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Appalachian Voices, along with the Stop Cliffside Coalition, continues to fight the construction of Duke Energy’s coal-fired power plant in Rutherford County, NC. Duke Energy wants customers to pay more dirty energy that emits global warming gases and other air pollution, destroy the Appalachian mountains, and produces toxic coal ash ponds. To this end, Appalachian…

Appalachian Voices, as part of the Alliance for Appalachia, has been organizing monthly mini-lobby weeks to Washington, DC since our last big lobby week in March. These mini-lobby weeks have become an integral part of our work, as they increase our power on Capitol Hill, empower citizens from the Appalachian coalfields and beyond, and sends…

The struggles of folks in West Virginia is not only getting national air time, it is finally front and center – the lead story of last Sunday’s New York Times, to be exact. The article details the Massey family from Prenter, W.Va., and their life with toxic tap water contaminated with heavy metals from nearby…

In celebration of the Center for Appalachian Studies’ 30th anniversary and Appalshop’s 40th anniversary, the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University will be present a number of different events this week. Our favorites are listed below. Ann Pancake is the voice behind our multi-media presentation on mountaintop removal, Appalachian Treasures. And Tom Hansell…

The fine assessed to coal company for blasting a boulder into your home : $10,000 Bail assessed to tree-sitters who prevent blasting at a mountaintop removal site: $50,000 Ending mountaintop removal coal mining: PRICELESS One of the dangers that face coalfield residents every day is what the industry calls flyrock, a term that does not…

The following email was sent to the 37,000+ supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here. Dear mountain lover, We have great news! The Obama Administration has heard you! Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed all 79 mountaintop removal permits they were reviewing on temporary reprieve. This represents the…

are here (.xls) 100% of the MTR permits (79 of 79) were kiboshed. Why is the number of permits 79 and not 86 or 108? Via EPA’s Q&A: An initial list of 108 pending Clean Water Act permit applications for proposed coal mines was provided by the Corps and published at the same time as…

Says Congress Should Follow-Up By Approving Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310) “I fully support EPA’s decision to halt these permits and applaud the agency for recognizing the importance of protecting clean water. Clean and healthy water is a requirement for healthy people, especially growing children. Congress should follow through on this momentum and pass…

Environmental Groups Cautiously Optimistic Over News – – – – – – CONTACT: Dr. Matthew Wasson, Appalachian Voices – 828-262-1500 Stephanie Pistello, Appalachian Voices – 917-664-5511 – – – – – – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the preliminary fate of 79 valley fill permit applications associated with mountaintop removal coal mining. In…

EPA HQ will withhold 79 MTR valleyfill permits, sending them back to EPA regional offices Today, EPA announced that they will be withholding 79 mountaintop removal and valleyfill permits for further review. More info and action tools forthcoming… EPA goes through basic questions and answers about what this means here. (.pdf)