Search Results: south fork coal
South Fork Coal Company: ‘a trail of pollution, debt and disregard’
Since late 2023, Appalachian Voices has worked closely with the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance and other partners to defend the Cherry River from South Fork Coal’s negligence, and to resist this coal company’s encroachment into the Monongahela National Forest.
Environmental groups sue South Fork Coal over damages near Cranberry Wilderness
The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and Appalachian Voices sued South Fork Coal Company today for ongoing violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act at five coal mines in Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
Federal court clears path for legal challenges to coal-hauling in Monongahela National Forest
A federal judge in Delaware ruled Tuesday in favor of two motions filed by conservation groups, allowing key legal and administrative actions to move forward to protect portions of the Monongahela National Forest from mining activities by South Fork Coal Company
American Rivers names Gauley River to America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025, due to toxic coal mining pollution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 16, 2025 CONTACTHawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org Andrew Young, staff attorney for the Allegheny Blue Ridge Alliance (ABRA), ayoung@abralliance.org Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, Appalachian Voices, (276) 289-1018, dan@appvoices.org WASHINGTON, D.C. — The threat of toxic pollution from coal strip mining in the headwaters of one of the Gauley’s primary tributaries — the…
Presidential orders to prop up coal companies would increase pollution, damage public lands and raise power bills
President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at propping up declining coal-fired power plants and reducing environmental protections for communities impacted by coal plants and mining.
Bankrupt coal company cited for releasing ‘sludge’ into West Virginia’s Gauley River watershed
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued its latest notice of violation against South Fork Coal Company, the bankrupt mining firm operating a 3,600-acre surface mining complex in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, on March 24. The citation was issued for “iron staining and sludge deposits” in Becky Run caused by the company’s Lost Flats #2 Surface Mine.
Coal company with 80+ clean water violations files for bankruptcy
South Fork Coal Company and its parent entities Xinergy and White Forest Resources, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. The move follows the company’s well-documented pattern of water pollution and mine clean-up violations, which have drawn mounting public scrutiny and legal actions.
Federal regulators shut down illegal WV coal haul road — Interior quietly reopens it at company’s request
In a whirlwind of conflicting decisions, the U.S. Department of the Interior has quietly allowed South Fork Coal Company to resume hauling coal through the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia — just weeks after Biden administration regulators shut down the unlawful haul road.
Federal regulators issue notice to DEP for failing to enforce environmental protections at Greenbrier County coal mines
A notice issued by federal coal mining regulators outlines the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s failures to address persistent problems at a set of South Fork Coal Company mines and directs state regulators to address the issues and report back.
Top mine regulator can and must halt illegal coal hauling in the Monongahela National Forest
Sharon Buccino, the acting head of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, could take immediate action to shut down South Fork Coal’s illegal coal hauling operation in the Monongahela National Forest.