FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2007

Contact:
Virginia Cramer, 202-675-6279

           Corps Pumps Up Provisions for Environmental Destruction
           Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

Below is a Sierra Club statement responding to today’s announcement that
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers re-issued and expanded its nationwide
permits.  Under the Clean Water Act, nationwide permits are supposed to be
issued only for projects that will cause minimal environmental damage.

"We are dismayed that the Army Corps of Engineers is authorizing the
destruction of our drinking water sources, streams and wetlands on such a
massive scale. These general permits give approval for mining companies and
others to fill in streams and wetlands that protect homes from flooding and
help provide clean drinking water.

"Under the Clean Water Act, nationwide permits are only to be issued for
projects that will cause minimal environmental damage. Yet in Appalachia
alone, mountaintop removal mining operations using nationwide permits have
completely buried over 700 miles of streams in mining waste and another 500
stream miles have been seriously harmed. If destroying more than 1,000
miles of streams is minimal, what would the Corps call significant?

"The Corps has clearly disregarded the intention of the Clean Water Act,
and instead of acting to protect our waters has now taken another step
toward their destruction."

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