Two recent federal enforcement actions against major Appalachian coal companies, Alpha Natural Resources and Nally & Hamilton, are a positive sign. But can fining coal companies come close to solving the fundamental problem of water pollution that stems from mountaintop removal?
Blog Archives
Appalachian Coal Companies Face Major Fines for Clean Water Act Violations
What’s Happening in Tennessee on Mountaintop Removal Today?
Two important legislative efforts in Tennessee face hurdles in the form of a legislative hearing and committee vote today. Both efforts pertain to coal mining and mountaintop removal. One promotes the health of Tennessee’s mountains and mountain communities, the other would harm them.
Study Confirms Air Pollution from Mountaintop Removal
For generations, coal-mining communities in Appalachia have raised questions about local health problems, wondering whether or not they may be linked to pollution from nearby coal mines. A recent study conducted by a group of West Virginia University researchers has confirmed that suspicion, reporting that potentially dangerous air pollution levels are more likely in areas surrounding mountaintop removal coal mines than in mine-free communities.
KY and NC: Different States, Same Recipe for Lax Clean Water Enforcement
Yesterday there was a hearing in Franklin Circuit Court for our ongoing challenge of a weak settlement that the state of Kentucky reached with Frasure Creek Mining. The settlement is a slap on the wrist that lets them off the hook for thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act, and it bears a striking resemblance to the settlement between North Carolina and Duke Energy that has come under scrutiny after their recent coal ash spill into the Dan River.
TAGS: Appalachian Water Watch Clean Water Act Coal Coal Ash Duke Energy Kentucky Kentucky Litigation Mountaintop Removal Water Pollution
Patriot Coal CEO: Ending Mountaintop Removal Mining a “Win-Win”
After emerging from bankruptcy, Patriot Coal CEO Bennett Hatfield said in an interview with SNL Energy that the 2012 settlement over selenium pollution that forced the company to begin phasing out mountaintop removal proved to be a “win-win.” Even before…
Adam Hall: A Defender of West Virginia
By Kimber Ray Depressed towns and waters laced with toxic chemicals have been handed down to West Virginia in the wake of mountaintop removal coal mining, yet many in the community leave these grievances unspoken. Adam Hall, the son of…
OSM Investigates WV Mining Law Enforcement
By Brian Sewell The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced on Dec. 30 that it will investigate West Virginia’s surface coal mining regulatory program. The announcement comes six months after the Citizen Action for Real Enforcement campaign…
More than 75 Gather in Philadelphia to Demand Clean Water for Appalachia
Last week, more than 75 people braved single-digit temperatures in Philadelphia, Penn., to call on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take action to protect Appalachia from mountaintop removal coal mining. Until legally binding safeguards are set by the EPA, Appalachia’s waters will continue to be polluted by mountaintop removal coal mining.
Ann League: Coordinating to Protect Tennessee’s Mountains
I started working to protect Tennessee’s mountains from mountaintop removal coal mining more than 10 years ago because it was personal for me. And I plan to continue fighting mountaintop removal because the mountains of Tennessee will always be in my heart, which is why I am so excited to join Appalachian Voices to coordinate the organization’s Tennessee campaign.
Fighting for Clean Water in Virginia: Standing up to Coal Industry Bullies
Today, Appalachian Voices along with our allies in Virginia filed a lawsuit against Penn Virginia, for water polluted by selenium coming from abandoned mines on their land. This lawsuit is one in a series of suits aimed at cleaning up selenium pollution in Callahan Creek.
TAGS: appalachia Appalachian Water Watch Clean Water Act Coal Environment Mountaintop Removal Selenium Virginia Water Water Pollution
