As remediation of the troubled Bristol landfill begins, community advocates are petitioning for an alert system, increased air quality monitoring and relief measures for residents who experience strong airborne pollution at home.
Blog Archives
Interagency Group Aims to Get Federal Funds to Coal Communities
The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization has a guide to help coal-impacted communities access federal funding opportunities.
TAGS: Appalachian Regional Commission Assistance to Coal Communities program Coal Energy Communities Interagency Working Group IWG Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce Economic Revitalization Initiative White House Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization
Virginia Agency Orders Bristol to Address Polluting Landfill
Residents are hopeful after the Bristol Virginia City Council responds to the state Department of Environmental Quality’s order to address landfill concerns.
Presence of Needle Ants in the Smoky Mountains Threatens Native Species
Invasive ants in the Smoky Mountains pose a threat to native species in the area.
Cultivating an Inclusive Future in the Outdoors
A variety of programs, clubs and organizations aim to support inclusive outdoor recreation that centers people of color.
Final Stage of Blue Grass Chemical Weapons Cleanup Underway
The Blue Grass Chemical-Agent Destruction Pilot Plant began destroying the last type of chemical weapons stored at an Army depot in Kentucky in July with a completion date scheduled for September 2023.
TAGS: Across Appalachia appalachia Blue Grass Chemical-Agent Destruction Pilot Plant chemical safety chemical weapons Kentucky
Albright Dam Removal Part of National River Cleanup Effort
The U.S. Interior Department recently announced $1 million in funding toward removing the defunct Albright Dam as part of an effort to improve water quality and restore free-flowing waterways nationwide.
TAGS: Albright Dam American Rivers cheat river fish Friends of the Cheat River preservation West Virginia
Researchers Discuss How Climate Change Impacts Health in Rural Mountain Communities
Researchers discussed how climate change will impact health in rural mountain communities during a recent workshop. Spoiler alert: hotter nights, more mosquito- and tick-borne disease, and effects on mental and maternal health.
TAGS: Appalachian State University Climate change climate research maternal mortality mosquitoes rural health Ticks
Hundreds of Miles of Streams Designated as Critical Habitat for At-risk Crawfish
To protect the threatened Big Sandy crayfish and the endangered Guyandotte River crayfish, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally designated 446 miles of Appalachian streams and rivers as critical habitat.
Virginia’s Black Farmers Push Lawmakers to Provide Debt Relief
A slew of lawsuits from white farmers claiming “reverse discrimination” has delayed $4 billion in Covid-19 relief funds intended to forgive loans for farmers of color.
