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Appalachian Voices statement on Mountain Valley Pipeline’s receipt of key Clean Water Act permit

pipeline in flooded field

The U.S. Army Corps issued a Clean Water Act permit to Mountain Valley Pipeline following a passage of a law requiring the agency to do just that.

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Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition report shows how mine cleanup can boost local economies

A photo of the Dante Steam building.

The Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition recently released its 2023 report, “National to Neighborhoods: Catalyzing Opportunities for Coal-Impacted Communities.” The report highlights the coalition’s current work and projects across the Appalachian coalfields of Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

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Fighting for Black Lung Benefits for Miners and Families

A woman poses next to her husband with her arm around his shoulders.

Kathryn South’s husband, Mike South, was diagnosed with black lung disease at age 35. As they grappled with his disease, the couple also navigated the arduous legal process to obtain federal black lung benefits, a fight that Kathryn continued even after Mike’s passing.

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As EPA Prepares to Update Federal Air Quality Limits, Coal Dust Looms Large in Eunice

gray dust hovers between two trees

Frustrated with constant coal dust, residents of Eunice, West Virginia, asked the state to install an air quality monitoring device in their community. The request was denied.

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Albright Dam Removal Part of National River Cleanup Effort

The Albright Dam is the last dam in West Virginia on the Cheat River, and environmental groups say it has long been an impediment to fish migration. Photo by Joey Kimmet/Friends of the Cheat.

The U.S. Interior Department recently announced $1 million in funding toward removing the defunct Albright Dam as part of an effort to improve water quality and restore free-flowing waterways nationwide.

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Miners with black lung & families to Manchin: “We’re counting on you, Joe”

CONTACT: Trey Pollard – trey@pollardcommunications.com – 202-904-9187 Dan Radmacher – dan@appvoices.org – (540) 798-6683 CHARLESTON, WV – Today, in front of the West Virginia Coal Miners Memorial in Charleston, leaders from the Black Lung Association launched a new statewide campaign

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A Cloud of Coal Mine Dust over a West Virginia Community Points to Regulatory Shortcomings

As residents of the Eunice community in West Virginia grapple with coal mine dust, regulations governing air pollution offer little help.

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New report explains why West Virginia needs the Black Lung Excise Tax

xrays of black lung sufferers, Photo by CDC-NIOSH

This morning, advocates for miners with black lung and their families released a new report outlining the critically important impacts of the black lung excise tax and the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund in West Virginia. The report comes days after the excise tax rate was slashed due to Congressional inaction, gutting funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund that supports benefits for thousands of miners in West Virginia.

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Mountain Valley Pipeline faces legal challenge to water permit in West Virginia

Mountain Valley Pipeline

A new lawsuit filed today challenges West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approval of a key water-quality permit for the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. The lawsuit argues that WVDEP’s approval violates the Clean Water Act.

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West Virginia DEP grants MVP key water permit

Charleston, WV — Today, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Water Quality Certification, which is a permit required by Section 401 of the Clean Water Act to ensure that a project can meet water quality standards. West Virginia’s approval was required before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could move forward with dredge-and-fill permits for the pipeline.

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