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Today’s court decision and what it means for Appalachia

good_day_for_mtns2A major ruling in favor of the EPA says the agency has the authority to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when reviewing permits for mountaintop removal mines. The EPA has the legal authority, scientific evidence, and moral obligation to block every mountaintop removal permit that comes through its doors. We all share the responsibility of making sure it does just that.

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Court sides with EPA on science-based mountaintop removal permitting

4535374630_be9af60ec8_zA ruling by U.S. Court of Appeals today is as clear as the science indicting mountaintop removal coal mining, and affirms what advocates working to end the destruction of Appalachian mountains and streams have been saying for years.

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One fish, two fish … Dead fish

onefish_twofishA study from researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published this month provides strong new evidence that mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia is devastating downstream fish populations.
Fortunately, the Obama administration has an opportunity to take meaningful action to protect Appalachian streams.

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Community Impacts of Controversial Coalfields Expressway Project 
in Va. to Receive Thorough Review

Agency letters Federal Highway Administration, May 22, 2014 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sept. 11, 2012 Environmental Protection Agency, Sept. 7, 2012 Corps of Engineers, Sept. 7, 2012 Contact: 
 Jane Branham, Southern Appalachia Mountain Stewards, samsva@gmail.com, (276) 565-6167 


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O, to have the bully pulpit of Congress

rahall

Rep. Nick Rahall — like too many others in Congress — apparently sees no problem using that forum to spout untruths and fabrications to further his own agenda. In this case, he mischaracterizes the EPA’s veto of a permit for one of the largest mountaintop removal mines in the region in order to safeguard Appalachia’s waters and communities.

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Take Action: Protect Appalachian Streams from Toxic Selenium

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is poised to loosen national recommended water quality standards for selenium, a toxic pollutant commonly released from mountaintop removal coal mines. You can stand up for streams in Appalachia by submitting comments urging the EPA to protect aquatic life and strengthen selenium standards.

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On Capitol Hill, Appalachian citizens make the case against mountaintop removal

IMG_7148Last week, Appalachian Voices and Earthjustice teamed up with a group of Appalachian residents in Washington, D.C., to lobby members of the U.S. House of Representatives to cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act, and discuss the importance of protecting clean water with the Environmental Protection Agency and Office of Surface Mining.

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Groups Seek Protection of Virginia Waterways from Mining Pollution

Red River Coal Co. Violating “Last Line of Defense” Clean Water Act Protections Contact: Eric Chance, Appalachian Voices, 828-262-1500 eric@appvoices.org Sean Sarah, Sierra Club, 202-548-4589 sean.sarah@sierraclub.org Matt Hepler, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, 540-871-1564 mhepler24@gmail.com Big Stone Gap, VA –Citizen and

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“Hollow” Documentary Wins Award

By Kelsey Boyajian Throughout “Hollow,” an interactive online documentary, the lush hills of Appalachia are juxtaposed beside stripped mountaintops. Through the stories of 30 individuals living in rural McDowell County, W.Va., director and producer Elaine McMillion uses a combination of

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Acting on Climate: EPA unveils carbon rule for existing power plants

power-station-emissions-cc-20091EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy unveiled a plan to regulate carbon pollution from existing power plants this morning. In a rousing speech that covered the host of risks, and opportunities, that come with a changing climate, McCarthy called the plan “part of the ongoing story of energy progress in America.”

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