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.
Helping Residents Stand Up To Pipelines
With the proposed development of the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipeline proposals, our team has been helping to alert citizens about ways to engage in fracked gas pipeline issues and express concerns about these risky plans.
Going to Court for Clean Water
In mid-March, Appalachian Voices and our partners in Kentucky sued Frasure Creek Mining in federal court for more than 20,000 violations of the Clean Water Act, which could lead to nearly $700 million in fines.
Fossil Fuel Industry Losing Investors
Brevard College in North Carolina became the first academic institution in the Southeast to take steps towards divestment from fossil fuels, and PNC Financial announced that it will no longer finance individual mountaintop removal projects or coal mining companies that utilize mountaintop removal to extract 25 percent or more of their coal.
PJM Analysis Makes Economic Case for Clean Power Plan
By Eliza Laubach A region-wide electric grid operating…
Supreme Court Hears Challenges to Mercury Air Toxics Standards
In March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of air pollutants from power plants.
Oil Train Disasters Increase Safety Concerns
A train carrying crude oil derailed and ignited during a snowstorm in West Virginia on Feb. 17, sending a fireball into the sky. The inferno burned down one home and forced residents from three nearby towns to evacuate. At least one of the 25 overturned tankers spilled into a tributary of the nearby Kanawha River.
Regional Report Details Victories, Challenges Over Poverty
A report released in February by the Appalachian Regional Commission, Appalachia Then and Now: Examining Changes to the Appalachian Region Since 1965, examines the impact of improved infrastructure, education and job opportunities across the region. According to the report, Appalachia’s poverty rate dropped from 31 percent to 16.6 percent over the last five decades.
NC Forest Plan Delayed Amid Public Confusion
After the U.S. Forest Service encountered heated public outcry in response to the release of a draft management plan for the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forests this past October, the agency revised its goal of creating a final plan from 2016 to early 2017.
Bustling Streets, Thriving Business: A Shared Vision in Southwest Virginia
Residents and community leaders came together in Dungannon, Va., to launch a new regional project, Hometowns of the Clinch. Participating communities, which currently include Dungannon, Tazewell, Richlands, Honaker, Cleveland, Cedar Bluff and St. Paul, will encourage economic development along the Clinch River — one of the most biodiverse river ecosystems in the United States
New Studies Look at Southeast, Climate Change
Scientists gained new insight into how effectively forests capture carbon dioxide and mitigate climate change, and changing weather patterns may bring more tornadoes to the Southeast.
