KDKA photo of existing
Little Blue Run coal-ash pond.

Hundreds of concerned citizens will gather in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pass strong, federally enforceable safeguards for coal ash, the toxic remains left over from coal-fire power plants. Residents from throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and New York plan to testify before the EPA about the harmful effects of coal ash on their health, the neighborhoods and communities.

10am-9pm Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Omni William Penn Hotel,
530 William Penn Place,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

The public hearing will be an all-day affair, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions, starting at 10:00 a.m. and ending at 9:00 p.m. or later depending on the number of speakers. You can attend at any time.

The form to register to speak is available on the EPA website.

Supporting events organized by the sponsoring organizations include:

9:30am: Prayer breakfast for affected communities. Sternwheeler room near the main ballroom.

12:00 pm: Coal Ash Communities Lunch and Panel Discussion. Sternwheeler room near the main ballroom. Lunch provided at noon. At 12:30 Sarah Hodgson (Conservation Director for the Sierra Club) will hear impacted citizens from coal ash sites throughout the region. The discussion will be moderated by Lisa Graves-Marcucci (Environmental Integrity Project)

5:30 pm: PROTECT OUR FAMILIES RALLY!!! Mellon Square- across Wm. Penn Place from the hotel where the hearing is taking place. Speakers will include local representatives from groups like Greenpeace and Sierra Club, as well as individuals from Coal Ash Communities in the region.

For more information, contact Randy Francisco at 412-802-6161 or randy dot francisco at sierraclub dot org.

Sponsored by: Center for Coalfield Justice, Citizens Against Coal Ash, Citizens Coal Council, Environmental Integrity Project, Greenpeace, Interfaith Power and Light, PA Alliance for a Coal Free Generation, Restoring Eden, and the Sierra Club.