UA passes resolution against mountaintop removal

On Sunday, the Undergraduate Assembly passed a resolution urging the University to reevaluate its relationship with longtime partner PNC Bank.

The resolution, authored by the Penn Community Against Mountaintop Removal, passed with a vote of 20-4, with two abstaining.

Mountaintop removal is a method of mining that involves removing the tops of mountains to obtain the resources that lie beneath the mountain.

It leads to serious environmental and human health consequences, according to PCAMTR. PNC, which partners with Penn, invests in companies that engage in this practice.

Since last September, PCAMTR has worked on their campaign to sever ties with PNC if they continue the practice.

Students from communities where the practice is common, including West Virginia and Kentucky, are being affected. This coupled with PNC’s presence on campus makes it an issue to address, said Tyler Ernst, UA president and Engineering and Wharton senior.

“The Undergraduate Assembly hereby … calls upon the Office of the Executive Vice President to condition the renewal of the contract with PNC upon the bank’s commitment to issue a plan for reducing its financing of mountaintop removal with the goal of sector exclusion in the near future in mind,” the resolution read.

A sector exclusion would require PNC to cease investing in companies that practice MTR.

The resolution also called for Office of the Executive Vice President to issue a statement that MTR contradicts Penn’s commitment to sustainability as well as a proposal to make more explicit Penn’s environmental guidelines.

Last week, the administration released a statement that said they will take into account student concern when reevaluating the contract with PNC.

The UA resolution is meant to send another message to the administration with student concerns.

During the Sunday UA meeting, many debated on the conditions they want PNC to meet to renew its contract with Penn.

Originally, it called for Penn to condition the renewal if the bank had already committed to a sector exclusion of companies practicing MTR. The final version of the resolution called for Penn to condition the renewal if PNC issues a plan to move towards sector exclusion “in the near future.”

“From our perspective our role is to … push for the most environmental responsibility we can, and so we are expecting to be met with people who say that these are the practicalities,” said Russell Trimmer, PCAMTR member and Wharton senior.

“I don’t expect [the EVP] to issue a condition of renewal, but maybe the EVP can make a statement that the environment is important and that we don’t support MTR,” said College sophomore Dan Bernick, UA member and director of the Civil and Philadelphia Engagement Committee.

He added that while the UA found some banks to have stricter environmental standards than PNC, few banks have a sector exclusion of MTR.

Trimmer found the debate and discussion at the meeting “incredibly encouraging.”

He added that the UA resolution would further solidify PCAMTR’s views and communicate them to the administration.

“The communication from [the EVP’s] side was kind of that they were making these connections between the Climate Action Plan and the Supplier Code of Conduct, but it took us a long time to reach an understanding of that,” Trimmer said. “Currently, there are no institutional ways in which that would be enforced.”

Penn’s Supplier Code of Conduct sets environmental, occupational health and safety practices standards for University suppliers.

The environmental standards include obtaining valid environmental permits, proper handlings and disposition of hazardous materials and properly treating discharges from operations.

MTR is not only employed with coal mining, but also with copper mining, according to University of Maryland geology professor Aaron Martin.

A company might decide that MTR may be the best, cheapest and safest way to extract materials from the mountain, Martin said.

“You have a mountaintop, a huge pile of rock, that you have to put somewhere,” he said. He added that oftentimes companies must refill the hole on the mountaintop with the displaced rock.

He added that there may be elements in the displaced rock that are toxic to people and the environment. The practice could also affect streams and soil erosion.

Although PCAMTR intends to continue moving forward in its efforts, the UA’s role is mostly finished.

“When it’s specific to Penn we’re able to help really accelerate things,” Ernst said. “Now that we’ve done that, it’s up to them to get their voices out there.”

Related

Penn group urges students to withdraw from PNC accounts
PNC talks policy with student protesters
Your Voice | Concerns with PNC Bank

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