Reminders:
January 12, 2021 – Cumberland County Board of Supervisors monthly meeting at 7 p.m. This is a virtual meeting, more information is available at the County website https://www.cumberlandcounty.virginia.gov/board-supervisors. If you want to make Public Comments you can e-mail them in and they will be posted on the website.
January 13, 2021 – Opening day of the 2021 General Assembly Session. This is virtual due to COVID. The regular session is scheduled to last for 30 days, then the Governor may call a special session to last another 15 days. Things are changed for this General Assembly Session as each delegate is permitted to only present 8 bills for consideration and the senators 12 bills each. Bills are to be ready to pass committees as there will not be time for revisions.
2021 General Assembly Session
Over the coming weeks, we will keep you posted on bills of interest in our cause to stop the purposed mega landfill in Cumberland County. The Sierra Club has set up a link for legislation related to Environmental Justice and other environmental issues. https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/environmental-justice-for-every-virginian
Of course, you can always go up on the Virginia government website and find the bills using the LIS.
Write a Letter or E-mail or Make a Phone Call
Your support is needed with writing letters, e-mails, and/or making phone calls to the delegates and senators during the General Assembly session. Now is the time to start thinking about what to write.
CCLA primary focus continues to be stopping the proposed mega landfill from becoming a reality in Cumberland County. However, if we go to the Virginia State lawmakers and ask for their assistance in a specific matter (Green Ridge) they are not going to listen. However, if you write in a way that includes all of Virginia, there is a better chance they will listen. There are Environmental Justice and other environmental issues across Virginia. A few examples include the Dan River issues in southern part, King George County, Petersburg, Chesapeake Bay, and our own local area. There are numerous news articles concerning both the State and National issues in these two areas.
A few pointers to consider as you start formalizing your correspondence to the Delegates and Senators:
- Keep it so it relates to all Virginians.
- Consider health issues and sicknesses
- Be brief and concise
- Let your voice be heard – we have only one environment and it is our responsibility to protect it for future generations
- Remember – our fight with Green Ridge and the proposed landfill is on-going. Our time to be specific to Green Ridge will be during the Public Comment periods hosted by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Army Corp of Engineers.
Appreciation
We cannot say often enough “thank you” for your support in preventing the proposed mega landfill in Cumberland County. This is a marathon and we are in it till the end. It is NOT A DONE DEAL until the first piece of trash is accepted – and that is NOT going to happen.