Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Legislature / Woods Legislature Bows to King Coal Once Again: House Kills Bill Banning Mountaintop Mining
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 12:53 PM
After eloquently discussing the benefits of blowing the tops off our mountains, the inaptly named House environment subcommittee adjourned for the year today without voting on legislation to stop coal companies from doing it.
That effectively kills the bill for the third straight year, which is a really good thing if you believe what its opponents say.
Take Zeb Mountain, which has been flattened by mountaintop removal mining. The once-proud peak in the Upper Cumberland looks devastated but, according to Tennessee Mining Association president Chuck Lane, it's a tourist attraction now:
"We're creating tourism places. Those of you who have visited Zeb Mountain, you've seen what we're doing to Zeb Mountain. We've taken that from a cesspool and, within a year, it'll have trees growing. It'll be green. The intent of the owner is to sell houses up there. You couldn't sell anything up there prior to this."
That's right, they should erect signs on the interstate: See the Amazing Ecological Disaster. Three-toed Frogs. Winged Salamanders. Zeb Mountain: Share the Wonder!
But leave it to Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, to come up
with the best reason to let coal companies destroy our natural heritage.
According to Niceley, we need to flatten our mountains to give elk
places to graze. Otherwise, the killer beasts will descend upon us,
wreaking havoc on our highways and farms, in the greatest wildlife
migration since the buffalo roamed the fruited plains. Said Niceley:
"If we're going to have elk, you gotta have somewhere forthem to stay. If they don't stay up in these highland balds, they're
going to be down on the highways and they'll be down on my farm and
spreading disease and tearing down fences and getting out on the road
killing people. An elk weighs 1,500 pounds. A deer weighs 300 pounds. If
you hit an elk, the people in the front seat are probably dead, at
least one of them."
The subcommittee took a coward's way out in the end. They voted
unanimously for an amendment to strengthen the legislation, then decided
to adjourn for the year. That lets lawmakers tell constituents they
voted for banning mountaintop removal when actually they voted against
it. Aren't they crafty?
"This is a tactic to kill the bill," fumed the sponsor, Rep. Mike
McDonald, D-Portland, in a statement of the obvious. "Tennesseans should
be outraged."
In the past, lawmakers would brazenly kill such bills without batting
an eye. This year, the state's major newspapers have editorialized in
favor of banning mountaintop removal, and Channel 5's Ben Hall just did a
scathing report on how the legislature is in the coal industry's back
pocket. Now, our lovable legislators have been forced to resort to
trickery to do King Coal's bidding. That's progress!
Comments (16)
Showing 1-16 of 16
Could you possibly do some real reporting by telling us who voted, and how they voted, and what the bill # is?
Facts please.
like
dislike
Mike Bell, David Hawk, Ron Lollar, Joe McCord, Frank Niceley, John Tidwell voted to adjourn. Voting against adjournment were Willie Borchert, George Fraley, Brenda Gilmore and Mike McDonald. It's HB455.
Anything else I can do for you, bud? How about a cheeseburger and fries?
Actually, according to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, "No significant elk herd exists in the absence of forests."
Anyway, there are no wild elk in Tennessee. They need to be imported and reintroduced. It's not like we're overrun with elk, haven't been for over 100 years.
What a buffoon.
Jeff, thanks for making me laugh, even through my tears of anger and frustration.
Absolutely Criminal within the law?!! Let's scream it out in the towns which these legislators who helped "defeat" this! Call for an investigation!!! Into financing and conflicts of interest like which is so evident in McCords case,
What did you expect. If you are a Tennessee legislator you are eihter corrupt or stupid-or both
Public Searches (ethics disclosures filed by TNGA members
Tennessee Ethics Commission
http://www.tennessee.gov/sos/tec/
Search the Tennessee Online Campaign Finance Database
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance
Search Candidates & PACs
http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/tncamp-app/public/cpsearch.htm
TNGA House Subcommittee Environment
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/sub-env.html
Committee Officers
John Tidwell, Chair
Vacant, Vice-Chair
Members
Mike Bell
Willie Butch Borchert
George Fraley
Brenda Gilmore
David Hawk
Ron Lollar
Joe McCord
Michael McDonald
Frank Niceley
You ought to watch the subcommittee video and listen to that goddamed idiot Rep. Mike Bell explaining how he was concerned that the bill against Tennessee MTR (mountain top removal above 2000 feet) because - paraphrasing here - "...it would prevent airports from being built on mountain tops."
