In Walnut Cove — a community whose history has been tainted by coal ash for decades — The Lilies Project has turned coal ash into art, and is expanding to encompass the town’s story beyond coal ash.
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The Appalachian Voice
Turning Coal Ash into Art
TAGS: Belews Creek Power Plant Coal Ash Duke Energy North Carolina stokes county the lilies project Walnut Cove
Bills Aim to Help Miners with Black Lung and Surviving Family Access Benefits
Miners with black lung disease face a difficult process to obtain modest benefits, as do their widows. Two bills in Congress aim to help miners with the disease and their bereaved families, including by tying benefit levels to inflation.
TAGS: Black Lung Black Lung Benefits black lung disease Coal mining legislation miners widows' benefits
Fighting for Black Lung Benefits for Miners and Families
Kathryn South’s husband, Mike South, was diagnosed with black lung disease at age 35. As they grappled with his disease, the couple also navigated the arduous legal process to obtain federal black lung benefits, a fight that Kathryn continued even after Mike’s passing.
The Root that Shaped a Region
By Carolina Norman An author and historian who traveled across Appalachia examining business records of pharmaceutical companies, mountain entrepreneurs and country stores, Luke Manget’s book, “Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia,” unearths the complex and…
Contaminants Found in East Tennessee Springs
Springs are often assumed to be a safe, clean source of drinking water. But they can harbor a number of health hazards, as new research published in the journal Geosciences shows.
Confronting Rising Black Lung
Amid an ongoing surge in severe black lung disease among coal miners, federal lawmakers have introduced a number of bills aimed at assisting affected miners and their families. The Inflation Reduction Act shored up funding for benefits, and advocates are pushing for additional measures.
Native Plant Rescue Squad Aims to Boost the Biodiversity of Tennessee Neighborhoods
By saving native plants from destruction and helping these plants find new homes, the Native Plant Rescue Squad is “helping reconnect people to themselves through the natural world.”
As EPA Prepares to Update Federal Air Quality Limits, Coal Dust Looms Large in Eunice
Frustrated with constant coal dust, residents of Eunice, West Virginia, asked the state to install an air quality monitoring device in their community. The request was denied.
TAGS: Air Pollution air quality coal community coal dust Coal River Valley national ambient air quality standards particulate matter PM 2.5 West Virginia West Virginia Division of Air Quality West Virginia Division of Mining and Reclamation
No Easy Answers on Coal Ash Cleanup
To protect groundwater and community health, coal ash ponds must be cleaned up. But, as communities in Tennessee have learned, safely removing the toxic waste brings its own set of challenges.
TAGS: Allen Fossil Plant Coal Coal Ash coal ash cleanup coal ash impoundments Electric Utilities Environment Environmental Justice Kingston Coal Ash Spill Kingston Fossil Plant Kingston workers memphis South Memphis Southern Environmental Law Center Tennessee TVA TVA Kingston coal ash spill
