2014 — Issue 1 (Feb/March)
The Appalachian Voice
The Appalachian Voice 171 Grand Boulevard Boone, NC 28607 www.appalachianvoices.org
Read MoreProtecting Tennessee’s Scenic Vistas
The Volunteer State once again has an opportunity to stop mountaintop removal coal mining from destroying more beloved mountains.
Read MoreFighting for Virginia’s Clean Water
Appalachian Voices joined a lawsuit against Penn Virginia Operating Company in late January regarding selenium pollution from abandoned mines.
Read MoreWelcome, Hannah!
We are proud to introduce our new Virginia Campaign Coordinator, an Old Dominion native with a background in fighting coal-fired power plants.
Read MorePushing for Effective Coal Ash Rules
On Jan. 29, the EPA was ordered to finalize the first-ever federal regulations for disposal of coal ash by Dec. 19, 2014, following a lawsuit brought by environmental and public health groups and a Native American tribe.
Read MoreAppalachia’s Political Landscape
By Brian Sewell IN THE STATES Kentucky: Gov. Steve Beshear did not mention coal much in his Jan. 7 State of the Commonwealth speech, but he did put the spotlight on S.O.A.R, an initiative to provide economic assistance to eastern Kentucky counties suffering from coal’s downturn. Coal mining communities could also receive an economic boon…
Read MorePatriot Coal CEO: Ending Mountaintop Removal Mining a “Win-Win”
After emerging from bankruptcy, Patriot Coal CEO Bennett Hatfield said in an interview with SNL Energy that the 2012 settlement over selenium pollution that forced the company to begin phasing out mountaintop removal proved to be a “win-win.” Even before the settlement, Hatfield said, Patriot was finding it “increasingly undesirable to deploy mountaintop removal operations…
Read MoreUnaddressed Concerns Keep Fracking in the Forefront
By Brian Sewell Nationwide, stories regarding natural gas-related water contamination, waste disposal and property rights concerns keep bubbling up, bolstering arguments used by opponents of fracking. And as natural gas prices rise due to cold weather and a slowdown in drilling, the fuel’s supporters are questioning how long claims of affordability will last. Increased demand…
Read MoreHanding Off and Holding On: Melungeon Identity and Appalachia
By Kimber Ray Attempting to trace the origin of the Melungeon people is akin to pursuing the source of the Cumberland River coursing through their historical territory. Like the waters of the Cumberland Gap, where neighboring streams weave through Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia to meet among the rolling crests of the Appalachian Mountains, the Melungeons…
Read MoreMountaintop Removal Masquerade
Opponents of Proposed Surface Mine Highway Push for Environmental Review By Molly Moore Tim Mullins recalls what Pound, Va., was like in the 1970s — nestled in the commonwealth’s mountainous southwestern corner, it was a town of crowded sidewalks, ample schools and nary a parking spot to be found. Today, formerly bustling businesses are dilapidated…
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