Toxic Ponds: Coal Ash Ponds Pollute North Carolina Water

Story by Maureen Halsema Thirteen coal ash ponds in North Carolina are contaminating ground water with toxic pollutants known to cause cancer and organ damage, a recent report shows. Appalachian Voices’ Upper Watauga Riverkeeper team conducted an analysis of groundwater contamination data and reviewed the test results of wells surrounding 13 coal ash ponds located…

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Prenter Hollow Sues Coal Companies Over Contaminated Water

By Maureen Halsema A clean glass of water is difficult to find in Prenter Hollow; a glass from the tap looks more like a glass of dirty tea. In Boone County, W.Va, nearly 300 people are suing nine coal companies for water contamination. Residents in Prenter claim that their private water wells were contaminated from…

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ASHEVILLE GO: Green Opportunities

By Maureen Halsema There is much ado about green collar jobs, but who is qualified to work them? An Asheville-based program called Asheville Green Opportunities (Asheville GO) is ready to fit the bill, training unemployed young adults to launch careers in this growing industry. Asheville GO provides training, education and services to help enhance and…

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A Vision of Virginia’s Energy Future

Commentary by Tom Cormons Special to The Voice My 21-month-old daughter seems to know no greater joy than that of splashing in the cool, clear waters of our mountain creeks, or walking along a rocky trail beneath the lush hardwood canopy, happily chewing on a birch twig. A favorite destination is the Blue Ridge’s Humpback…

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Saving North Carolina, One Watt At A Time

By Austin Hall Amid the growing discussion of energy use, global climate change and how to implement renewable energy, North Carolina state legislators and a coalition of grassroots organizations have proposed a measure that directly tackles the issue of using electricity efficiently in state. North Carolina SAVE$ Energy is an initiative to create a statewide,…

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Blasting Begins on Coal River Mountain

By Julie Johnson On Oct. 24, Massey Energy began blasting on Coal River Mountain, a ridgeline that has become symbolic in the nationwide campaign to end mountaintop removal coal mining. This West Virginia mountain is home to the highest peaks ever slated for mountaintop removal in the state. The state’s Department of Environmental Protection has…

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Tensions Continue to Grow Over Mountaintop Removal Mining

By Sandra Diaz From civil disobedience with ever-increasing fines to public-hearings-turned-shouting-matches, the tension between mountaintop removal factions has turned explosive. Fines for acts of civil disobedience in actions opposing mountaintop removal have been increasing, but the additional costs have not stopped the protests. On Sept. 9, four protesters, along with a journalist covering the event,…

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AIRE and MOTM: Combining Music With Renewable Energy

By Jeff Deal The 4,200 folks who turned out for this year’s Music on the Mountaintop (MOTM)raised $5,000 for community driven renewable energy. The August festival in Boone, N.C. hosted stellar performances by four-time Grammy Award winner Sam Bush and music favorites Acoustic Syndicate and Kellar Williams. The Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy (AIRE)—an organization…

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N.C. Residents Speak Out About Four-Lane Highway Proposal

By Julie Johnson A proposal for a four-lane highway through the Stecoah Valley drew residents from Graham County, N.C. and surrounding areas to speak out at a packed community center on Oct. 28. This ten mile, split-median road is being proposed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) at an estimated budget of $350…

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