Press Releases
Appalachian advocates praise U.S. Senate bill to improve federal support for miners with black lung
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 13, 2022 Contact: Chelsea Barnes, 614-205-6424, chelsea@appvoices.org Rebecca Shelton, 859-893-0543, rshelton@aclc.org Today, five U.S. senators introduced the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act aimed at improving the benefits process for disabled coal miners and their families. The bill is sponsored by Senators Bob Casey, D-Pa., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Joe…
Read MoreCommunity organizations applaud action in Congress to advance bipartisan bill to address acid mine drainage crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 13, 2022 Contact: Trey Pollard, trey@pollardcommunications.com, 202-904-9187 APPALACHIA — Today, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources held a mark-up of the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines (STREAM) Act — bipartisan legislation that would guarantee that major new investments in abandoned mine land clean up can…
Read MoreStatement on SCOTUS Ruling in West Virginia v. EPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 30, 2022 CONTACT: Molly Moore, Director of Program Communications, molly@appvoices.org, (847) 401-3633 Appalachian Voices Statement on SCOTUS Ruling in West Virginia v. EPA “The Clean Air Act is a common-sense, bipartisan law intended to protect our air from becoming a dumping ground for corporate polluters. By restricting how the EPA can…
Read MoreStatement on MVP request for a second FERC certificate extension
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2022 CONTACT Jessica Sims, Virginia Field Coordinator, jessica[at]appvoices.org, 804-356-1228 Molly Moore, Director of Program Communications, molly[at]appvoices.org, 847-401-3633 Appalachian Voices statement on Mountain Valley Pipeline’s request for a second FERC certificate extension Today, Mountain Valley Pipeline sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asking the commissioners to extend MVP’s…
Read MoreStatement on Justice40 Announcement
Today, the Biden Administration announced the first list of federal programs that are part of its Justice40 initiative, representing more than 200 programs and billions of dollars in federal spending.
Read MoreOur communities can’t wait: Advocates urge Biden administration to fill vacant OSMRE director role ASAP
Today, community leaders from coal-impacted communities launched a joint effort to urge the Biden Administration to nominate and confirm a director for Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
Read MoreReport recommends improvements to Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization program
A new report finds that the Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization program is having a significant impact, but recommends improvements for speeding the implementation of projects.
Read MoreStatement on MSHA enforcement initiative aimed at reducing miners’ overexposure to respirable silica
CONTACT: Dan Radmacher, (540) 798-6683), dan@appvoices.org Yesterday, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced a new enforcement initiative to better protect miners from exposure to dangerous levels of respirable silica dust on the job while the agency continues working on a new rule limiting this exposure. Appalachian Voices is supportive of the measures…
Read MoreHouse committee to hold hearing on important coal-related bills
On June 9, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing discussing important coal-related legislation, including a bill that would shore up the troubled mine cleanup system and another that would ensure that abandoned mine land funding can be used for long-term acid mine drainage treatment facilities.
Read MoreCommunity advocates welcome RENEW Act to address modern-era coal mine reclamation crisis
CONTACT: Dan Radmacher, (540) 798-6683), dan@appvoices.org Trey Pollard, 202-904-9187, trey@pollardcommunications.com APPALACHIA — More than a dozen community groups from across coal country announced their support of U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb’s RENEW (Revitalize, Enhance, and Nurture in Expanded Ways Our Abandoned Mine Lands) Act shortly after the legislation’s introduction today. The groups hailed H.R. 7937 as…
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