Comments Needed to Protect Water Quality in Bedford County
Members in Bedford County need your help! For the last month, they have been organizing to fight a proposed permit that would allow waste from a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) to be dumped into Clem Creek, part of the Upper Duck River Watershed.
If you want to help oppose this factory farm, please submit written comments to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) by July 10.
A public hearing on Nash Dairy's permit application was held by TDEC's Division of Water Resources on June 25th in Chapel Hill. Steve Nash, the proposed mega-dairy's owner, and his allies with Farm Bureau stacked the room with people who loudly applauded their comments supporting the CAFO. And pro-Nash attendees were fed a barbecue dinner there onsite at Forrest School. Comments were supposed to focus on how the permit would affect water quality, but the arguments given by the pro-CAFO crowd so far are very weak, with almost nothing related to water quality.
SOCM members like Wanda Campbell and Diane Floyd, on the other hand, went on record at the hearing with solid comments, questions, and arguments related to water quality. There is still room for us to make the stronger argument via public comments in the next several days.
If you would like to submit a comment for the record, please send comments to the permit writer, Erin O'Brien, at erin.o'brien@tn.gov.
Or mail them to:
Division of Water Resources
401 Church Street
L&C Annex, Sixth Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
Please reference permit number SOP-13007.
For more information and suggestions about what to include in written comments, please contact Bedford County Chapter Co-Chair Wanda Campbell, wandajcampbell@aim.com, or Organizer Brad Wright, brad@socm.org.
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Campaign for Water Quality in Mt. Pleasant Heats Up and Gets National Attention
Members of the Maury County Chapter continue to organize for affordable water/sewer bills and clean drinking water in the town of Mt. Pleasant. But SOCM members and allies in Mt. Pleasant have increasingly been met with intimidation and broken commitments by both city and state officials. In an incident that received national media attention, a high-level official with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) attempted to silence Mt. Pleasant residents at a May 29th meeting at the TDEC office by equating citizen use of the established water quality complaint process with an "act of terrorism." (click here for the press release and audio clip) Sherwin Smith, the state official who made the accusations, has now been demoted within the agency.
TDEC officials were in Mt. Pleasant last week to do some water sampling and analysis. We hope any investigation of the town's water supply is thorough and scientific and not an effort to obfuscate or win a public relations competition. SOCM members look forward to TDEC's public release of a report on the recent testing. We are encouraging the EPA to investigate water quality issues there too, while they are in town anyway investigating lead contamination in neighborhoods where SOCM members live.
Members will continue working for better water quality in Mt. Pleasant and we'll keep you informed as we learn more.
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Knoxville Chapter Sells Out Two Tree Tours on June 1st
The Knoxville Chapter organized a very successful, sold-out Granddaddy Tree Tour on June 1, 2013. Kasey Krouse (Urban Forester for Knoxville) and Brian Campbell (Director of Horticulture for Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum) each led one of two tours of Knoxville's arboreal gems. The two-hour van tour highlighted some of the largest, oldest, and most notable trees in and around downtown. Participants learned about local tree history, tree identification, the benefits of urban trees, and tree care.
Attendee Miranda Edds said, "The trees on this tour have stood the test of time--and in some cases centuries--yet their future hangs precariously at the will of property owners, developers, the city, and the forces of nature. We have historical zoning and protections for buildings, but our trees have no such security. Knowing that one of these prize-winning trees could be cut down without any debate is heart breaking. They give us so much more than shade; they are crucial to air quality and storm water management. It is up to us as citizens to recognize the importance of the trees within our landscape and take action to preserve them for future generations. I am so thankful that SOCM took the time to organize and revive this educational tour, and I hope to see it done again so that others can experience it as well."
Thank you to the homeowners who allowed us to visit their beautiful trees, our fantastic tour guides Kasey and Brian, and to Jim Cortese for providing us with a wealth of information that we used to plan the tour! To see more pictures and information from the tour visit here.
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Public Meeting on 287g Scheduled for Knoxville
Knox County Commissioner Amy Broyles is hosting a public meeting on Tuesday, July 2nd at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Knox County Health Department (140 Dameron Avenue in North Knoxville) concerning issues related to Knox County's possible participation in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) program and its potential impact on Knoxville's immigrant community. Knox County Sheriff J.J. Jones and his staff will be present to hear concerns and answer questions.
The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement to essentially serve as ICE agents with power from the federal government to act on immigration issues.
