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.
Massive mountaintop removal mine threatens Clearfork Valley
The Clearfork Valley of Tennessee has been intensely surface-mined going back decades. Now, Kopper Glo Mining is moving forward with a nearly 1,500-acre mountaintop removal mine on nearby Cooper Ridge.
Keeping the mountain in Coal River Mountain
Local groups like Coal River Mountain Watch and Kanawha Forest Coalition are critical to protecting communities living near mountaintop removal mines in West Virginia. Appalachian Voices is helping them monitor mining activities and permits.
Southwest Virginians speak out against Doe Branch Mine
“God gave us the water so we can stay clean, and so we can drink it. I don’t want poison in the water.” Those are the words of 6-year-old Levi Marney, spoken to representatives of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy at a public meeting about the proposed Doe Branch mountaintop removal mine in Haysi.
West Virginia files Clean Water Act suit against Kanawha County mine
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has brought a lawsuit against Keystone Industries over Clean Water Act violations at the KD #2 surface mine in southern Kanawha County, W.Va., adjacent to the Kanawha State Forest.
Appalachia’s stream health in the balance
“I can remember swimming, fishing, and camping on the Powell River. I can also remember times when those activities were not possible due to mining in the Powell River’s watershed that had devastated the ecosystem, wiping out fish populations and polluting the water to the point that it was unhealthy to swim in. My hope is that the Stream Protection Rule will ensure our rivers and streams are healthy for all the life that depends on them – including us.” — Adam Malle’s testimony to OSMRE on the Stream Protection Rule
Citizen stories counter coal industry deception
Citizens and clean water advocates used a series of hearings on the proposed Stream Protection Rule to demand improvements to the draft version and call out state agencies for repeatedly failing to enforce regulations already on the books. Coal industry representatives, on the other hand, relied on “war on coal” rhetoric and deception to rally against the rule.
