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Update on our Surry/Hampton Roads Coal Plant Fight in Virginia
Locals and people across Hampton Roads have been overwhelmingly opposed to ODEC’s proposed coal plant. Photo at hearing by Jackie Carroll 2/27/12 In December 2008, the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) proposed to build the largest coal plant in Virginia, across the river from Williamsburg in Surry County. It was to be 1,500 megawatts, in…
Read MoreSubcommittee Hearing A “Dog and Pony Show” With Your Ringmaster, Rep. Bill Johnson
I’ll admit, this morning’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing had my head spinning. Similar to the committee’s previous hearings on the stream buffer zone rule, statements made by the Republican majority committee members could cause concerns as to who exactly they’re representing. The hearing seemed staged to give committee members yet another opportunity…
Read MoreSurry Coal Plant: Short Term Benefits versus Long Term Effects
Blog by Beth Roach, a Surry County Native. To RSVP for the hearing on Monday, March 5th click here. All I ask is for them to consider both sides. The powers that be in Surry have made it no secret that they are through hearing arguments and ready to vote, pass, and cash those checks.…
Read MoreMountaintop Removal Video on Telegraph Website
“The Day Baby Brucie Died”: An Oral History of the Buffalo Creek Flood
by Betty Dotson-Lewis Author’s note: Larry Conn is a Freewill Baptist Preacher, a public school teacher in Logan County, West Virginia, and a member of a gospel singing group. The oral history of Buffalo Creek Flood survivors such as Larry Conn may have been told repeatedly, but with each time it is relived. Forty years…
Read MoreThe Unhealthy Culture of Coal
The latest in a round of studies on health and well-being in the coal-bearing regions of Appalachia was released in mid-February, with the puzzling conclusion that, while coal mining may not directly contribute to health problems in Appalachia, it still plays a significant role in the health problems in Appalachia. Borak’s study claims that the…
Read MoreSave the Dates! Two Coal Plant Hearings in Surry County, Va
Come to the Hearings! HEARING ONE Planning and Zoning Commission Hearing When: Monday, February 27th 7:00 p.m. Where: Surry Co. High School, 1675 Hollybush Rd., Dendron, VA RSVP here. Spread the word on Facebook. HEARING TWO Dendron Town Council Zoning Hearing and VOTE When: Monday, March 5, 7:30 p.m. Where: The Dendron Firehouse, 3325 Rolfe…
Read MoreKentuckians and Friends Show State Officials Their Love for Mountains on Valetine’s Day
Despite cool, rainy weather in Frankfort, KY, more than 1,200 individuals showed up on the steps of the Kentucky state capitol building for I Love Mountains Day. This annual event is held by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth so that KFTC members and other advocates can come together to show their support for protecting eastern Kentucky’s…
Read MoreMSHA’s “Rules to Live By” Remind Us of Real Risks
On Jan. 31, the head of U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, Joe Main, announced the next phase of the “Rules to Live By” training, a program with a catchy title that aims to reduce mining fatalities and injuries. The 14 targeted safety standards in the “Rules to Live By III: Preventing Common Mining Deaths”…
Read MoreU.S. Renewable Energy Production Surpasses Nuclear in 2011
For the first time since the late 90s, energy produced by renewable sources (biomass, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal and solar) has surpassed the amount of energy produced by nuclear plants in the U.S., according to the most recent Monthly Energy Review from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Link to the report. The report shows that…
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