Since my last post I had lost my calender but have been working feverously with a few new interns.
July 3, 2010 Two UMD interns left for the summer. Sam Chillaron and Sara Henry left for the Mountain Keepers Music Festival in West Virginia where they were going to table for United Mountain Defense and help distribute Tennessee Mountain Defender newspaper.
On July 1, 2010 I went on a minesite visit with 3 other UMD volunteers to Mountainside Coal Tipple OSM permit # 3211. I instructed the 3 UMD volunteers how to use the digital water monitor and about some of the different elements of the coal tipple that they were observing. We found two conductivity readings of over 3000 micro semens per centimeter and over 1000 micro semens per centimeter which are both outside of safe limits according to the EPA. Neather of the ponds were discharging at the time so technically they were not in volation of the proposed EPA standards. The air smelled like sulfur and there was lots of red water pooled up from iron which was leaching out of the coal. This site visit took about an hour and we video taped the event.
Later on July 1, 2010 we did a driving tour of a mountain top removal coal mine site. It was actually a driving tour of the entire begining of the deathcycle of coal cause we saw another tipple, a wash plant, a coal train loadout facility, active mining, sediment controls, two hollow fills, and active mining with HUGE machinery. I providing a training for the UMD volunteers which contained local history, an explaination of what they were seeing, and the way the mountain used to look prior to coal mining. We videotaped the tour and I hope to create a map so that other UMD volunteers can lead future trips on the public roadway through the minesite.
Later on July 1, 2010 we went to a public meeting at the Clearfork Community Institute in Eagan, TN. This meeting was supposed to be about citizen's rights in relation to coal mining. Unfortunately our meeting was scheduled over a going away party for another OSM/ VISTA who was leaving the Clearfork Valley after 2 years of service. There was one member of the community who wanted to attend the meeting but had to work that evening and so only stopped by for a minute to gather UMD contact info. Instead of a formal meeting we ended up having an informal discussion where UMD volunteers listened to 3 local residents concerns about the coal mining and impacts to their land. There were 6 UMD volunteers in attendance.
On July 1, 2010, another UMD intern Jordan Topkins drove to Eagan to meet us for the community meeting. I spoke with Jordan to orientate her and we spoke about her projects that she will be working on during her stay. She is working on a senior thesis project which will include interviews with Appalachian residents. She will be the outreach and education coordinator during the next month here in Tennessee. She is researching various opportunities for tabling including local farmer's markets, music shows, and other events around Knoxville. I helped provide a list of various supportive venues and locations and times of farmer's markets in Knoxville. I also provided her with a link to the Metropulse newspaper and Jambase as two online sources of upcoming events in Knoxville.
On June 29, 2010 I helped type up and send out the UMD volunteer meeting notes at UMD's weekly volunteer meeting.
On June 29, 2010 Jenny Marineau, a new UMD intern arrived in Tennessee. I helped orientate her to the volunteer house and Knoxville. We spoke about the projects that she would work on including some stencil art, a new UMD logo, and about helping organize a meeting to get started working on the next issue of the Tennessee Mountain Defender newspaper.
On June 28, 2010 we had a UMD Volunteer House meeting where I helped orientate volunteers and we figured out the weekly volunteer schedule.
On June 25, 2010 I drove two UMD interns, Sam Chillaron and Sara Henry, up to Eagan, TN. We delivered flyers announcing two community meetings about citizen's rights and the coal industry to local residents living around the Davis Creek Energy coal mines in southern Campbell County. We then went to interview members of the Tennessee Rainwater Band in Eagan, TN for Sara Henry's senior thesis music project. Following the interview with the band, Sara Henry rode down the mountain with Carol Judy of Eagan, TN conducting another interview on the way to Carol's house where we helped cook a big meal of fried bass and other tasty southern foods.
On June 23, 2010 I helped UMD's music intern, Sara Henry, make a good connection with members of the band, Catfish Mercury Load, following a show where they performed on the Blue Plate Special at WDVX in Knoxville. We went to the Downtown Grill and Brewery to conduct the interviews with the band memebers for Sara's music project.
On June 22, 2010 I helped type up and send out the UMD volunteer meeting notes at the weekly volunteer meeting.
On June 21, 2010 we had a UMD Volunteer house meeting where I helped orientate and figure out the weekly schedule with the UMD interns.
On June 21, 2010 a group of 5 UMD volunteers floated down the Sequatchie River which drains historically coal mined lands in East Tennessee. Here are the notes on safety that I typed up and provided for the volunteers before they floated down the river.
1) Wear your life preserver at all times.
2) Remain seated in the boat at all times.
3) If your boat flips over hold onto your paddle and try to get the boat to the shore.
4) Wear sunscreen and make sure to drink water.
Here are the directions for put-in and take-out on the Sequatchie River.
I just called the lady at Canoe the Sequatchie and she said that a good put in was off of Cherry Street which turns into Old York Hwy East and then Old TN 28 which is south east of Dunlap, TN and then the take out is on Condra Switch Road. The lady suggested that we park the end vehicle at Hwy 28 and Condra Switch Road as it will safer there. She said this will be a 12 mile float. So this trip will probably take about 5-6 hours plus tying up boats and such. http://www.sequatchie.com/canoe.htm
U.S. Hwy 127 So. & River P.O. Box 211, Dunlap, Tennessee 37327-0211
Here is the reportback from the UMD volunteers who went on the canoe trip. There are some good lessons learned from this first trip.
Hey Matt! It was great; the route was excellent. Thanks for the planning info. We missed you; we'll have to do it again, let us know what your schedule looks like. It took us about 6 hours with a quick lunch stop, teaching the kids some technique, and a quick rescue :) (large strainer we should have portaged-easy portage across small island in the middle). Other than that everything was pretty clear, mostly flat, a few class 1 rapids, a few friendly locals, some rope swings, some large birds, not much development easy enough access at the put-in and take out (short portage at the put-in. Not room for too many cars though (especially at the take out). Any other info you need? Emily
So the folks at Canoe the Sequatchie are trying to sell their business and this could be a good investment opportunity to buy and continue running a small start up business in East Tennessee.
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