Press Releases
North Carolina again rejects fracked-gas Mountain Valley Pipeline extension
CONTACT: Cat McCue, Sr. Communications Strategist, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today announced its second rejection of the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s efforts to extend into North Carolina. MVP, which still faces legal and procedural hurdles to obtain all the permits for its currently planned path, had proposed extending its 300-mile…
Read MoreCommunity advocates herald Sen. Manchin’s coal-site reclamation bills
CONTACT: Cat McCue, Sr. Communications Strategist, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org With coal communities more in need of support and investment than ever before, today Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) unveiled two bills along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Mark Warner (D-VA) that would spur immediate job creation and help ensure coal…
Read MoreCoalition launches second round of funding for reclaiming coal sites
CONTACT: Joey James, Principal, Downstream Strategies, jjames@downstreamstrategies.com, 304-292-2450 Following the success of its inaugural mini-grant program in 2020, the Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition is preparing to fund a new set of partners and their innovative mine land reclamation and economic development projects. The coalition is seeking applications from all interested public and private entities or individuals…
Read MoreWhite House releases report on transitioning coal communities
The White House today released a report identifying dozens of coal-impacted communities in the U.S. needing immediate investment, and setting up a process for community town halls.
Read MoreNew Virginia law sets up stakeholder process to diversify coal region’s economy
CONTACT: Chelsea Barnes, Legislative Director, chelsea@appvoices.org, 614-205-6424 Governor Northam has signed into law a bill, passed by the General Assembly during the 2021 session, that ends decades-old tax credits for the coal industry and establishes a stakeholder process to inform economic development and transition in Southwest Virginia. The governor signed the bill on Thursday. Ending…
Read MoreMajor grant awarded for Appalachian Voices’ jobs, economic project in Southwest Virginia
The GO Virginia State Board has approved a Per Capita application for the Appalachian Voices “Energy Storage and Electrification Manufacturing Jobs” project. Approved at $486,366, the project will create jobs in GO Virginia Region One in the energy storage and electrification manufacturing field while attracting investments and expanding the local tax base. CONTACT: Kalen Hunter,…
Read MoreTom Cormons named to new White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council
The White House today named the 26 members of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a new body created to support the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to advance environmental justice nationwide by using all levers of the federal government. The first meeting is Tuesday, March 30, and will be open to the public. Learn more…
Read MoreAdvocates call on Biden to stop TVA disconnections during pandemic
CONTACT: Bri Knisley, Appalachian Voices Tennessee Campaign Coordinator, 865-219-3225, brianna@appvoices.org Aisha Dukule, Press Officer, Friends of the Earth 202-893-3502, adukule@foe.org Knoxville, TN — Groups in Tennessee and across the country delivered more than 21,500 petition signatures to leaders in Washington DC today, calling on President Biden to issue an Executive Order compelling the Tennessee Valley…
Read MoreBills to ensure coal communities are part of America’s economic recovery introduced in Congress
CONTACT: Thom Kay, Legislative Director, thom.kay@appvoices.org, 864-580-1843 Cat McCue, Communications Strategist, cat@appvoices.org, 434-293-6373 Read our March 5 blog for more background. Washington, DC — As coal-impacted communities grapple with economic decline and public health risks made significantly worse by the Covid-19 crisis, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) introduced two bills in…
Read MoreFederal funding can’t protect 100,000s of NC families from eviction and utility shutoffs
Raleigh, NC — Despite last week’s passage of legislation allocating nearly $500 million for emergency rent and utility assistance, hundreds of thousands of struggling families in North Carolina will remain at risk of eviction and disconnection from water and energy service if further action is not taken before the end of the month, advocates said…
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