Satellite photos taken years apart reveal that little reclamation has taken place at several Virginia mines owned by the family of billionaire West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.
Blog Archives
Virginia issues new enforcement actions for Justice family mine violations
Mining companies owned by West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and his family have chronically violated environmental standards and failed to pay fines and fees. Virginia regulators recently issued notices of mine permit revocation and bond forfeiture for two of the family’s companies.
TAGS: bond forfeiture Coal environmental violations mine reclamation self-bonding Virginia Virginia DMME West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice
VA Initiates Bond Forfeiture on Justice-Owned Mines
Virginia regulators initiated bond forfeiture at two coal mines owned by the family of West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. The regulators cited failure to pay penalties and chronic environmental and public safety violations.
Advocating for Abandoned Mine Cleanup Bills
Appalachian Voices and our partners are working to make sure that legislation is passed this year to address the urgent problem of reclaiming abandoned mine lands.
Support Grows for Mine Reclamation Bill
Numerous Appalachian coal-bearing communities have passed resolutions calling on federal legislators to pass a bill that would reauthorize a program that funds cleanup of abandoned mine lands.
TAGS: abandoned mine lands AML reauthorization mine reclamation U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
The Impacts of Coal Bankruptcies
With industry projections trending downwards, questions continue about whether the mine reclamation system can handle ongoing bankruptcies.
Intro: The Legacies of Coal
As Appalachia’s coal industry continues to decline, the scale of the damage it has cas becomes even more apparent.
A decision point for abandoned coal mines
An accurate inventory of abandoned coal mine lands is imperative for understanding the scope of the problem, where funding needs to be directed, and how much funding is necessary.
TAGS: abandoned coal mines abandoned mines aml AML reauthorization appalachia Coal mine reclamation Office of Surface Mining OSMRE reclaim
Bond forfeitures begin on bankrupt Blackjewel and Revelation mine permits
An unreclaimed coal mine has sent mud and debris onto a neighboring property. The mine is one of five Virginia permits owned by bankrupt Revelation Energy and Blackjewel that are now facing bond forfeiture, which means the state or the mines’ insurance companies could take over the cleanup.
TAGS: bankruptcy blackjewel bond forfeiture bonding Coal mine reclamation revelation energy Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy Virginia DMME
Blackjewel and Revelation Energy Coal Bankruptcy Raises Concerns for Workers and Mine Cleanup
Two coal company bankruptcies in July resulted in retroactively withdrawn paychecks from coal miners and an unclear future for roughly 13,000 acres of unreclaimed mine land.
