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February 2, 2015

Our Community, Our Future Event

Our Kingston 'Our Community, Our Future' Coal Ash event will be held this Thursday, February 5th at the Kingston Community Center, Banquet Room, 201 Patton Ferry Road, Kingston 37763. As you may have seen on our flyers, action alert and press release, the event is a community gathering to give Roane County citizens' a forum to air their current and future concerns about the impact of coal ash on their community, their health and public policy. We are encouraging local people to get involved and will holding a Q & A session, featuring issue experts and affected community members. Additionally, we will be on hand to help community members in providing public comments to TDEC by the February 9th deadline, as TDEC considers giving TVA the go ahead on modification permits to the 2008 spill site. Our members have been busy promoting the event in the community, as well as through media, our blog and social media. We will be holding a phonebank turnout event on Tuesday, February 3rd for any members or volunteers who are interested in helping out in this way. For additional details, please see our website or contact Adam at adam@socm.org or 865-249-7488.

Mt. Pleasant Water/Sewage Rate Victory

Mt. Pleasant, located in Maury County, has long suffered from one of the highest water/sewage rates in the state. Local residents have been saddled with service bills $35 higher than other communities in the area. But recently, Mt. Pleasant SOCM members scored a big win in the fight to lower rates!

After a mismanaged 2011 project with private contractors drove Mt. Pleasant $6,000,000 in debt, residents quickly saw their water bills skyrocket. For years now locals have had to pay for the mistakes of out-of-touch officials and corrupt contractors. But because of the patient organizing work of SOCM members and other community leaders, the city commission just announced plans to lower rates by $20 starting in February!

The city is partially financing the reduction with money won from lawsuit against one of the contractors. Several commissioners wanted to divert this money for other purposes, but community pressure has ensured it will be used solely to ease the financial burden on residents This an important victory for folks in Mt. Pleasant, but the Maury County Chapter of SOCM fully intends to keep up the pressure!

Campaign to Save the Flat Rock Nature Preserve Update

Rutherford County Chapter

The Rutherford Chapter of SOCM has been expanding its campaign to secure safe drinking water and environmental justice in Flat Rock (located just outside of Murfreesboro). This beautiful patch of the county is home to the Cedar Glade Preserve and a vibrant community of primarily low-income families.

Sinkhole at the junkyard in Flat Rock

Unfortunately, it also hosts several junkyards that are contaminating drinking water and damaging the ecosystem. These junkyards aren't just a threat to the numerous rare and endangered plant species in the area, but the well water many residents rely on.

Rutherford SOCM members have been organizing around this issue for several months. Their immediate goal is to get regulatory officials at all levels of government to act more urgently.

Chapter members recently met with TN state Senator Jim Tracy, who represents the area. Members talked with the Sen. Tracy about the environmental and health concerns at Flat Rock. He responded that he would personally ask TDEC to get on top of this. TDEC has long been aware of concerns and has cited one of the junkyards multiple times for violations, but residents have yet to see real results. The chapter is hopeful that the involvement of Sen. Tracy and other officials will bring attention to these urgent health hazards.

Put the People First Rally

Photo by Holly Rainey

On January 17th, SOCM members joined with other community organizations, activists, and faith leaders from all over Tennessee for a rally & prayer vigil in Nashville. This emerging moral movement converged on the day of Gov. Bill Haslam's inauguration to demand that his administration 'Put the People First'.

Over one hundred people (representing dozens of organizations and communities) gathered outside the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville to demand living wages, quality public education, and the defense of voting and other democratic rights. Speakers highlighted the range of social and economic challenges facing everyday Tennesseans. Rev. James French of Mt. Pleasant spoke on behalf of the Maury County SOCM chapter and called for unity across communities in the state, "Whether black, white, yellow or blue, we all have to stand together!"

Put the People First is a coalition effort of worker, community, civil rights, student, and faith groups in Tennessee. To see SOCM and Put the People First allies in action, check out a video of the rally / prayer vigil .

For more information on SOCM's work with Put the People First, contact Mike at mike@ socm.org or our Social Justice Committee at socialjustice@socm.org

Murfreesboro 2035

Murfreesboro has just launched a 20-year urban growth planning process

Rutherford Chapter Board Rep, Calief Snelling.

called 'Murfreesboro 2035'. As the fastest growing city in the state, questions of affordable housing, water quality, and all-around sustainable development are becoming more urgent.