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Social Justice Committee Looking for Members
 If you are interested in issues of workers' rights, healthcare, education, and prisons and the criminal justice system, please considering becoming a member of the new Social Justice Committee! The Committee has a conference call scheduled for Thursday, July 25th at 8/7pm CT, and will be meeting face-to-face in Nashville on Saturday, August 24th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT.
Contact Organizer Brad Wright at brad@socm.org or Social Justice Committee member Sonnye Dixon (left) at hobsonpastor@aol.com for more information.
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Roaring River Musicale Raises over $1,000
Congratulations to the Roaring River Chapter for another successful Musicale! This year's event, held on June 15th at the house of Al and Rosemary Ponte, featured the delightful music of Dicksie Schmitt and Kat Starr. About 50 attendees enjoyed an evening in Al and Rosemary's award-winning gardens, raising over $1,000 for SOCM.
Special thanks also goes to Brian Paddock, Celine Kniep and everyone else who helped plan and organize this great event. Click here to read an article that appeared in the Cookeville Herald Citizen.
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Want to Learn More About SOCM's Energy, Ecology, and Environmental Justice (E3) Work?
Are you interested in issues related to the extraction of fossil fuel resources for energy production, protecting the ecological diversity of Tennessee, and environmental justice? If you are, the E3 Committee is having a face-to-face meeting at the Art Circle Public Library in Crossville on Saturday, July 20th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT. The library is located at 3 East Street in Crossville.
A face-to-face meeting is the best way to be introduced to the committee and the issues that we deal with. At this meeting, you can also help us set goals and campaign strategies for the next year. If you are interested in the E3 Committee, contact Organizer Parker Laubach at parker@socm.org or 865-249-7488.
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Finance Director and Major Gifts Officer Linda Cowan Makes Chapter Visits to Discuss Fundraising
This summer, Finance Director and Major Gifts Officer Linda Cowan is scheduled to attend a meeting of each chapter to help members brainstorm ways to reach their chapter fundraising goals for 2013 and start putting together plans for 2014. Last month, she had great meetings with the Bedford and Maury County Chapters and will visit with the Jackson and Knoxville Chapters this month.
Some really fun events are already in the works. Make sure to touch base with your local organizer or with Linda to be a part of the process. Helping with events is a great way learn about your community, gain some new experience, and help out the organization!
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SOCM Office Yardsale Scheduled for August 2nd and 3rd
SOCM staff will host another yardsale at the main office in Knoxville on Friday, August 2nd and Saturday, August 3rd. Last year, members donated wonderful items for the yardsale which made nearly $900. If you are interested in donating items to the sale, please bring them by the Knoxville office at 2507 Mineral Springs Ave., Suite D. Please call ahead of time, 865-249-7488, to make sure someone is in the office to accept your donation.
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Join SOCM!
Your community needs you. Click on the link above to pay membership dues or click below to donate to SOCM and designate your donation as membership dues.
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E3 Committee Conference Call
Tuesday, July 2 7 - 8 p.m. ET Maury County Chapter Meeting
Monday, July 8
6:30 - 8 p.m. CT
Location TBD
Bedford County Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, July 9
6:30 - 8 p.m. CT
Chamber of Commerce, 100 N. Cannon Blvd., Shelbyville
Jackson Chapter Meeting
Thursday, June 11
6 - 7:30 p.m. CT
Westwood Activity Center, Jackson
Rutherford County Meeting
Tuesday, July 16
6:30 - 8 p.m. CT
Unity Church of Life, 130 S. Cannon Ave., Murfreesboro
E3 Committee Meeting
Saturday, July 20
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT
Art Circle Library, Crossville
Knoxville Chapter Meeting
Monday, July 22
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Lawson McGhee Library, Knoxville
Social Justice Committee Conference Call
Thursday, July 25
7 - 8 p.m. CT
Contact Brad Wright at brad@socm.org for call-in information
SOCM Board Meeting
Saturday, July 27
9:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Lebanon, TN SOCM Yardsale August 2 - 3 2507 Mineral Springs Ave., Knoxville
Public Meeting on 287g
Tuesday, July 2
6 p.m.
Knox County Health Department, 140 Dameron Ave., Knoxville
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This summer, SOCM will be hiring a part-time administrative staff person to provide communications support to our organizing work. A full job description will be posted on www.socm.org in the coming weeks. Please email Communications Director Casey Self at casey@socm.org if you are interested in learning more about the position. |
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"What we need is optimism, humanism, enthusiasm, intuition, curiosity, love, humor, magic, fun, and that secret ingredient - euphoria."
- Anita Roddick
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