The recent Montcoal disaster highlighted the need for stronger mining safety reforms in our coal mines. We will continue highlighting policies where we see a need for improvement. We suggest following Ken Ward’s fantastic blog Coal Tattoo, and highly suggest…

A thought provoking piece was posted yesterday in The Economist’s Democracy in America Blog. It’s entitled “Can’t See the Fire for the Smoke,” and highlights both the different approaches to public-relations employed by Massey Energy and BP in the wake…

By Matt Wasson The lede and photo from a story in the Miami Herald from November, 2009, helps put the health hazards associated with coal ash into perspective: “When I was pregnant, I was dizzy, vomiting and could barely walk,”…

When I first started as a volunteer at Appalachian Voices ago I quickly learned that this was no ordinary organization. The members of the staff and the volunteers function as a family, working feverishly together to right some of the…

This just in from Senator Byrd… “Our Greatest Resource” – U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va. The recent explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in my home county of Raleigh, which killed 29 West Virginians and injured 2…