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18th Annual Fly-In Summary Sheet
May 3 through May 6, 2010
Washington D.C.
The Women’s Mining Coalition 18th Annual Fly-In was completed the week of May 3-6, 2010. Thirty-seven women from eighteen states participated, from Alaska to Alabama, and many states in between. Industry representation included coal and hard-rock mining and exploration companies; utility, energy, and service companies; and manufacturers. Our participants also represented a diversity of job functions: engineers, geologists, hydrologists, plant managers, land managers, executives, analysts, consultants, and community relations and human resources specialists.
Highlights of the trip included:
- We completed 135 Senate and House visits, including those that the participants scheduled with their specific legislators on their own initiative, and many brief visits, during which we delivered our material to relevant energy, natural resource, mining, and environmental staff members.
- Topics covered in the meetings included, but were not limited to Climate Change, Water, Mine Safety, Clean Water Act 404, Mountain Top Mining, EPA proposed regulations for greenhouse gases, a proposed Coal Tax, and Permitting delays.
Below is a brief summary of comments we received from staff and members of Congress:
- Mine safety was forefront in the minds of everyone we talked to, because of the most recent mine accident in West Virginia and the oil spill in the Gulf. All agreed that a knee-jerk reaction to these tragedies would not be prudent and that the investigations must be completed before any new legislation is considered.
- Jobs – the need to generate more jobs was mentioned in most meetings.
- The EPA has been on many members’ radar because of EPA’s blatant attempts to design policy without the approval of Congress. Most staffers we spoke to agreed that it is appropriate and necessary that Congress, not a solitary EPA, makes decisions regarding the Clean Water Act and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Mountain Top Mining was an issue that, while not familiar to many outside of the Appalachian area, has proven to be of concern to all mining entities throughout the country. Many staffers were not aware that this type of mining is commonly requested by growing communities looking for additional flat parcels on which to build public buildings such as schools and hospitals.
- Permitting delays are a problem that every participant understood and had experience with, from hard rock to coal miners, from power plant operators to vendors. The majority of staff we met with agreed that what has become a rat’s nest of permitting problems is bad for the domestic mining industry, as well as associated businesses.
Many thanks to Peabody Energy and InfoMine for hosting the participants’ reception on Monday night, Joy Mining Machinery for donating magnetic badges and umbrellas, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity for their sponsorship and planning of the reception for Congressional members and staff on Tuesday night, and especially to the National Mining Association for their guidance and support leading up to and throughout the Fly-In. Thanks as well go to the many companies who not only allowed, but encouraged, their employees to participate in this year’s Fly-In.
PHOTOS!
 Rep Shelley Berkley, NV; Pamela Smith, Lynn Volpi, Ruth Carraher. |
 Carolyn Turner, Cathy Suda, Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers WA; Pamela Smith. |
 Senators John Ensign and Harry Reid, NV; Lynne Volpi & Pamela Smith. |
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 Marie Craig, Pamela Smith, Sen. Mike Crapo, ID; Carolyn Turner, Cathy. |
 Lynne Volpi, Rep. Dean Heller, NV; Pamela Smith. |
 Sen. Jim Risch, ID; Carolyn Turner. |
