We now meet on the fourth Thursday of each month, and we gladly welcome the public, new, and transferring members who

are interested in our efforts to protect the environment.

Editor’s note: This issue will also be a two-month issue as will the remainder of issues this year. Combining issues will reduce costs and volunteer effort with production and mailing. Save your newsletter for future information regarding meetings.Unfortunately, it is not yet possible for us to offer an electronic newsletter to those who would like one. We hope we can do this in the future.

SEPTEMBER 24 MEETING IN BREVARD

SIERRA CLUB TO HEAR NOAA SCIENTIST

(Originally planned for August)

Richard Heim, will address the Pisgah Group, NC Sierra Club at their Sept. 24, 2009 meeting with a presentation entitled "The New NOAA Climate Services and 2009 Climate Update -- Or: How Does Climate Really Change?" In recent months, considerable controversy has been generated in the media and on the internet concerning the climate of the last couple of years. Some writers have even screamed that global warming is over. Mr. Heim will put the 2008 and 2009 climate into historical perspective, and discuss how it relates to the global warming climate change models. Mr. Heim will also discuss the renewed focus by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on national climate services following the appointment of a new Administrator.

Richard Heim has a Bachelors Degree in Math and a Masters Degree in Meteorology and Climatology from the University of Nebraska Geography Department. In 1985 Mr. Heim moved to Asheville and started working at the NOAA National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). He has been involved in drought monitoring and climate monitoring for the last 20 years and has been program manager for the U.S. Snow Climatology project and the 1961-1990 U.S. and Global climate normals. He coordinates NCDC's drought monitoring activities, including putting current drought conditions into a multi-century historical context by combining weather observations with tree-ring data.

AppleMark

OCTOBER 22 MEETING IN BREVARD

The speaker for this meeting will be Lauren Agrella, Program Director of Muddy Sneakers. Her presentation will focus on the work Muddy Sneakers is doing in our local community with the fifth and eighth grade classes from participating schools in Transylvania, Henderson, Buncombe and Jackson counties. The program enriches North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study with hands-on learning in pristine forest areas and wilderness sites, and allows students to develop a personal connection with the land, become more physically active, gain in self- confidence and connection with peers.

Lauren grew up moving all over the country with her family and is glad to be in Brevard, where she has spent the last several years. She has spent much of her life outdoors as an athlete in track and field and as a rower, and loves connecting with the seasons and plants they reveal. Lauren graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and received her Masters in Education from the University of Virginia. She has nearly a decade of experience teaching upper elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as leading wilderness trips throughout the country.

FOUR SEASONS SIERRA CLUB

COMMITTEE OF hendersonville

September Meeting

The Four Seasons Sierra Club Committee invites you to our September 24th Meeting (Thursday) 6:30 PM to Meet & Greet and get acquainted. Three speakers will discuss YOUR ENERGY FUTURE: SOLAR, WIND OR GEOTHERMAL POWER?

Scott Clark, CEO, Appalachian Energy

Ned Ryan Doyle, Director South Eastern Energy

EXPO

Reid Conway, Program Manager, WNC Energy Office, Ashville

The meeting is in the Kaplan Auditorium, Henderson County Main Library. Please join us. Our meetings are open to the public. You may bring guests.

Four Seasons Sierra CLUB Committee

Planning Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 1 pm (except Tuesday, Nov. 10th) at the Flat Rock Village Hall, Village

Center Drive. Members of Sierra are welcome to help in planning our monthly educational programs. For info call 694-3738.

Next newsletter deadline is NOVEMBER 1

LOOK FOR UPDATES ON THE PISGAH WEBSITE

northcarolina.sierraclub.org/pisgah

ALERT

STOP DUKE ENERGY’S CLIFFSIDE RATE HIKE

FOR AN UNNEEDED COAL PLANT

We knew it was coming, but it still is dropping like a bomb. Duke Energy is seeking an 18% rate hike for residential electricity customers. Over 13.5% would cover costs for capital expenditures such as the Cliffside coal-fired power plant, now under construction just east of Hendersonville and Columbus, and a little farther east from Brevard and Asheville.

Instead of a rate hike, Cliffside construction should be stopped. Recent Duke Energy data reinforces the fact that the $2.4 billion plant is not needed. Over two dozen organizations have petitioned the Commission to halt construction and hold evidentiary hearings.

North Carolina law strictly prohibits construction of unneeded power plants. The Utilities Commission earlier allowed Duke to skirt the state’s “least cost” requirement, although Commissioner Robert Owens agreed with critics that Cliffside should not be built.

Multiple factors prove Cliffside is not needed. Among them: Duke is trying to expand sales to entire cities outside its service area – although the Commission ruled against it. The top US energy regulator now dismisses the need for new coal and nuclear plants.

Cliffside would be hazardous to us as ratepayers, to our health, and by fueling accelerating climate change, which scientists call a global crisis.

