Monthly Archives: December 2015

Citizens deserve explanation of changes to coal ash classification draft

Earlier today, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released its Draft Proposed Impoundment Classification that, when finalized, will determine the closure timelines coal ash sites across the state. Below is a response from Appalachian Voices’ Amy Adams to

West Virginia Communities Still at Risk Despite Idled Mines

From The Appalachian Voice: West Virginia communities are still dealing with problems related to mountaintop removal coal mining. Toxic coal slurry impoundments, increased blasting and diminished water quality are among the challenges facing such communities at risk.

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Prayers not pipelines

Jill Averitt lives in Central Virginia with her extended family on a patch of land where collectively they are raising seven children, lots of vegetables–and in the past year, a ruckus over Dominion’s plans to run a massive fracked gas pipeline right through that land. She created the “Prayers Not Pipelines” project as a powerful way to connect with her neighbors, and to protect her home and community.

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Powering Up: Diversifying central Appalachia’s economy

From The Appalachian Voice: As coal production continues to decline, many citizens and groups in central Appalachia are working hard to find new avenues for economic diversification.

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Out of Frame: Regional Stereotypes in Photography

By Lou Murrey Earlier this year, a photo essay published by Vice Magazine titled “Two Days in Appalachia” provoked controversy over the portrayal of the region in the media. The images were made in the photographer Bruce Gilden’s signature style,

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Budget holds promise for Central Appalachia

Today the U.S. Congress passed a spending bill that covers expenditures for agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Labor, and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The spending bill is a big deal for Appalachian Voices and our work. And honestly, it looks pretty darn good.

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What to expect for Virginia’s energy policy in 2016

Around this time of year, we usually offer a legislative preview, looking ahead at the issues that will arise in the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly. Recent events relate to some of those possible energy policy changes, thickening the plot and making this session one worth engaging in — especially for customers of Appalachian Power Company.

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Help protect North Carolina’s forest wilderness

More than 50 years after the Wilderness Act was signed into law, less than one third of one percent of North Carolina’s land area has been protected as wilderness. The U.S. Forest Service is revising its plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala Forests, and is seeking public comment to help determine the future of some beloved places in the state.

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West Virginia Communities Still at Risk Despite Idled Mines

West Virginia communities, including Naoma and Sundial are still dealing with problems related to mountaintop removal coal mining. Toxic coal slurry impoundments, increased blasting and diminished water quality are among the challenges facing such communities at risk.

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An end to Frasure Creek’s water violations in Kentucky — finally

Late Monday evening, Appalachian Voices and our partners finalized a historic settlement in our case against Frasure Creek Mining. The settlement follows a five-year-long legal battle to protect eastern Kentucky’s waterways and bring a coal company notorious for violating environmental laws to justice.

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