Conservation Committee Accomplishments
2002 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
January
- Educated citizens and Sierra Club members about Cincinnati environmental
issues at the Miami Group Retreat
- Met with county commissioner Todd Portune to discuss consent
decree with the Municipal Sewer District regarding raw sewage
discharges into the Little Miami River and adjacent waterways
- Filed a lawsuit against the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County,
and the Metropolitan Sewer District to enforce the clean water
act and to prohibit the discharges of raw sewage into the Little
Miami River and adjacent waterways
- Develop a strategic plan focused on our six conservation priorities
- Over 80 Miami Group members, citizens, and University of Cincinnati
students rallied downtown to protest Vice President Cheney's visit
to Cincinnati and his proposed energy plan
February
- Submitted grant to fund an environmental justice video project
- Helped to successfully lobby the Cincinnati Board of Health
and prevent the operation of Waste Management, Inc.'s proposed
solid waste transfer station
- Miami Group members attended the Sierra Club Training Academy
in Perrysville, Ohio
- Held the Miami Group Conservation Committee's 2002 Campaign
Kickoff and developed written campaign plans for the Little Miami
River and Light Rail Campaigns
March
- Joined with the National Sierra Club and the Ohio Chapter in
legal action to enforce MACT standards under the Clean Air Act
- Submitted comments on Sanitary Sewer Overflow consent decree
2001 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
January
- Lynn Frock presented a program on the impact of the election
on environmental issues and political activism within the Club.
- The Conservation Committee prepared a poster display on the
LMR campaign.
February
- The Conservation Committee met with the Outings Committee to
establish a series of Little Miami River outings.
March
- The Conservation Committee and Glen Brand reviewed outside expert
report on traffic impact of the Little Miami River sprawl bridge.
- The Conservation Committee initiated outreach to labor on issues
related to environmental enforcement by OEPA regarding AK Steel
- Members of the Conservation Committee met in Columbus with environmental
allies to resolve strategy issues and to develop coordination
on the environmental enforcement around the AK Steel facility.
- Members of the Conservation Committee spent dozens of hours
reviewing Ohio EPA, Hamilton County, and MSD files related to
AK Steel.
April
- Sierra Club members joined other citizens around Cincinnati
for a clean air "Bucket Brigade"
- Members of the Conservation Committee participated in Earth
Day, helped set up a booth and distribute postcards regarding
the Little Miami River Campaign.
- The Conservation Committee provided information to a local neighborhood
regarding a fight against a planned Lone Star Cement facility.
- The Conservation Committee met with Little Miami Inc. to coordinate
LMR campaign.
- Members if the Committee continued to review files associated
with AK Steel
May
- Miami Group volunteers visited Middletown for door-to-door Walk-and-Talk
with residents fighting pollution from AK Steel
- Members of the Committee attended an AK Steel shareholders meeting
- The Conservation Committee generated a letter to Congressional
Rep. Boehner refuting his claims that AK Steel is in financial
straits due to environmental pressures. The Middletown Journal
ran a story.
- Members of the Committee continued to review files associatied
with AK Steel
June
- Conservation Committee volunteers assisted in setting up the
organizational meeting for Middletown residents around AK Steel
pollution.
- Developed clear expectations of the Role of the Conservation
Committee and the Responsibilities of the Conservation Committee
Chair
- Established three working subcommittees (Environmental Enforcement,
Public Lands, Land Use and Transportation) with goals of expanding
to other areas (Air Quality, Toxics, Water Quality, Energy)
- Developed a detailed campaign plan for the Little Miami River
Campaign
- The Cons Com arranged for an Environmental Justice Grant to
lead three "Toxic Tours" of our community for an academic
conference on Environmental Communications at the University of
Cincinnati.
July
- Established an Environmental Alerts listserv to promote environmental
issues in the Cincinnati area
- Members of the Miami Group took the USEPA to court over weakened
ozone standards
- Members of the Miami Group went door to door, organizing communities
in Middletown and performing air quality tests in the midst of
AK steel's polluting factory Miami Group volunteers held a press
conference to protest the reduction in health based clean air
standards for power plants (coverage on two television stations
and local papers)
- Miami Group Volunteers lobbied City Council to protect the future
of light rail in Cincinnati
- The public lands committee submitted a grant proposal to the
Ohio Chapter and National Club to increase public awareness of
the Club's End Commercial Logging campaign
- Established a clear policy for publication in the Activist and
selection of its content
- Miami Group members presented at the UC Environmental Communications
conference and established stronger ties with other grassroots
environmental organizations in Cincinnati.
August
- The Conservation Committee named two co-coordinators of its
light rail campaign
- Developed a structure that links the work of the Miami Group
Conservation and Political committees
- Established the "Volunteer Activist Network," a volunteer
survey designed to run in the Miami Group Happenings and on its
web page.
- Set up monthly meetings for each of our primary campaigns
September
- Printed the Activist with a strong focus on volunteer recruitment
and the work of Miami Group volunteers
- The Miami Group political committee held a press conference
to publicly announce its endorsed candidates, coverage in City
Beat
- Miami Group volunteers helped gain press coverage for the Sierra
Club's attempt to intervene in the enforcement actions against
AK Steel. Coverage included local NPR, AP Wire, and the Enquireer.
- Miami Group volunteers met with Little Miami River Inc. to tour
newly purchased property. Members photographed the property for
use in an upcoming report on the need to protect the river.
OCTOBER
- Worked with National Sierra Club to produce and distribute a
full color report on the effect that a proposed highway would
have on Cincinnati and the Little Miami River
- Worked with the Regional Planning Office to ensure adequate
citizen input in the Community COMPASS planning process
- Established six conservation priorities: 1) Light Rail, 2) Little
Miami River, 3) Environmental Enforcement, 4) Environmental Justice,
5) Forests, and 6) Water Quality
NOVEMBER
- Helped elect David Crowley to City Council
- Helped pass Issue 6 (Campaign Finance Reform)
- Talked with State Senator Hagan about introducing a state forest
protection bill
- Attended and gave testimony at US EPA hearing to de-authorize
Ohio EPA from overseeing federal environmental laws
- Obtained funding for potential lawsuit and filed a 60 "notice
of intent" to sue the Metropolitan Sewer District for discharges
of raw sewage into the Little Miami River and adjacent waterways
- Held a "Toxic Tour" of Lower Price Hill and Winton
Hills, where over 30 Sierra Club members, University of Cincinnati
Students, and community citizens learned about environmental justice
in Cincinnati.
- Testified before the Cincinnati Board of Health regarding Waste
Management Inc.'s proposed Solid Waste Transfer Station in Winton
Hills
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