All Posts
Owning the Mountains: Appalachia’s history of corporate control
By Elizabeth E. Payne Throughout the history of the United States, Appalachia has attracted the attention of outside investors hoping to profit from the region’s valuable commodities. First timber, then coal and now natural gas are all highly valued. To ensure access to these resources, early investors bought large parcels of land in Appalachia. “By…
Read MoreFracked-gas Pipelines Would Threaten Homes and Dreams
A Tale of Two Families By Cat McCue At the top of Sinking Creek Mountain in western Virginia, where Craig, Giles and Montgomery counties meet, sits a 50-acre parcel of land with views in all directions. To Judy and Steve Hodges, who built their dream home here in 2003, it’s heaven. “We’re from the ‘70s.…
Read MoreBlasted: Homeowners near mine seek recourse for property damage
Karen and Jerry Kirk live in a home that they believe was damaged during blasting for a nearby surface mine. Despite years of frustration, they have been unable to get compensation for the damage to their property.
Read MoreEnvironmental Votetracker – Feb/March 2016
See how Appalachian congressional representatives voted on several environmental issues in December 2015 and January 2016.
Read MoreScientists Review to EPA Fracking Report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board raised questions about the scientific basis of a report by the agency on fracking.
Read MoreSolar Jobs Overtake Oil and Gas, Coal Mining in China, Methane Leak in California
News briefs from across the energy sector
Read MoreVirginia General Assembly compromises on solar
While football fans were pumping up for the Big Game last weekend, supporters of clean power in Virginia were gearing up for a different showdown as key committees in the General Assembly prepared to take up important clean energy legislation.
Read MorePOWER+ Plan has a place in Obama’s final budget
This morning, President Obama sent his plan for the federal government’s expenses during fiscal year 2017 to Congress. It lays out the president’s vision for spending on everything from clean energy to cancer research. We’re happy to announce that the POWER+ Plan is included.
Read MoreAction needed: Va. General Assembly considers pipeline policy fixes
Late last month, we learned that the U.S. Forest Service rejected the Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s proposed route. This development significantly checks the lickety-split pace of the project. If that renews your desire to take action, there are opportunities channel that feeling into these important legislative fights in the General Assembly.
Read MoreAbandoned mines bill directs federal investment to communities hit hardest by coal decline
Contact: Adam Wells, Economic Diversification Program Coordinator, Appalachian Voices 276-679-1691, adam@appvoices.org Washington, D.C. — A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress today would allocate $1 billion for cleaning up abandoned mine lands and advancing economic development in communities across the country that have been hardest hit by the coal-mining industry’s decline. The Revitalizing the Economy of…
Read More