Hal Rogers to know this: It's not possible to destroy our mountains without destroying ourselves. It's not possible to poison our streams without poisoning our children for untold generations to come," states Bev May.

Deborah Payne, MPH of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation said, "We can curb these rising rates of cancer, lung and heart disease, and premature death if we have political will to do so.   Kentucky's kids should be able to grow up healthy, no matter where they live."

www.kyenvironmentalfoundation.org

SOURCE  Kentucky Environmental Foundation

Kentucky Environmental Foundation

CONTACT: Jerry Hardt, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, +1-502-439-6884, or Deborah Payne, Kentucky Environmental Foundation, +1-859-353-7577

Web Site: http://kyenvironmentalfoundation.org

Pictures: 11 Sacred and Iconic Trees

Pictures: 11 Sacred and Iconic Trees

I thought jobs were the issue!!

MARQUETTE – A new study commissioned by the Upper Peninsula Petroleum Association says a proposed Keweenaw Bay Indian Community gas station in Marquette Township could result in the loss of up to 63 jobs, $1.25 million in annual wages, $10.7 million in annual in-store sales and $1.7 million annually in state taxes in Marquette County. The study, commissioned in September and conducted by a Western Michigan University professor and Ohio-based firm Keip Government Solutions, alleges a total of $39 million would be lost in taxes and wages were the KBIC allowed to operate a station it is proposing to locate on land in Marquette Township.

Bayfield County solar hot water system produces result at jail in Washburn, Wisconsin

http://www.bayfieldcounty.org/solar-hot-water.asp

Solar Hot Water Project

Solar Hot Water System Producing Results

Third quarter 2011 results from Bayfield County Jail’s solar hot water heater demonstrate continued savings. 
Coolant was pumped from the roof top panels to the hot water transfer tank 1440 hours during the first 9 months of 2011, averaging 5.3 hours per day.   Water hot enough to feed directly into the hot water heaters was pumped from the solar transfer tank to the heaters 1267 hours thus far in 2011 or an average of 4.7 hours per day.
Hot water system savings are currently approximately $350 a month.  The panels were installed in 2008 and have pumped over 4600 hours to date. Estimated payback on the system is nine years.

Book Snob: Last Standing Woman by Winona LaDuke

Book Snob: Last Standing Woman by Winona LaDuke

The Center petitioned in 2004 to protect scores of Hawaiian species under the Endangered Species Act, including 19 from the island of Oahu -- 16 plants and the three damselflies. Those species all languished on the federal "candidate" list -- bureaucratic limbo -- until the 757 settlement. Today all of them (plus four others) have been proposed for protection, along with a potential 43,491 acres of critical habitat. Some of the plants had fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild when their protection was proposed.

Also as part of the agreement, the Service this year proposed to protect 35 plants and three tree snails on the islands of Molokai, Lanai and Maui -- along with 271,062 acres (423 square miles) of critical habitat. We'd petitioned for 20 of those in 2004 as well. The plants are being driven toward extinction by habitat loss and foraging and trampling by invasive goats, pigs and rodents, as well as insects that outcompete native pollinators.

(from The Lakeland Times)

http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=11&SubSectionID=11&ArticleID=14621 Today will be a day for the Ojibwe to remember

To the Editor: Today, Jan. 27, 2012, the Gray Wolf will be officially delisted as an endangered species for the Great Lakes area including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The wolf plays a cultural, historical, spiritual, and traditional role to many Native American tribes throughout the United States. One of the largest bands of Native Americans located in the Great Lakes area is the Chippewa or Ojibwe. I feel the delisting will be detrimental to my tribe, along with the Gray Wolf itself. According to Ojibwe oral history and legends, after Earth's creation it was man's first responsibility to follow the Creator's instructions, walk the earth and name all living things. All plants, animals, rivers, and so on needed a name. The Creator sent the wolf to keep man company while on his journey. During their travels they grew close to each other and treated one another as brothers. After they named all living things, man and wolf were forbidden to keep their friendship and were ordered to go their separate ways. It is legend that the destiny of the wolf will be the destiny of the Ojibwe people. What side does the social media in American culture play on people's beliefs towards the wolf? As children we grew up reading about "the big bad wolf" in a few different stories including "The Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood." Today there are movies such as Barnyard Animals that portrays the wolf as an enemy to farmers and farm animals. The wolf is shown as a terrifying animal, with red eyes, sharp claws and teeth, destroying the farm and family that lives there. The media can have a tremendous effect on the opinions of readers and viewers. Wisconsin newspaper articles and several recent online articles are supporting the federal de-listing and describe the probable guidelines of hunting rights on wolves. The wolf has been protected federally on the endangered species list for many years. This will be the second time the Gray Wolf was delisted in Wisconsin the previous attempt was in 2004. They were put on an emergency re-listing after a short 19-month trial due to the adverse effects land owners and hunters had on the wolf population. How many times do we need to make the same mistake before we learn from the wrong decision and move forward? Europe, the Middle East, and Asia are lucky to have a total wolf population of two to three hundred within each of their countries. As for North America, the United States has a total of about 9,000 in comparison with Canada having more than 60,000. What does this say about the Gray Wolf and its natural habitat? The Gray Wolf is beginning to thrive in the Great Lakes area. Minnesota has a population of about 3,000, Wisconsin has fewer than 800, and Michigan has fewer than 700 total. The numbers are irrefutable. The Gray Wolf is no longer considered an endangered species in the Great Lakes area since the recovery goals have been met (over 4,000 total). We need to continue to see the wolf as an endangered species as long as it continues to struggle to survive. A wolf's main food source is deer, rabbit, beaver, and other animals. When a pack is forced to hunt a farmer's livestock, it speaks great volumes to what the real issue is. The animal is struggling to survive in its natural habitat and certain people have a low tolerance level toward damages it causes. According to the current policies held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, problem wolves are to be handled with a simple phone call by the land or pet owner. Reimbursements are paid for any damages caused by a problem wolf, advice is given to discourage the animal, and lethal action can be taken by the USFWS, on the rare occasion that the same wolf repeatedly caused damages. Why is it necessary to give hunters the power to control the wolf species? It is not our right or a privilege to be killing such a timid and endangered animal. There hasn't been a single report of a wolf attacking or killing a human within the last century. Hunting the animal for pure sport and collecting it as a big game trophy is not a goal of the Ojibwe people, nor will it ever be. If we cannot use every material from an animal that is hunted we do not kill it. Wasting meat or food is forbidden, we use furs for ceremonies, to trade or keep warm, the bones of an animal are used as tools or worn as regalia. A traditional medicine man would also use the blood, teeth, etc., for healing purposes. Watching the slaughter of this majestic animal will have a negative spiritual effect on our culture and future generations to come. Though the population of the animal will be monitored for the next five years, hunting privileges are also being awarded throughout the Great Lakes area. How will the federal government monitor the animal and ensure it remains at "sustainable levels" if their livelihood is being threatened before the animal is even delisted? Today, Jan. 27, 2012, will be a day to remember for the Ojibwe, tears of sadness will rain down from my ancestors as I fear the Gray Wolf will perish. Amanda McCoy Lac du Flambeau