“Passing a bad piece of coal ash legislation prolongs our pollution problem and makes the possibility of an accident much more of a reality.” These words, from a recent letter to the editor in the Asheville Citizen-Times, reflect the growing…
Blog Archives
Help Update Our Retro Wastewater Standards on July 9th
By Jessie Mehrhoff Mountaintop Removal Campaign intern, Summer 2013 Each year, coal-fired power plants dump 80,000 pounds of arsenic, 65,000 pounds of lead, and 3,000 pounds of mercury into U.S. waterways. More than 23,000 miles of America’s rivers have been…
Court Rulings Favor Clean Water
By Brian Sewell Two consecutive court rulings in April affirmed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to veto mountaintop removal valley fill permits and called for increased scrutiny of the practice’s environmental impacts during the permitting process. On April 22,…
TAGS: 6th U.S. Court of Appeals arch coal Clean Water Act Environmental Protection Agency National Environmental Policy Act Spruce Mine U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Bills on the Hill
A Look at Environmental Happenings in Congress The Good Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act ( S. 805 / H.R. 1373): Introduced for the fourth time by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) since 29 miners were killed in the 2010…
TAGS: "Dirty Water Act" 2013 Farm Bill Clean Water Act Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act Coal Jobs Protection Act Coal Mine Safety Act Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act EPA Fair Play Act House Committee on Energy and Commerce Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act Representative David McKinley Representative John Mica Representative Shelley Moore Capito Rural Energy Savings Program Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Senator Jay Rockefeller Senator Joe Manchin Senator Mitch McConnell Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Supply Star U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Upper Big Branch mine disaster
UPDATE: Clean Water Protection Act Gains Support
By Melanie Foley Legislative Policy and Research Assistant, Summer 2013 The Clean Water Protection Act, HR 1837, was introduced last month with 45 original cosponsors. Since then, more than two dozen additional members of Congress have recognized the need to…
Kentuckians Challenge Cabinet’s Order for Failing to Protect Clean Water from Coal Pollution
Resources Citizen’s petition for review (May 2013) Citizens’ Objection Letter (Jan 2013) Cabinet and Frasure’s Agreed Order FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Appalachian Voices * Kentuckians For The Commonwealth * Kentucky Riverkeeper * Waterkeeper Alliance CONTACTS: • Eric Chance, Appalachian Voices, 828-262-1500,…
TAGS: appalachia Appalachian Voices Appalachian Water Watch Clean Water Act Coal Kentuckians for the Commonwealth Kentucky Kentucky Litigation Mountaintop Removal Riverkeeper Water Water Pollution Waterkeeper Waterkeeper Alliance
Clean Water Protection Act Introduced with 45 Cosponsors
Yesterday, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) introduced the Clean Water Protection Act in the 113th Congress with 45 original cosponsors. The Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 1837, is a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives…
TAGS: Appalachian Voices Clean Water Act EPA Kentucky Mountaintop Removal Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
Mountaintop Removal 101: Congressional Research Service Updates Report
Every day, more Americans become concerned with the threat of mountaintop removal in Appalachia. Just yesterday, I was made aware of a website called “What About Mountains?” created by a fourth grade class at the Episcopal School of Knoxville. These…
Kentucky’s Lab Certification- Is it strong enough?
Yesterday, Appalachian Voices submitted public comments on a proposed wastewater lab certification program in Kentucky. To discharge polluted water, coal companies must receive a permit under the Clean Water Act. This permit that requires companies to test wastewater and report…
TAGS: Appalachian Water Watch Clean Water Act Coal Environment Kentuckians for the Commonwealth Kentucky Kentucky Litigation Mountaintop Removal Red White and Water Water Water Pollution
A Good Week for Mountains – Multiple Court Rulings Favor Science and Enforcement
We’re only two days into Earth Week — if we must limit it to one week out of the year — but it sure is getting off to a great start. In the past two days, two major court rulings…
