Written by AV's Intern Team

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AV's Intern Team

Every year, Appalachian Voices is fortunate to assemble a phenomenal team of rockstar interns from numerous Appalachian and East Coast universities. Enjoy these posts from our interns.

Hellos and Goodbyes — Aug/Sept 2017

We welcome three new members to our Tennessee Energy Savings team, and bid farewell to our former Tennessee VISTA service member and the graphic designer for The Appalachian Voice.

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A summer of learning and organizing against pipelines

This is the last day of my internship with Appalachian Voices. But even though my formal time here is over, I plan to continue fighting for clean water.

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New Growth on Former Coal Mines

Independent farmers and entrepreneurial groups are looking to abandoned mine land sites and seeing potential for agricultural projects, both large and small.

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Berkeley Energy mine site

Kentucky Coal Mine Has Brighter Future as Solar Farm

A Kentucky coal company is partnering with an international renewables company to construct a solar farm on a coal mine site near Pikeville, Ky.

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Community advocates traveled to Washington, D.C.

Bill Could Boost Funding to Reclaim Abandoned Mines

If passed, the RECLAIM Act could provide much needed funding to clean up abandoned mine lands and prepare these sites for economically beneficial uses.

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Restored section of stream

Canaan Valley Institute Rebuilds Destroyed Waterways

Restoring streams damaged by coal mining is hard work, but in West Virginia, the nonprofit Canaan Valley Institute is making progress rebuilding watersheds.

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Two female students holding signs that say "Keep our school green"

Shrinking Carbon Footprints

Carbon offset programs provide a way for those concerned about their environmental impact to support projects that capture carbon in the atmosphere. These projects can also provide benefits to local communities.

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map of Twin Star mine

Restoring Land for Native Plants, Bees and Streams

A new nonprofit organization, born out of the bankruptcies of Alpha Natural Resources and Patriot Coal, is hoping to bring native forests back to these lands, and restore streams that can support native aquatic life and insects.

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Communities Push Back Against White Supremacist Groups

In late April, citizens of Pikeville, Ky., and beyond took to the streets in opposition to the white supremacist hate groups that had converged in Eastern Kentucky for the “Take a Stand for White Working Families” rally.

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Utilities Face Legal Challenges in Ongoing Coal Ash Cleanup

Duke Energy and Dominion Energy, both energy utilities, face legal challenges as they struggle to cut costs while meeting their requirements to clean up their coal ash ponds. And new regulations in Kentucky worry some.

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