Tell Secretary Salazar: Don't trash Joshua Tree National Park
Developers are trying to put the nation's largest garbage dump right next to Joshua Tree National Park.
The proposed Eagle Mountain landfill would cover 3,500 acres of federal land, bordered on three sides by Joshua Tree's unique beauty, and fragile desert ecosystem.
The proposal by developers Kaiser Ventures has been struck down by two courts. Now Kaiser Ventures is asking the Supreme Court to review the case, and the Department of the Interior has until February 25th to weigh in.
Landfill impacts have a nasty habit of creeping over borders and boundaries. And Eagle Creek would be an especially nasty neighbor.
The landfill would take in 20,000 tons of garbage per day, 16 hours a day, six days a week — for 117 years — posing a profound threat to the desert ecosystem and imperiled species that the next-door National Park is designed to protect.
The Department of the Interior has twice sided with the developers in favor of the landfill — but so far haven't taken a position on their appeal to the Supreme Court. The agency's position could impact whether or not the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case. And if that happens, it likely won't be good news for Joshua Tree.
The Department of the Interior has a deadline of February 25th to submit it's position to the Court. Secretary Salazar needs to hear from us this week that he must act to protect Joshua Tree National Park.
Joshua Tree is an incredible place where millions of Americans a year, myself included, go to experience its unique, unspoiled beauty.
Thank you for protecting one of our most special places from our largest trash heap.
Elijah Zarlin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
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Feb 23, 2011