Numerous forest fires burned across the Southeast throughout the autumn. Nearly 120,000 acres of forest burned, and the city of Gatlinburg, Tenn., was badly damaged, with 14 lives lost.
Blog Archives
Devastating Forest Fires Ignite Southeast
TAGS: Alabama Forest Fires Gatlinburg Georgia Kentucky North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
America’s miners deserve better than this; time to do your part
America owes a debt to the nation’s coal miners. The Miners Protection Act would begin to pay that debt, but the opportunity for Congress to pass the bill is quickly slipping away.
Trump’s pick for Commerce has troubled history in coal
Wilbur Ross — a man who helmed a large Kentucky coal company with a troubled history of environmental and miner safety violations — has been chosen to be the next U.S. Secretary of Commerce. If President-elect Trump truly believes that economic growth and opportunity can only be gained at the expense of worker safety, community health and clean water, he could make no better pick than Ross.
Wildlife Initiatives Expand in East Kentucky
Two new wildlife preserves have been established in Eastern Kentucky.
Protecting a unique Kentucky fish from mountaintop removal coal mining
The eye-catching Kentucky arrow darter was just listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, largely due to water pollution from activities like surface coal mining. Increased protection for this rare fish will lead to healthier ecosystems and communities.
A growing mine is a growing problem for the Russell Fork River
The history of the Doe Branch mine in Southwest Virginia is long and complicated, and its future remains unclear. A bankruptcy saga with the mine’s previous owner stalled development in the past year, but things appear to be getting back on track — putting the Russell Fork River at risk.
Proposed Federal Prison in Kentucky Raises Environmental Justice Concerns
Activists and residents are fighting a plan to build a federal prison on a retired mountaintop removal mine and gas drilling site in Kentucky.
OSMRE announces review of mountaintop removal health research
Contact: Erin Savage, Central Appalachia Campaign Coordinator, 206-769-8286 The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announced today that it will fund a $1 million review by the National Academy of Sciences of current research on the links…
Agreement Stops Trash Trains in Boyd County, Ky.
Citizen groups in Boyd County, Ky., spearheaded efforts to stop shipment of trash into their landfill from as far away as New Jersey.
Kentucky Tourism Experiences Strongest Growth in 10 Years
In 2015, travel and tourism contributed $13.7 billion to Kentucky’s economy, the greatest impact in ten years.
