While lawmakers in Washington, D.C., might get most of the spotlight, the legislators in state capitols across the region are busy making — and blocking — laws that affect Appalachia’s land, air, water and people. Here’s the latest updates from state legislatures around the region
Blog Archives
State Legislative Updates
TAGS: Coal fracking Kentucky Mine Safety North Carolina Politics Solar State politics Tennessee Virginia Water Pollution West Virginia
WV to Review Research on Mining Health Impacts
West Virginia’s Bureau of Public Health announced in March that the agency will begin working with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate existing research that links surface coal mining and poor health.
WV Coal Lab Penalty Upheld
The West Virginia Environmental Quality Board upheld a decision by the state Department of Environmental Protection to revoke the certification of Appalachian Laboratories Inc., where employees routinely conspired to violate the federal Clean Water Act.
Former Freedom Executives Indicted for Elk River Chemical Spill
Federal prosecutors in December charged the now-bankrupt Freedom Industries and six former employees for criminal violations of the Clean Water Act in relatation to the January 2014 chemical spill that contaminated the water of more than 300,000 West Virginia residents.
WV Repeals Changes to Climate Science Standards
Following a heated public rebuke, the West Virginia Board of Education reversed its decision to alter newly proposed national K-12 science education standards.
Alpha Agrees to Water Pollution Settlement
Alpha Natural Resources agreed to a settlement in a 2012 lawsuit, brought by the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, regarding high levels of conductivity found in streams at two of its mountaintop removal mining complexes in West Virginia.
West Virginia Legislative Maneuvers Disregard Water Quality
The West Virginia legislature has introduced two new bills that would loosen coal mining rules and impact state water quality.
West Virginia Repeals “Alternative” Energy Law
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill to repeal the state’s Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, a law ostensibly aimed at promoting adoption of renewable sources.
West Virginia flunks climate change class
Climate activists are giving the W.Va. Board of Education some lessons in how to provide a healthy future for children — beginning with ensuring kids understand the science behind climate change.
Crowdfunding Solar in West Virginia
In a state known for coal, solar energy emerges through a grassroots “barn-raising.” This innovative program relies on energy efficiency and a collaborative spirit to harness the sun’s power for community nonprofits.
