Press Releases
Local Groups Seek Clean Up of Duke’s Coal Ash Pollution Across North Carolina
Contact: Frank Holleman, Senior Attorney with a focus on litigation, 919-967-1450 Kathleen Sullivan, Senior Communications Manager, 919-967-1450 Representing: Appalachian Voices – Amy Adams, 828-262-1500 Cape Fear River Watch – Kemp Burdette, 910-762-5606 Upper Neuse Riverkeeper – Matthew Starr, 919-856-1180 Waterkeeper Alliance – Donna Lisenby, 704-277-6055 Western North Carolina Alliance – Julie Mayfield, 828-258-8737 Winyah Rivers…
Read MoreWest Virginia Chemical Spill Has Deeper Implications for Safety of Drinking Water
PRESS STATEMENT Contact: Matt Wasson, Program Director: 828-262-1500 Cat McCue, Communications Director: 434-293-6373 News reports of Thursday’s spill of a coal-processing chemical into West Virginia’s Elk River — and emergency orders to thousands of people to not drink or use their tap water — are currently focused on the still-unknown potential for direct harm to…
Read MoreGroups Challenge EPA Decision to Gut Clean Water Protections in Kentucky
Resources View the Complaint Here EPA Approval Letter Selenium Fact Sheet New Guidelines for Coal Mining Pollutant Fail to Protect Waterways and Wildlife Contacts: Eric Chance, Appalachian Voices 828-262-1500 eric@appvoices.org Sean Sarah, Sierra Club 330 338-3740 sean.sarah@sierraclub.org Doug Doerrfeld, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth 606-784-9226 dartherdoer@gmail.com| Judy Petersen, Kentucky Waterways Alliance 502 589-8008 Judy@kwalliance.org Louisville, KY…
Read MoreNew Website Provides Southeasterners a One-Stop Resource for Saving Money and Energy
Contact: Rory McIlmoil, Energy Policy Director, 828-262-1500, rory@appvoices.org Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org Boone, N.C. – Residents in eight southeastern states who want to save money and energy now have a new online resource where they can find information about home energy loan programs offered by their electric utilities, local businesses that conduct home…
Read MoreVirginians Call on FHA to Review Mountaintop Removal Highway
Kim Teplitzky, 267-307-4707, kim.teplitzky@sierraclub.org Cat McCue, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org Photos for use available here Washington, D.C. – More than 70 people rallied outside the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) today calling for a more rigorous review of a proposed mountaintop removal highway project in Southwestern Virginia. Residents from across Virginia and D.C. presented nearly 90,000 petitions signatures…
Read MoreUSDA Energy Savings Program Can Create Jobs in Rural Appalachian Communities
Contact: Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373 Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a program to reduce energy costs and increase investment in energy efficiency for rural Americans. The Energy Efficiency Conservation and Loan Program will provide up to $250 million for rural electric cooperatives to lend to business and residential customers for…
Read MoreNorth 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 MoreEPA decision on toxic mining waste leaves Kentuckians, other Appalachians at risk
Resources EPA Approval Letter Selenium Fact Sheet Read more on our blog Contact: Erin Savage, Water Quality Specialist, 828-262-1500, erin@appvoices.org Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org Washington DC – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today approved Kentucky’s changes to how the state measures selenium, a toxic pollutant discharged from many mountaintop removal coal mines. Even…
Read MoreFederal Judge Gives EPA 60 Days to Set Deadline for Coal Ash Regulations
Washington, D.C. – A federal judge issued a memorandum today in a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to finalize federal coal ash regulations. The Court gave the EPA 60 days to “file a written submission with this Court setting forth a proposed deadline for its compliance with [EPA’s] obligation to review and revise…
Read MoreFederal Court Orders EPA to Move Forward on Coal Ash Regulations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. – A federal judge agreed with environmental and public health groups that the Environmental Protection Agency needs to set federal regulations for the safe and proper disposal of toxic coal ash. A copy of the judge’s order can be found here: http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/RCRA_NOI_Order.pdf The groups filed the lawsuit in April 2012…
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