The Old Dominion Electric Co-op (ODEC) announced yesterday that it has suspended plans to build the largest coal-fired power plant in Virginia! While the ODEC plant was slated for construction in eastern Virginia’s Surry County, ODEC planned to fuel it…
Monthly Archives: August 2012
ODEC Puts Coal Plant on Ice
Wise Energy for Virginia For Immediate Release – August 9, 2012 ODEC Puts Plans for Coal Plant On Ice Clean energy groups rejoice but vow to stay vigilant ——————————————————————- Contact: Mike McCoy, Appalachian Voices (434) 293-6373 Beth Kemler, Chesapeake Climate…
Changing Winds on Air Pollution Standards
By Molly Moore Back in December, environmental advocates cheered the arrival of the EPA’s long-awaited Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, which will limit the amount of mercury, arsenic, selenium, cyanide and other toxins released by new power plants. The agency…
The High Cost of Energy on Our Water
By Jamie Goodman American industries are thirsty for fresh water, and our electrical generation has by far the biggest cup to fill. Close to half of the water withdrawn from our rivers and lakes is destined to cool power plants…
Hidden Treasures #3 — Waterways
Welcome to the third installment of our exploration of some of the most beautiful, off-the-beaten-path places in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains. In this issue, we hand picked some water-related hot spots perfect for late summer days: hikes, waterfalls, swimming holes and everything in between — areas that are perfect for dipping your toes, or your whole self, into the water.
The Value of Running Water
By Molly Moore Appalachia’s signature streams and rivers braid together the region’s hills, hollows and pastures, offering fishing, recreation and transportation in addition to the planet’s most vital liquid. Rivers are so integrated into daily life that some people cross…
Abrams Falls Trail: A Jaunt to a Jewel of the Smokies
By Stephen Otis The Abrams Falls Trail has historical nuances you won’t find just anywhere. Located in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, the trail, creek and falls are named after a historic…
Build a Rod, Tie a Fly: In Search of Healing Waters
By Brian Sewell When David Frady, a 46-year-old from Leicester, N.C., woke up this morning, he felt like going fishing. So far, the rain has kept him indoors, where he’ll practice tying flies, work on the small boat he volunteered…
Underground Controversy: Fracking’s Impact on Clean Water
By Jessica Kennedy Nearly all types of conventional energy have their fair share of controversy, and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract natural gas is no different. This highly-profitable process continues to spread while many people call for stricter regulations…
Buried Blackwater: Revealing Coal’s Dirty Secret
By Brian Sewell No one knows exactly when the industry began injecting coal slurry, the toxic, semi-solid waste that remains after mined coal is washed, into networks of abandoned mine shafts throughout Appalachia. But it was sometime after a disaster…
