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No Coalfields Expressway in Virginia: Rally to Stop the Hijack!
The Coalfields Expressway, more aptly nicknamed the “Road to Ruin” by its opponents, threatens Southwest Virginia with new mountaintop removal coal mines and weakened local economies. That’s why more than 89,000 Americans oppose the project and more than 75 defenders of Appalachia’s water, air, land and communities rallied outside the Federal Highways Administration in D.C.…
Read MoreCarbon Controversy: EPA Gathers Feedback on Emissions Rules
By Brian Sewell This fall, public listening sessions held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency served as an opportunity to influence future rules to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, the centerpiece of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. Comments submitted by citizens and stakeholders, and the large turnouts and media attention at the 11…
Read MoreTouring Coal Country’s Past
By Molly Moore In 1978, student Doug Estepp was poking around in the West Virginia University library when he came across a newspaper headline describing the 1920 Matewan shootout — a violent episode in the dispute between coal companies and pro-union miners. Although Estepp grew up near Matewan in Mingo County, W.Va., it was the…
Read MoreRep. Morgan Griffith Proudly Accomplishes Nothing
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) introduced a new bill this week titled the “EPA Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats Act,” or “EPA MACT Act.” The bill would require the EPA to layoff 15 percent of its employees. The title of the bill is a play on words, referring to EPA’s Utility MACT rule, which would drastically…
Read MoreEffects of Selenium Poisoning: Deformed and Dying Fish at Sutton Lake
Coal ash, the toxic waste produced by coal-fired power plants continues to plague communities across the country. A new study, conducted by Dr. Dennis Lemly, research associate professor of Biology at Wake Forest University and a leading expert on selenium poisoning, found that selenium from coal ash discharges into Sutton Lake near Wilmington, N.C., is…
Read MoreLEAP’s Guy Caroselli: Take the Energy Efficiency Quiz
{ Editor’s Note } Guy Caroselli is the Local Energy Alliance Program’s senior technical advisor, but is also known as “The House Doctor.” He says he love mysteries and being challenged and shares has thirty-five years of experience in Home Performance and residential energy efficiency. As the Local Energy Alliance Program’s senior technical advisor and…
Read MoreLost on the Road to Oblivion: Art Exhibit Focuses on the Vanishing Beauty of Coal Country
For the past 18 years, photographer Carl Galie has devoted his artistic talents to conservation work, and his latest exhibit is no exception. “Lost on the Road To Oblivion: The Vanishing Beauty of Coal Country,” tackles the difficult and poignant subject of mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. The exhibit is on display at Appalachian State University’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts through Feb. 7, 2014.
North Carolina fails to adopt national water quality standards for heavy metals — Former state employee to speak out at DENR hearing today
Contact: Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373 Raleigh — North Carolina is the only southern state that does not meet nationally recommended criteria for controlling toxic heavy metals in surface waters, putting the state’s natural resources and public health at risk, according to Amy Adams, a former supervisor with the state Department of Environment and Natural…
Read MoreAppalachia’s Economic Transition is Underway: Three Broad Strategies to Get Us There
{ Editor’s Note } Anthony Flaccavento is a regional leader in sustainable agriculture, local foods and their overlap with economic development. This is the second part of a post on building a stronger regional economy in Appalachia. Click here to read the first part. Last week, I briefly described three key questions to frame the…
Read MoreChoose Your Own [Historical] Adventure: An Appalachian Travel Guide
By Rachel Ellen Simon — Editorial Communications Intern, Fall 2013 A graduate student in Appalachian Studies, Rachel was a frequent contributor to The Appalachian Voice and worked as our Editorial Communications intern for Fall 2013. When my editor first asked me to compile a list of “Historical Hidden Treasures,” I imagined my words guiding readers…
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