Written by Willie Dodson
Willie Dodson
A Virginia native, Willie has organized with environmental and social justice campaigns in the region for more than a decade. He is Appalachian Voices' Coal Impacts Program Manager.
Signs of trouble for critical mine cleanup fund in Virginia
A bankruptcy of any one of nine coal companies could tank the state of Virginia’s mine reclamation fund within a decade.
Virginia Residents Score Big Win in Landfill Fight
Plans to turn a former coal prep plant site into a solid waste dump provoked an outcry from local residents, and sparked a movement that stopped the landfill.
Remembering and honoring Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman, president of the Kanawha County Black Lung Association, passed away on Aug. 24, one day before his 72nd birthday.
Coal Miners’ Widows Tell their Stories to Kentucky Rep. Morgan McGarvey
Currently, some miners’ widows can lose their black lung benefits in certain situations. A bill Congress would help make the system more fair.
Residents Across Five States Benefit From Local Air Quality Monitoring
Through the Upper South and Appalachia Citizen Air Monitoring Project, community members and organizations are collecting data about local air quality.
Opposition to Proposed Prison on Mine
Environmental risks and negative social, economic and mental-health impacts to prisoners and communities are among the concerns voiced over a plan to build a prison on top of a former mine.
Appalachian Voices partners with Black By God to examine air quality in West Virginia’s African American communities
Appalachian Voices is launching a new partnership with Black By God, a Black-led news and storytelling organization, with a publication of the same name, in West Virginia. Black By God is dedicated to providing a more nuanced portrayal of African Americans in the Mountain State and the Appalachian region than is often found in other media sources.
Prominent Navajo environmental leader to speak in Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina
Along with Andrew Atencia and Adrian Herder, organizers for Tó Nizhoní Aní, Nicole Horseherder will be visiting Appalachia in March to teach and learn about the environmental justice movement in the coalfields of Black Mesa and Appalachia, respectively.
Regulators Poised to Update Miners’ Protections from Silica Dust
Expected new silica dust regulations in mines could combat the rise of black lung disease. However, the effects of an ongoing federal silica enforcement initiative remain unclear.
Bad actor coal company seeks to expand surface mine in endangered candy darter habitat
Surface mining of this scale is bad news for the environment even if it is conducted within the confines of the law, but South Fork Coal Company’s history of regulatory infractions is almost as egregious as Greenbrier County is beautiful.