Good for at least a ten minute belly laugh...
Statement of Disclosure of Interests (ss-8004)
Date of Filing
2009-04-10
Filer Contact Information
Mike Bell View all statements
Representative
261 County Road 757,
Riceville, Tennessee 37370
Sources of Income
Part A
self employed pressure cleaning houses
261 co. rd. 757, riceville, tn with recipients Filer
Statement of Disclosure of Interests (ss-8004)
Date of Filing
2009-04-11
Filer Contact Information
David Hawk View all statements
Representative
407 Crockett Lane,
Greeneville, Tennessee 37745
Sources of Income
Part A
TN REPUBLICAN PARTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
2424 21ST AVE., SUITE 200, NASHVILLE, TN with recipients Filer
Part B
None
Statement of Disclosure of Interests (ss-8004)
Date of Filing
2009-04-15
Filer Contact Information
RON LOLLAR View all statements
Representative
7559 OLIVIA HILL,
BARTLETT, Tennessee 38133
Sources of Income
Part A
Sees Living Trust
, , with recipients Spouse
Retirement - Shelby County Govt.
160 No. Main, Memphis, with recipients Filer
I dunno, but his Official TNGA House Bio only listing "Manager" suggesting current employment (as opposed to "Manager, retired", although this is uncertain from reading the Lollar bio) and "Shelby County School Board, District 2, three terms".
"
Part B
None
Statement of Disclosure of Interests (ss-8004)
Date of Filing
2009-04-15
Filer Contact Information
Joe McCord View all statements
Representative
4504 Montvale Road,
Maryville, Tennessee 37803
Sources of Income
Part A
Lost Sea Inc.
140 Lost Sea Road, Sweetwater, Tn with recipients Filer
Chilhowee Properties LLC
4504 Montvale Road, Maryville , Tn with recipients Filer
M.T. Land Co. LLC
424 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, Tn with recipients Filer
Woodruff, LLC
424 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, Tn with recipients Filer
McCord Farms Part.
1540 Highway 140 N, Cottage Grove, Tn with recipients Filer
State of Tennessee
15th Floor WRS Tenn. Towers, Nashville, Tn with recipients Filer
E. Tn. Childrens Hospital
2018 Clinch Avenue, Knoxville, Tn with recipients Spouse
McCord Farms Inc.
4230 Montvale Road, Maryville, Tn with recipients Filer
Vulcan Materials Co.
listed on New York Stock Exchange, , with recipients Filer
Part B
None
Positions Held
Lost Sea Inc. Officer, Director, Employee from Jan 1990 to Apr 2009
Chilhowee Properties Member, Manager from Sep 2002 to Apr 2009
McCord Farms Part. Partner from Jan 1990 to Apr 2009
M.T. Land Co. LLC Member, Manager from Jul 1999 to Apr 2009
Woodruff, LLC Member, Manager from Apr 2002 to Apr 2009
McCord Farms, Inc. Officer, Director from Jan 1990 to Apr 2009
Cross Creek Inc. Officer, Director from Jan 1996 to Apr 2009
Tellico Holding Co. Inc. Officer, Director from Jan 1996 to Apr 2009
Blind Trust
None
Investments
Chilhowee Properties LLC held by Filer
M.T. Land Co. LLC held by Filer
Woodruff LLC held by Filer
McCord Farms Partnership held by Filer
Vulcan Materials Co. held by Filer
RockSmart - 1. Why Do We Mine?
http://www.vulcanmaterials.com/social.asp?content=rock
Statement of Disclosure of Interests (ss-8004)
Date of Filing
2009-04-15
Filer Contact Information
Joe McCord View all statements
Representative
4504 Montvale Road,
Maryville, Tennessee 37803
Sources of Income
Part A
Lost Sea Inc.
140 Lost Sea Road, Sweetwater, Tn with recipients Filer
[...]
McCord Farms Part.
1540 Highway 140 N, Cottage Grove, Tn with recipients Filer
and then this:
Environmental Working Group
Farm Subsidy Database
Mccord Farms received payments totaling $618,312 from 1995 through 2006
County Subsidy Payments
1995-2006
Henry County, Tennessee $362,801
Weakley County, Tennessee $255,511
http://farm.ewg.org/persondetail.php?custnumber=009228710
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