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Brian Sewell

Brian is an environmental news junkie concerned with our lagging energy policy and revealing the true cost of coal on our health, the environment and the climate. He is Appalachian Voices' Director of Strategic Advancement.

Considering Clean Power Compliance

Friday, October 16th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

From The Appalachian Voice:Almost everyone agrees that the Clean Power Plan is a game changer. Beyond that though, arguments about the climate regulations are often deeply colored by politics and disconnected from the plan’s intention or realistically expected outcomes. Here's how Appalachian states are reacting to the final rule. [ Read More ]

White House POWER Initiative grants awarded

Thursday, October 15th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

Efforts to increase employment, and develop and diversify the economies of historically coal-reliant communities just received a major boost. Earlier today, the White House announced $14.5 million in grant awards to organizations and projects occurring across 12 states. A majority of the three dozen awards, and most of the grant dollars, are going to plan or implement projects in Central Appalachia. [ Read More ]

Predictable politics giving way to popular support for POWER+

Tuesday, August 18th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

In Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee, cities and counties with long histories of coal mining are advocating for the POWER+ Plan, a federal budget initiative proposed by the White House to build a more diverse economy in the communities hardest hit by the regional coal industry’s decline. They deserve to be heard. [ Read More ]

EIA: Mountaintop removal coal production down

Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

The U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) published a blog post today showing that coal produced by mountaintop removal mining in Central Appalachia decreased by 62 percent between 2008 and 2014. Demand for Central Appalachian coal will continue to decline, making further progress inevitable. But we won't end mountaintop removal by relying on the market alone. [ Read More ]

Supreme Court delivers blow to EPA’s mercury rule

Monday, June 29th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

In a major decision today, the Supreme Court ruled the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not properly consider costs when it created a rule to limit mercury emissions from power plants. But the agency has a mandate and a clear path forward to protect public health by limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic air pollutants. [ Read More ]

Another challenge facing coal: Cleaning up

Tuesday, June 9th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

From The Appalachian Voice Online: Yet another aspect of the financial perils facing U.S. coal companies is coming into full view. As even some of the nation's largest coal producers run the risk of caving under their debts, regulators and analysts are voicing urgent concerns about cash-strapped companies' ability to pay for reclamation land after mining. [ Read More ]

A “crass abuse of power” in the N.C. Senate

Thursday, May 21st, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

The disgust with North Carolina Sen. Bob Rucho today is broad and bipartisan. Yesterday in the Senate finance committee, which he chairs, Rucho not only limited debate on provisions of HB332, which would freeze the state's highly successful Renewable Portfolio Standard, he refused to allow an individual tally of votes and declared a failed bill passed. [ Read More ]

Duke Energy to close aging Asheville coal plant

Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | 1 Comment

Duke Energy announced plans today to retire its polluting, uneconomical Asheville coal plant and build a natural gas-fired facility in its place. While the news should be celebrated as progress, it also represents another precarious step along a dangerous road that will prolong our region’s over-reliance on fossil fuels and saddle consumers with long-lived investments in natural gas. [ Read More ]

A new challenge to fracking in North Carolina

Tuesday, May 5th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | 1 Comment

Clean Water for North Carolina and three residents of counties where fracking could occur are challenging the authority of the state to preempt local ordinances offering communities greater protections from the practice. Dozens of North Carolina counties and towns have already passed resolutions calling on the General Assembly to hand over control, while others urge lawmakers to reinstate the ban on fracking altogether. [ Read More ]

Appalachian communities at growing risk from mountaintop removal

Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

Appalachian Voices is committed to creating a forum for citizens' stories and sharing the most up-to-date data available about the ongoing risks the practice poses to Appalachia. Today, we’re sharing a new web tool we developed to reveal how mining continues to encroach on communities and send a resounding message that ending mountaintop removal is a must if we hope to foster economic and environmental health in Appalachia. [ Read More ]

Apologies for the Dan River spill, guilt for coal ash crimes

Thursday, February 26th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

Duke Energy likes to use a tagline about how, for more than 100 years, it has provided affordable, reliable electricity to its customers "at the flip of a switch." But a year after the Dan River spill, Duke seems to accept that coal ash pollution has its own chapter in the company’s corporate story. Now, facing federal criminal charges, Duke will pay for its crimes. [ Read More ]

Criminal charges filed against Duke Energy

Friday, February 20th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | 8 Comments

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Duke Energy for violating the federal Clean Water Act at coal ash sites across North Carolina. The company announced today that it has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors to resolve the charges that includes $102.2 million for fines and mitigation. [ Read More ]

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