Last week, Rutherford County SOCM members spoke at a city-sponsored public forum on the development plan last week, specifically on the need for a transformation of solid waste policy. The following article from the Daily News Journal discusses the concerns that SOCM and others raised at the meeting.

If you would like more information on Murfreesboro 2035 and SOCM's work around it, please contact Mike Cannon at mike@socm.org.

Healthy Tennesseans at No Cost to the State - Call to Action

SOCM is proud to join our allies and partners, including Tennessee Health Care Campaign, in supporting Insure Tennessee.

We believe that all Tennesseans have the right to healthcare and Insure Tennessee will go a long way in providing cover to the approximately 200,000 Tennesseans who currently don't have coverage, and will do so without raising new taxes or adding any new additional costs to the state budget. The Tennessee General Assembly will vote on the bill in two weeks time with debate starting today, February 2nd. With you, Tennessee can conquer it's healthcare crisis.

We urge you to contact your

representatives
now
.

Details on Insure Tennessee can be found

here.

Turner Mine Hearing - Call to Action

Join our Cumberland County members - turnout for the TDEC public hearing on the Turner Mine!

Cumberland County Chair, Jean Cheely, water testing at Turner Mine

TDEC's Division of Water Resources, Mining Section, will be holding a public hearing on the Turner Surface mine modification permit (NPDES Permit TN0071633, SMCRA Permit 3189) on Tuesday, February 24th at 5:00 p.m. (CST) at Cumberland Mountain State Park, Room A, 24 Office Drive (Hwy 127S), Crossville, 38555. Turner Mine is owned by Crossville Coal, Inc.

Division staff will hold a preliminary technical session with the public from 2:00-4:00 p.m. for discussion and review of the permit application and plans.

The modification is for the addition of Outfall 02A, and elimination of underground coal mining, preparation plant and associated areas (i.e. coal refuse storage area.) The hearing will be limited to water quality issues. Public comments are being accepted through March 6, 2015.

Our members will be there, and we encourage you to join them!

Write to TDEC at dave.turner@tn.gov, call 865-594-5541 or write TDEC at: State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Water Resources Mining Section 3711 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, Tennessee 37921-6538. The notice can be accessed here.

Coats Mountaintop Removal Amendment (66) - Call to Action

Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana has introduced an amendment (Amendment 66) which would block the Department of Interior from completing its ongoing rewrite of the Stream Protection Rule. Coal industry lobbyists are attempting to attach a pro mining bill to the Keystone Pipeline bill. This Rule, which has been long in the writing and is expected to be issued this Spring, would help put an end to mountaintop removal. Join SOCM and its allies in fighting this amendment - please write to your senators or contact SOCM at 865-249-7488 or
info@socm.org.

Social Justice Committee Update

The Social Justice Committee has been busy over December and January and is continuing to build strong alliances across the State!

Efforts have included: reaching out to at-large members in Nashville to advise of a citizen's lobbying training (aimed at addressing legislators directly) at the State Capitol, which was subsequently attended by several SOCM members, including SJC folks; attending a workshop presented by the Tennessee Education Association (TEA), to identify opportunities to support teachers and advocate for public schools over increased privatizing across the State; attending the January 13th Nashville Metro Board of Public Education meeting; attending the Women's March on Nashville on the first day of the legislative session to rally against proposed legislation to restrict abortion care; and planning the first statewide action of the coalition group Put the People First (see article above).

As noted in earlier e-newsletters and Sentinels, the SJC have decided to focus on education, particularly on the increasing assault on public schools, including budget cuts, attacks on teachers, school closures, and privatizations via charter schools. The SJC has drafted a membership survey we'd like chapters to discuss at their next local meetings. We are in the process of developing a strategy for this work and would like to hear from SOCM members about their education concerns, ideas, etc. We also invite and encourage anyone interested in education organizing to join the SJC! You can contact the Committee Chair, Dylan Ross, at socialjustice@socm.org.

Submitted by April Ross

In This Issue

Our Community, Our Future Event

Mt Pleasant Water/Sewerage Victory

Flat Rock Nature Preserve Campaign Update

Put the People First Rally

Murfreesboro 2035 and Rutherford Chapter

Insure Tennessee - Call to Action

Turner Mine Hearing - Call to Action

Coats Mountaintop Removal Amendment - Call to Action

Social Justice Committee Update