Press Releases
New 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…
Read MoreGroups Gather to Address Southeast Coal Ash Problems
Advocates, experts and community leaders come together to protect the region’s waterways Contact: Jennifer Rennicks, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, 828-275-0564 Stephanie Schweikert, NC Conservation Network, 419-348-2340 Atlanta – This weekend over 80 concerned citizens, environmental and public health advocates, and elected officials from across the Southeast and beyond are converging in Atlanta at the…
Read MoreInvesting in Efficiency, Wind and Solar Would Be Cheaper, Safer for Virginians than Dominion’s Plan, Report Finds // Clean Energy Coalition Launches Statewide Campaign
New Power for the Old Dominion Appalachian Voices and our partners in the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition have launched a statewide campaign for clean energy in Virginia. For immediate release Contact: David Schlissel, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, 617-489-4840 david@schlissel-technical.com Jeff Loiter, Optimal Energy, 804-453-5100 ext 18, loiter@optenergy.com Whitney Byrd, Wise Energy…
Read MoreCourt Rules to Protect Virginia Rivers and Streams from Mining Pollution: A & G Coal to be Held Responsible for Unpermitted Discharges of Toxic Selenium
Contact: Matt Hepler, SAMS, 276-565-6167, mhepler24@gmail.com Kim Teplitzky, Sierra Club, 412-802-6161, kim.teplitzky@sierraclub.org Erin Savage, Appalachian Voices, 828-262-1500, erin@appvoices.org Appalachia, Va. – The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia ruled Monday that A & G Coal is responsible for discharging toxic selenium from their Kelly Branch mine into nearby Callahan Creek. The Court…
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