Through a settlement with Penn Virginia Operating Company, a large landholding company, and A&G Coal Corp., a Jim Justice-owned company, several sources of the toxic pollutant selenium in Wise County, Va., will be cleaned up. [ Read More ]
Another step toward clean water in Southwest Virginia
Thursday, April 14th, 2016 | Posted by Erin Savage | 1 Comment
Homeowners near mine struggle with blasting damage
Wednesday, April 13th, 2016 | Posted by Molly Moore | No Comments
From The Appalachian Voice: Karen and Jerry Kirk live in a home that they believe was damaged during blasting for a nearby surface coal mine. Despite years of frustration, they have been unable to get compensation for the damage to their property. [ Read More ]
What happened on Pine Creek?
Tuesday, April 12th, 2016 | Posted by Tarence Ray | 4 Comments
A lot of folks have had questions about last month's mine blowout on Pine Creek, in Letcher County, Ky. So we’ve put together an explainer that runs through the facts, the science and the regulatory protocols behind spills like this — and offers tips on what you can do about them.
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Don Blankenship sentence “historic,” but not enough
Friday, April 8th, 2016 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments
The coverage of Blankenship’s sentence should shift the public’s focus to the leniency and lacking enforcement of our mine safety laws. Since few observers outside of Blankenship’s defense team and the “Dark Lord of Coal Country” himself would argue the punishment fits his crime, the question then becomes: what punishment would?
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From inside Appalachia, a look at WGN’s “Outsiders”
Friday, April 8th, 2016 | Posted by Guest Contributor | 14 Comments
Exclusive to the Front Porch: WGN's television series "Outsiders" doesn't leave a single stereotype of Appalachia unturned. In this essay exclusive to the Front Porch Blog, award-winning author Ron Rash reflects on how stereotypes cloak harms much more profound than cultural misperceptions: "The region is diverse, and many areas are doing well, but for those that are not, might a show focused on “retard hillbilly animals” make it easier for America to ignore the region’s needs?"
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Sleeping giants: TVA and Georgia Power stuck in second gear on energy efficiency
Wednesday, March 30th, 2016 | Posted by Guest Contributor | No Comments
While even the region’s top achievers have room for improvement, some of the largest utilities in the Southeast are seriously falling behind on energy efficiency. In particular, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Georgia Power are two enormously capable utilities that appear to be stuck in second gear. [ Read More ]
Renewing the promise of Appalachia
Friday, March 18th, 2016 | Posted by Tom Cormons | 6 Comments
There’s more than wildflowers budding in Appalachia as spring comes to the mountains this year. We are witnessing the proliferation of efforts big and small to stabilize and revitalize local economies as the coal industry declines. And the conversations continue expanding outward, bringing together an increasingly broad cross-section of residents and stakeholders. [ Read More ]
Dominion open houses bring communities together
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016 | Posted by Hannah Wiegard | No Comments
A pattern emerged during the recent trio of open house meetings hosted by Dominion on the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Churchville, Hot Springs and Snowshoe, Va. Unfortunately, it was a pattern of misleading materials, unhelpful spokespeople and dubious facts. [ Read More ]
DEQ’s “Do Not Drink” reversal elevates coal ash concerns
Tuesday, March 8th, 2016 | Posted by Brian Sewell | 3 Comments
State officials in North Carolina owe citizens an apology and an explanation. The state Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Health and Human Services are walking back their own recommendations that families living near coal ash ponds not drink or cook using well water containing levels of toxic substances that exceed their own standards.
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Responding to “Appalachia’s Distress”
Tuesday, March 1st, 2016 | Posted by Brian Sewell | 2 Comments
Over the weekend, a letter by our Executive Director Tom Cormons to the editors of The New York Times appeared on the newspaper’s website. It was penned in part to stress the importance of the Stream Protection Rule and to urge federal regulators to stand firm in the face of industry opposition, and finalize it. [ Read More ]
A home base in Southwest Virginia
Thursday, February 18th, 2016 | Posted by Cat McCue | 3 Comments
We’re very excited to announce the official opening of our new office in the City of Norton, Va., located in far southwest Virginia, part of the Mountain Empire Here, we’re surrounded by the mountains, forests, rivers and communities we love. [ Read More ]
Virginia’s Clean Power Plan approach unchanged after court’s action
Thursday, February 18th, 2016 | Posted by Hannah Wiegard | No Comments
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe stated that Virginia will “stay the course” and continue working to reduce carbon pollution after the U.S. Supreme Court hit pause on the Clean Power Plan. But there's still more that we’re counting on Governor McAuliffe to deliver. [ Read More ]
