Written by AV's Intern Team
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Water Quality Permits and the Pipelines
On May 24, Virginia’s state environmental regulatory agency conceded that information it had provided about how it would evaluate the potential water quality impact of two natural gas pipelines was inaccurate.
Empower Kentucky Plan Would Create Jobs, Boost Energy Efficiency
A new plan by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth sets a path for the state to reduce its carbon footprint, increase social justice, create jobs and boost the economy.
Congress Passes Budget Deal
In a last minute deal, Congress passed a compromise budget in late April that will fund federal obligations through September 2017. The budget includes funding for miner’s health care benefits that were lost during bankruptcy hearings for the parent companies.
