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News from the Upper Watuaga Riverkeeper Blog: On July 21, 2010 an oil spill occurred at Mountain Oil Company in Boone, NC. The spill happened at the Mountain Oil facility on King Street. The day before the spill, one of the workers Mountain Oil left a maintenance door open on one of the storage tanks.…

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signaled its approval of Arch Coal subsidiary Coal-Mac’s Pine Creek surface mine in Logan County, WV. Yesterday, the agency announced that the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) had issued its final Clean Water Act permit for the mountaintop removal mine. In other words… They are still blowing…

Back on July 17, asphalt sealant killed off 1.5 miles of Hodge’s Creek in Boone, NC. Turns out the sealant is made from coal tar, making this yet another consequence of using deadly coal by-products. Coal tar, which would be listed as a ‘hazardous waste,’ were it not for a special federal exemption, contains benzo[a]pyrene.…

The word on everyone’s mind after the first ever Watauga Riverkeeper Festival: Success! Kids and adults alike came out in droves to celebrate the beautiful mountain rivers of Appalachia at the Valle Crucis Community Park on Saturday. The Watauga Riverkeeper and Appalachian Voices worked together to create a family-friendly event with plenty for kids (and…

Appalachian Voices staff was on hand at the National Press Club last week to watch Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship predict further mining tragedies, dismiss coalfield citizens, and brag about blowing up Appalachia to export coal to India. Needless to say that the press walked away unimpressed. Sunday’s Washington Post put the quick kibosh on…

Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate JW Randolph was quoted on Friday in an article by the news organization Truthout. The piece, entitled Protesters Crash Massey Energy Lunch, but Don’t Sway Conversation, was about Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship’s recent July 22 luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. There, Blankenship argued that expanding surface…

By Colette Henderson Five days ago, we kicked off the Dear Companion tour in Lexington, KY in full force. We packed the house and many stopped by the Appalachian Voices table to pick up materials and ask questions. The amazing part of doing this work in areas like Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia is…

Don’t miss yesterday’s enlightening Salon interview with US Senate candidate Ken Hechler of West Virginia. Click here: Meet the World’s Oldest Senate Candidate

Last Friday, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin appointed his former chief counsel, Carte Goodwin, to fill the vacated Senate seat of the late Robert C. Byrd. Goodwin, at the age of 36, has become the youngest member of the US Senate, replacing the chamber’s oldest and longest serving member. Goodwin will hold the seat until…