By Julie Johnson
An energetic supporter of initiatives that foster a positive future, Julie worked with Appalachian Voices from 2009-2011, first as a Communications Intern, then as Distribution Manager and freelance feature writer for The Appalachian Voice.

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“Our legislation is needed to end [mountaintop removal] before its destruction is so expansive that the Appalachian region can never recover,” said Senator Lamar Alexander in a recent article for Nashville newspaper The Tennessean.

Senator Alexander said that Tennessee’s natural beauty attracts millions of tourists, generating employment and economic opportunities in the state. Blowing off mountain tops and burying streams with blast debris would harm this industry as well as the health of Tennesseans and their environment.

Senator Alexander, along with Senator Ben Cardin from Maryland introduced SB 696, the Appalachia Restoration Act, a bill in the U.S. Senate that would stop valley fills, the practice of disposing of blast rubble and waste in waterways. The bill currently has 11 cosponsors.

“Coal is an essential part of our energy future,” Senator Alexander said, “but it is not necessary to destroy our mountaintops and streams in order to have enough coal.” Read the full article.