This semester I am in a class entitled “Environmental Justice,” which is, in all honesty, a pretty cool class; if for nothing else than the fact that it promotes interesting discussion. In one of our classes we discussed the role of the government in assuring environmental justice and protection, and a common statement amongst my classmates was that the EPA could be trusted if people held the organization accountable because, after all they are the Environmental Protection Agency. Even though I hated to do so, I decided I would be that kid–you know, the one that causes a few feathers to be ruffled–when I responded with The EPA is a total hoax.
My classmates were in disbelief that I, an avid environmentalist, would say such a thing about the government’s arm designed to protect the environment. But here is the problem: the EPA really doesn’t do anything useful right now, at least in my view. Last year at COP15 in Copenhage, Lisa Jackson met with youth from throughout the world and said that the US would do something to help them out, she said this even while mountains were being blown up throughout Appalachia, while people were being literally poisoned because the agency she was appointed to be head of would do (and still does) nothing. Months later she declared that the EPA would put in place rules that would ensure no or very few valley fills would be permitted. A few weeks later the EPA permitted yet another, heavily contested, MTR (mountaintop removal) site which would require a valley fill. So, yes, I think the EPA does nothing, I think it has caved into big business and caters to their interests while only putting on a front of protection.
Yesterday’s protest, Appalachia Rising, only drew further attention to this fact. Instead of paying attention to what protesters had to say; what they were forced to bring to the EPA because the EPA will not do anything when it goes to them, police forcibly removed them, trying to silence their message. But the people of Appalachia and their who are being silenced will not go away, we will continue to bring this issue to the public eye, and we will continue to resist this poisonous practice until it is banned. To quote Wendel Berry from yesterday’s protest “You don’t regulate an abomination, you stop it,” and until the EPA truly decides to live up to its name and be accountable to the people and not big business, we will be the ones stopping MTR.