Plans for 100 coal-fired plants have been shelved since 2006 in response to climate change, rising energy prices, and the ravages of mountaintop coal mining. Cliffside should be too.

The Utilities Commission must stop allowing Duke Energy to waste customers’ money while risking an environmental and health tragedy. North Carolina wants to be part of the national surge toward energy efficiency and clean power that is creating thousands of jobs everywhere.

Duke’s rate hike would be only the first of many if the company continues building coal and nuclear power plants. State rules reward Duke for building expensive plants and maximizing sales – even if customers’ power bills rise dramatically.

Cancel Cliffside and turn this state toward energy efficiency and the development of its abundant clean, safe, and renewable resources.

Take Action:

1. Attend public hearings to speak and show

opposition:

Marion: Thursday, September 17, 7 PM in the McDowell County Courthouse, Courtroom (2^nd Floor), Corner of Main and Court Streets.

Franklin: Tuesday, September 22, 7 PM in the Macon County Courthouse, Courtroom A, 5 W. Main Street.

2. Send comments to NC Utilities Commission:

Chair, Ed Finley: finley@ncuc.net

Robert Owens: owens@ncuc.net

Lorinzo Joyner: ljoyner@ncuc.net

William Culpepper: culpepper@ncuc.net

Bryan Beatty: bbeatty@ncuc.net

Susan Rabon: srabon@ncuc.net

ToNolaBrown-Bland: tbrownbland@ncuc.net

AppleMark

FOUR SEASONS COMMITTEE OF SUPPORTS A CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR OF HENDERSONVILLE

The Committee expresses its support for Barbara Volk as a candidate for Mayor of Hendersonville. The decision was based on her environmental credentials.

DAM INSPECTIONS:

ONE STEP FOR NC COAL ASH SAFETY

Concern has been high since a Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash dam burst last December, sending 5.4 million cubic yards of toxic power-plant sludge onto a nearby community. The US EPA recently reported that NC has 12 of the nation’s 44 “high hazard” ash pond dams (likely to kill people if they fail).

This spring, Reps. Pricey Harrison, Susan Fisher and others introduced a strong bill to increase monitoring and public protections for coal ash impoundments at power plants. The bill required groundwater monitoring for toxic metals, synthetic liners and other regulations, but it moved slowly, due to resistance from the utilities. So, in the rush of final legislation, one part of that bill was inserted into a power plant emissions bill and then passed both House and Senate.

Senate bill 1004 removed the exemption for coal ash ponds from NC’s Dam Safety Act, now requiring that they be inspected annually by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. We still need to work for stronger regulation of coal ash ponds, but the dam inspections were an important step.

Other provisions of S1004 created a fast permitting process for Progress Energy to convert an old coal plant to natural gas to meet Clean Smokestacks Act requirements for sulfur dioxide, and to encourage electric utilities to displace coal plants by purchase or construction of a “carbon offset facility,” allowing them to charge customers for the estimated cost of coal that would have been burned.

“High Hazard” Coal Ash Ponds near you:

Asheville Plant (Progress Energy) (Two), Asheville, Buncombe County - Excerpted from Clean Water for NC, Summer 2009

PLANNING COMMITTEE (EXCOM) MEETINGS are always open to all members who are invited to join us in planning the business and direction of our Pisgah Group. The next meeting is on Monday, September 21^st and then on October 19th at St. Phillips Episcopal Church on E. Main St. in Brevard. Enter from the rear. Bring a picnic to eat at 5 pm; the meeting starts at 5:30. Call Len Griffiths at 883-3751 for more information.

PISGAH GROUP LEADERS

+CHAIR Len Griffiths, 883-3751; olputnas@citcom.net

#VICE CHAIR/SECRETARY Gail Wilcox, 885-7949,

glwilcox@msn.com

+TREASURER Amye McCallie, 862-8890; Mamccallie@citcom.net

#PROGRAMS Elmer Ollikkala, 884-8611; eeo@citcom.net

+CONSERVATION Bill Thomas, 885-8229; Billthomas@citcom.net

NEWSLETTER Shirl Thomas, 885-8229; Billthomas@citcom.net

HOSPITALITY Leslie Chepenik, 877-5721; Chepenik@citcom.net

HISTORIAN Beth Rogers, 883-3048; Sbrogers@citcom.net

MEMBERSHIP Rebecca Sewell, 884-3974; Rsew@citcom.net

TRAIL MAINTAINER Kemp Davis, 884-3974

FOUR SEASONS COMMITTEE OF HENDERSONVILLE

Barbara Barnett, 694-3738; maubar53@bellsouth.net

#Craig Melby, 884-4454; cmelby@earthlink.net

# OPEN

Executive Committee leaders are volunteers elected to 2 year terms; +Terms expire 12/31/09; #Terms expire 12/31/10

Yes, I want to join the Sierra Club! My check is enclosed.

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