Contact: Adam Wells, New Economy Program Manager, 276-679-1691, adam@appvoices.org Thom Kay, Senior Legislative Representative, 864-580-1843, thom.kay@appvoices.org Gerald Collins Coal Mining Engineering Services LLC, 276-220-0150, gerald1951@comcast.net Norton, Va. — A proposed federal spending bill that took shape in Congress over the…
Contact: Adam Wells, Economic Diversification Program Coordinator (o) 276-679 1691, (m) 804-240-4372, adam@appvoices.org Norton, VA — Appalachian Voices today released preliminary findings in an ongoing review of abandoned coal mine lands in Southwest Virginia to identify the best potential sites…
More than 300 people turned out for the recent Southwest Virginia Economic Forum hosted by UVA-Wise — perhaps the largest gathering of people coming together to talk specifically and hopefully about solutions for the region’s economic future. A week later, the positive energy coming out of the forum is still palpable in the community, with some feeling it may have been the turning point for the region.
A rare bipartisan proposal aims to tackle two pressing issues related to the flailing coal industry — the need for new economic opportunities in central Appalachia and repairing environmental damage from decades of mining.
Contact: Adam Wells, Appalachian Voices, (276) 679-1691, adam@appvoices.org Gabby Gillespie, The Alliance for Appalachia, (276) 220-5048, gabby.gillespie@sierraclub.org Eric Dixon, Appalachian Citizens Law Center, (865) 202-8688, eric@appalachianlawcenter.org Two dozen local government entities in the heart of Central Appalachia’s coalfields have passed…
An Obama administration proposal would direct funds to workforce training and reemployment programs in the coal-bearing communities of Appalachia and increase the budgets of agencies focused on economic development, but regional politicians are slow to embrace the plan.
A new report examines how federal funding to remediate abandoned mine lands could be implemented in a way that helps Appalachian communities struggling with coal’s decline.
Appalachian Voices has been busy promoting the Power-Plus Plan, which would among other things support job retraining for former miners, provide funds for community infrastructure improvements and direct new funding to clean up abandoned mines while creating new jobs.
