Front Porch Blog
Community, culture and creation: Working to bring new investments into the coalfields
Beginning in January 2023, four local environmental and social justice organizations held a series of community listening sessions, one in each coalfield county in Southwest Virginia.
Read MoreMiners, advocates voice their concerns about MSHA’s proposed silica rule
Coal miners and black lung advocates filled several back rows of the auditorium at the Mine Safety and Health Administration Academy just outside of Beckley, West Virginia, on the morning of Aug. 10th to provide comments on the agency’s draft rule to protect miners from respirable silica dust.
Read MoreGov. Youngkin’s attempt to repeal RGGI administratively violates the law
At the heart of Youngkin’s effort is the question: Is the governor allowed to do this? The answer is no, and Appalachian Voices, along with a number of our partner organizations represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, are going to court to enforce the law.
Read MoreAppalachia receives major benefits from federal Inflation Reduction Act to power solar projects
Going solar has become more accessible and affordable for nonprofit organizations, businesses, and local governments in Appalachia. Communities near a recently closed coal mine or coal-fired power plant directly benefit from significant federal funding flowing into the region.
Read MoreRemembering David Hairston
It is with great sorrow that we reflect on the life of David Hairston, a profoundly inspirational community leader, a deeply respected member of the Appalachian Voices Board of Directors, and a treasured friend to many.
Read MoreAnger and grief over MVP inclusion in debt deal are warranted, but the fight continues
For those who have poured heart and soul into the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline for nearly a decade, June 1 was a horrible night.
Read MoreHow a proposed rule can help communities hold coal companies accountable
The federal surface mining agency has proposed a new rule that, if finalized, will restore community members’ ability to ensure coal companies follow the law.
Read MoreGaming the system — Part III
In 2021, the Government Accountability Office found big problems with the Labor Department’s current rules because they do not require sufficient collateral to cover both current and future black lung liabilities.
Read MoreGaming the system — Part II
Congress stated clearly that coal operators, instead of taxpayers, would shoulder the cost of black lung when it set up the Black Lung Trust Fund. The trust fund was intended to be a backstop for miners rather than a means for coal operators to underinsure their liabilities.
Read MoreGaming the system — Part I
At its core, this is the age-old story of corporate greed whereby rapacious mine operators, who have subjected generations of miners to disabling and fatal black lung disease, managed to transfer their responsibility to pay black lung benefits to suffering coal miners from their corporate coffers to the taxpayer’s pockets.
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