A small group of anti-mountaintop removal activists went to the EPA’s regional office in Philadelphia (one of two offices where decisions are made on MTR permits) and took creative action.
Here’s an edited report back from Robin, one of our friends in Philadelphia:
“we went to the EPA today from 12-1:30 with a banner and signs and handed out quarter sheets on the street.
we also had a white board that said “we need 86 mountains b/c…” where people could write in why they wanted to save mountains and then we took their picture. unfortunately, the EPA office in Philly is right in the middle of Center City, where the corporate offices are, so nearly everyone walking by is rushing on their lunch break, and we got one guy to stop and take a picture.
we handed out 250-300 flyers.
also, i called the EPA this morning and asked to speak to one of the people who would be reviewing the MTR permits. i was referred to Francisco Cruz, who reviews them for clean water act violations. i put his phone number at the bottom of our flyers for people to call him.
at one point while i was gone refilling our meter, his secretary came out and talked to some of the other activists. she told them that we should not target him unless we knew of specific CWA violations, otherwise he could not do anything. (shouldn’t any MTR be a CWA violation???) she said instead we should contact someone in the office of surface mining in W. Virginia.
oh also when i called the EPA they said they would send me their sept 09 “strategic plan”, whatever that is. i assume it is MTR-specific since that is what i was asking about.”