Press Releases
Virginia leaders to Gov. McAuliffe: Reject Dominion’s efforts to increase climate change pollution
Contact: Hannah Wiegard, Appalachian Voices, hannah@appvoices.org, 434-293-6373 Kate Addleson, Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, kate.addleson@sierraclub.org, 703-963-5800 Joelle Novey, Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light, joelle@gwipl.org, 202-256-1450 Richmond, Va. – A wide array of Virginia civic, health, faith, and environmental leaders today released a letter asking Governor Terry McAuliffe to reject all efforts by Dominion…
Read MoreStatewide citizens group slams North Carolina’s coal ash pond rankings
Contact: Statewide and Eastern North Carolina: Bobby Jones (919) 394-0727 Western North Carolina: Jeri Cruz-Segarra (828) 651-9576 Charlotte Area: Amy Brown (704) 301-6209 Winston-Salem Area: David Hairston (336) 655- 3413, Caroline Armijo (919) 358-5057 An alliance of North Carolinians directly impacted or threatened by Duke Energy’s coal ash pollution today released its Unifying Principles demanding…
Read MoreCitizens deserve explanation of changes to coal ash classification draft
Earlier today, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released its Draft Proposed Impoundment Classification that, when finalized, will determine the closure timelines coal ash sites across the state. Below is a response from Appalachian Voices’ Amy Adams to the DEQ report, which includes significantly weaker recommendations than those in an earlier draft leaked…
Read MoreCitizens groups, Kentucky reach historic settlement with coal company over water pollution
Deal sends strong signal to incoming Bevin administration Contact: Erin Savage, Appalachian Voices, 206-769-8286, erin@appvoices.org Ted Withrow, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, 606-784-6885, tfwithrow@windstream.net Pat Banks, Kentucky Riverkeeper, 859-200-7442, kyriverkeeper@eku.edu Peter Harrison, Waterkeeper Alliance, 828-582-0422, pharrison@waterkeeper.org Alice Howell, Sierra Club, 859-420-8092, a.howell0607@gmail.com Highlights of press coverage New York Times Louisville Courier-Journal Daily Independent (CNHI) Lexington Herald-Leader…
Read MoreGroups in two states challenge Mountain Valley Pipeline
Contact: Ben Luckett, Appalachian Mountain Advocates, 304-645-0125, bluckett@appalmad.org Hannah Wiegard, Appalachian Voices, 804-536-5598, hannah@appvoices.org Anne Havemann, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 240-396-1984, anne@chesapeakeclimate.org Kirk Bowers, Virginia Chapter, Sierra Club, 434-296-8673, kirk.bowers@sierraclub.org The proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline that would carry natural gas fracked in northern West Virginia 301 miles through West Virginia and Virginia is not needed,…
Read MoreAppalachians Look to Branch Out from Coal-Based Economy
Contact: Adam Wells, Appalachian Voices, (276) 679-1691, adam@appvoices.org Gabby Gillespie, The Alliance for Appalachia, (276) 220-5048, gabby.gillespie@sierraclub.org Eric Dixon, Appalachian Citizens Law Center, (865) 202-8688, eric@appalachianlawcenter.org Two dozen local government entities in the heart of Central Appalachia’s coalfields have passed resolutions calling for major federal investment to revive the region’s economy, which is struggling in…
Read MoreSettlement in Virginia Coal Pollution Case to Result in Cleaner Water
Contact: Ricky Junquera, Sierra Club, 202-625-2392, ricky.junquera@sierraclub.org Erin Savage, Appalachian Voices, 206-769-8286, erin@appvoices.org Wise County, Va. – The Sierra Club, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and Appalachian Voices today filed a consent decree resolving the 2012 Clean Water Act enforcement suit against A&G Coal Corp., a subsidiary owned by coal billionaire Jim Justice, and found responsible…
Read More30 Groups Demand Single FERC Study of Fracked-Gas Pipelines
Contacts: Joe Lovett, Appalachian Mountain Advocates, 304-645-9006, jlovett@appalmad.org Joanna Salidis, Friends of Nelson, 434-242-5859, josalidis@gmail.com Tammy Belinsky, Preserve Craig, 540-874-5798, tambel@hughes.net Kirk Bowers, Sierra Club, 434-296 8673, kirk.bowers@sierraclub.org Hannah Wiegard, Appalachian Voices, 434-293-6373, hannah@appvoices.org Monique Sullivan, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 202-440-4318, monique@chesapeakeclimate.org Thirty organizations in Virginia and West Virginia, including Appalachian Voices, have joined forces…
Read MoreEnvironmental Groups Plan Legal Challenge of Atlantic Coast Pipeline
Contact: Ben Luckett, Appalachian Mountain Advocates, 304-645-125, bluckett@appalamad.org Anne Havemann, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 240-396-1984 anne@chesapeakeclimate.org Kirk Bowers, Va. Chapter of Sierra Club, 434-296-8673, kirk.bowers@sierraclub.org Hannah Wiegard, Appalachian Voices, 434-293-6373, hannah@appvoices.org The proposed 564-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline that would carry natural gas fracked in West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina is not needed, would…
Read MoreCitizens See Opportunities for Southwest Virginia’s New Economy
Contact: Adam Wells, Appalachian Voices, 276-679-1691, adam@appvoices.org Wise, Va. — More than 100 citizens from across the Virginia coalfields have shared their thoughts on how to reshape and grow the region’s economy at the Southwest Virginia’s New Economy Forums. Hosted by Appalachian Voices and Virginia Organizing, the forums were held over the last two weeks…
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