An Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Reuben Liebe, I am from Nashville, and I am the new OSM/VISTA for the Head of Three Rivers Project. Unlike the previous two VISTAs (Evan and Sam), I am not from the area, so I will be spending as much time as possible getting to know Letcher County and its citizens these first couple of months. After moving into town and meeting some of the people who have been involved with this project, I can say that this is an incredible area. I feel privileged to be serving in such a unique and beautiful region of our country.

This will be an exciting year for The Head of Three Rivers Project with some very interesting volunteer events, including a big reforestation project on a local abandoned strip-mine. We have not yet worked out a specific weekend for this project, but a good estimate at this time would be the 2nd or 3rd week of March.

I have taken over Sam Adams’ old phone number (606-634-8669) and e-mail (letcherwater@gmail.com). Considering the fact that The Head of Three Rivers Project directly impacts everyone that lives in this area, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions and/or feedback on any aspect of this project. My primary goal during my term as your VISTA is to help increase the level of involvement and interest regarding environmental issues, so please let me know what you would like to do.

Sam will still be in the same office with me, but he will be serving as Kentucky Coordinator for the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team, the umbrella group with which all of us OSM/VISTAs serve. His new number is (606) 634-9467. His new email is accwtky@gmail.com.

Clean Gas applies for gas line through Line Fork creek

AI #
102821

NAME OF APPLICANT :
Clean Gas Inc

ADDRESS OF APPLICANT :
P.O. Box 783, Hindman, KY 41822

LOCATION OF ACTIVITY :
Line Fork, RM 14.2, between Ingram Creek and Cornetts Branch

AGENT CONTACT INFORMATION :
R.M. Johnson Engineering, Inc., P.O. Box 444, Hindman, KY 41822

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY :
The installation of a 3” steel natural gas gathering line, valves and other appurtenances through a section of the Exceptional Water reach of Line Fork.

LOCATION OF WATERS :
-82° 57’ 52.582”; 37° 01’ 59.832” in Letcher County on the Roxana quadrangle

PROJECT MANAGER :
Joyce Fry

Interested persons can submit comments on the listed Water Quality Certification applications by 4:30 PM EST January 19, 2009, to the following address: Department for Environmental Protection, Division of Water, Water Quality Certification Section, 200 Fair Oaks, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601.

Radio Show About Whitesburg Water Crisis

WMMT 88.7 FM has a great recording of an episode of their community news program, Mountain Talk, about the recent Whitesburg Water Crisis. The program brings together the Mayor of Whitesburg, two local restaurant owners, a Letcher County Central science teacher, and two Letcher County Central students.

This show gives details about the public notification process, the testing process, as well as some insights about the the vulnerability of our public water supplies and how that we as a community need to stand up against environmental degradation.

I suggest this to anyone interested in local water issues as well as the related issues about how communities respond to environmental emergencies and problems with our public health notifications systems.

The Head of Three Rivers gets a shout out from Regina Donour, science teacher at LCCHS, whose Investigative Science class did some great work in helping students have the opportunity to get involved. She speaks about how her involvement with Kentucky River Watershed Watch and PRIDE helped to quickly integrate the crisis into the classroom and how this event shows the need for a grassroots approach to watershed protection and cleanup. The students, Autumn Owsley and Josh Collins, also sounded great and reminded me that the intelligence and action of our young people is cause for hope.

The link below will take you to a page where you can either listen online or download an mp3 version.

WMMT Mountain Talk About Whitesburg Water Crisis