Taking the Stand

"Please state your name."

"Whitney Root. R-O-O-T."

"And your address."

"XXX CR XXX, Trent"

"How far do you live from the proposed plant?"

"Approximately a mile and a half."

"And do you have any concerns?"

So began my testimony this morning in a preliminary 'trial' for a contested case hearing regarding an air permit for the proposed coal plant that has disrupted the lives of so many in our tiny area. Never, EVER, did I think I would find myself in a situation as such, fighting a $6 BILLION company, the city "representatives" (and I use that term amazingly loosely), the entirety of the coal movement....and even climate change legislation.

Sounds crazy, I know. Trust me, there are moments when I wonder if I am living in some severely warped dream, one that will seemingly never end. The proponents are greedy, willing to threaten people to get their way. And they have, on several occasions. Even an inkling of a brain cell in a semi-intelligent being tells one that the city 'representatives' have all been paid off or offered good jobs, great stock options...whatever. They have some sort of incentive, besides "clean coal", to want a filthy, ugly, water-consuming monster associated with their names.

It all boils down to one word:

GREED

And then there is 'us'. 'Us' being all who live directly in the line of fire. 'Us' who live outside the city so as to allow ourselves the opportunity to breathe semi-clean air, live quiet lifestyles, and basically all but hide out from the perils of mankind. 'Us' who are perceived as poor, stupid and worthless.

Unfortunately for Tenasty, as we refer to them, we are not stupid. Many of us are not poor (myself not included!). And I argue with anyone who considers us worthless. In fact, through this fight, I have met some amazingly intelligent, well-rounded individuals. They are thinkers; independent thinkers at that. They read. They educate themselves. They prepare. And most importantly, they don't back down.

We are fighting against the odds. We don't have the finances, the big-time lawyers and the backing of the coal industry. We can't pay people off, influence the ways of the media or get people fired for having an opinion.

But even through the thick fog or, perhaps more fitting, the thick soot, there is much hope for us. We do have much going in our favor and we have accomplished A LOT.

Tenasty came into this project with the assumption that us poor-folk would be easy to deal with. I strongly believe that the city 'representatives' assured them that the entirety of the area was pro-Tenasty. Then we showed up. Not only did we catch them completely off guard, but we didn't go away. We expanded. We spoke up. We showed up to meetings, wrote letters to the editor, went to Austin. The original plan, on their part, was to begin construction on this plant by 2009. We have successfully pushed that date back to late 2010 at the earliest.

What does this mean? Well, we are costing them lots of money. Okay, a couple hundred mill' to a company of this stature is nothing more than change in their pockets. But investors are surely getting antsy and questioning the viability of the project. They are paying lawyers, and likely paying them damn well. They are spending money on propaganda, advertising and buying more people out.

They despise us.

Chances are likely that Tenasty will get their air permit come next summer. This is the most vital step in their long process. It is at this point when they can begin building. But not only can a lot happen in a few months' time, but we presented a great group of individuals and organizations before the judge today, and I feel we have a great case going for us.

My mom represented the Sierra Club. I stood for Environmental Defense Fund. Our non-profit, Multi-County Coalition, was there, as was Public Citizen.

At times I get very down. It is hard not to when faced with an issue like this....and especially when it is staring you in the face at all times. But then I stop and recognize all of the people who are out there working for us, 24/7. They are giving their precious time for us. Many get paid very little, or nothing at all. They have time for little else other than fighting against coal.

I mentioned earlier that we are fighting against climate change legislation. Should the cap-and-trade legislation get passed, and carbon dioxide be priced higher than the current recommendation of $28, this plant will likely succeed. Without carbon priced at at least $40 per ton it will fail.

I currently hate cap-and-trade.

"My main concern revolves around the fact that I have severe scoliosis and kyphosis. I have had this for about 12 years. It will not get better; it will not go away. I am stuck with it for life. Due to the many twists in my spine and the muscles in my back and my ribs that are so tight, I don't breathe as easily as a "normal" person does. It can be hard to breathe and can be very painful. Considering how close I will be to this plant, I am very concerned with the toxic emissions that will be released--mercury, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide. I am concerned about the particulate matter--the soot, the ash. Not only do I worry about my overall well-being, but how these pollutants will further affect the problems I already have--my bones, my nerves, my muscles, my breathing. These are poisons that will be released into the air. That is not okay with me. This is my home; where I live, eat, breathe, sleep, walk. It is very important to me, and has been expressed by many doctors for many years, that I remain active. I walk up and down Stink Creek Road regularly. But if a coal plant is going to be staring down at me, I will have to ask myself if taking walks will further benefit me or hurt me."

True to my luck, I ended up on all three news stations giving my speech. But even if I inspire one other person to speak up for what s/he believes it is worth the effort.

And who knows, we may win this thing after all. It isn't over. The fight is far from finished. We won't back down.