CONTACT: Willie Dodson, Central Appalachian Field Coordinator willie@appvoices.org 276-870-5843 A new report by Appalachian Voices estimates that there is enough outstanding reclamation liability on coal mines owned by West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and/or his adult children to employ 220…
Joe Pizarchik, former head of OSMRE and one of the nation’s foremost experts on complex and sprawling abandoned mine lands issues, provides an essential overview of how acid mine drainage fits into pending legislative proposals and where we should look next.
In this conversation, Marissa Lautzenheiser of Rural Action lays out the basics of the acid mine drainage challenge, discusses the unique funding needs for AMD clean-up, and talks about some of the innovative work Rural Action is doing to tackle this problem.
CONTACT: Trey Pollard, 202-904-9187, trey@pollardcommunications.com Molly Moore, 847-401-3633, molly@appvoices.org APPALACHIA — The authorization of funding for the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) fund officially expired at midnight Thursday. This lapse in funding brings a new level of uncertainty to the AML…
Insufficient bonding systems and decades of poor enforcement of mine reclamation law have led to a severe backlog in abandoned mines — and a new wave of coal bankruptcies is exacerbating the problem.
Heavy rains caused debris from an inactive coal mine to block portions of VA State Route 632 in late August — an event that might become all too common with climate change-fueled rainfall likely to intensify.
The Senate just passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that includes the LARGEST-EVER investment in abandoned mine land clean-up. Now we need the House to pass this bill with a few small changes that will make a big difference for local communities.
As coal collapses, the industry is leaving behind thousands of acres of mined lands in various states of environmental destruction. A new report seeks to understand the scope of the problem and outline potential solutions.
A new Tennessee law that changes the way surface mining is regulated in the state will force Tennessee taxpayers to prop up the industry and make it easier for coal operators to walk away from mine reclamation.
As a Virginia mine continues to rack up environmental and safety problems, state regulators are proceeding with their strongest enforcement option — bond forfeiture. Based on the track record of related Justice family companies, the situation is not likely to improve.
