Kevin to Testify at Senate Hearing

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Jun 05, 2002 Source: Just Within Reach Submitted By: Gina Cates BACKSTREET BOY KEVIN RICHARDSON TO TESTIFY THURSDAY BEFORE U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON COAL MINING AND VALLEY FILL Richardson to urge leaders to stop further destruction of Appalachian waterways. Press conference with fellow clean water advocate, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Appalachian environmental leaders to follow hearing. WHO: Kevin Richardson, 30, who is a Lexington, Ky., native and member of the pop group the Backstreet Boys, is an environmental advocate. He also is president and founder of the environmental foundation, Just Within Reach. WHAT: Testimony before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change and Wetlands of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Immediately following the hearing, Richardson and Kennedy will be keynote speakers at a press event to include remarks from citizens groups. Kennedy's Waterkeeper Alliance will host the press conference. WHEN: Thursday, June 6, 2002 - Hearing at 10 a.m. Eastern. Waterkeeper Alliance Press Conference immediately following. WHY: In mountaintop removal mining, practiced most heavily in southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, companies mine coal by blasting off the tops of forested mountains. Hundreds of millions of tons of waste from the blasted mountaintops are pushed into nearby valleys, burying streams and creating valley fills. In West Virginia, over 1,000 miles of biologically-crucial headwater streams have already been buried under valley fills. Over 500 miles of Kentucky streams have been forever buried. The Army Corps of Engineers has been permitting coal companies to dispose of removal waste into waterways for years, even though the agency has had no legal authority to do so. In a move that violates the Clean Water Act, the administration recently redefined "fill" to include mining "waste." This rule change represents the most significant undermining of the Clean Water Act since the law was passed in 1977. CONTACT: For information on press availability or to schedule interviews on site at the press conference, contact Vicki Hanna. To cover the hearing, provide media agency credentials. For more information on Kevin Richardson's environmental work, please visit www.JustWithinReach.org. For more information on the Waterkeeper Alliance, visit www.Waterkeeper.org. Comment on this item. Next Item: Backstreet Boy Nick Carter Preparing To Release Solo Album Prev Item: Nick on a secret visit to Sweden?