Blog Archives

As EPA Prepares to Update Federal Air Quality Limits, Coal Dust Looms Large in Eunice

gray dust hovers between two trees

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:

No Easy Answers on Coal Ash Cleanup

10 people raise their fists in front of a bronze statue

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:

Snorkelers Explore Appalachia’s Diverse Freshwater Life

Two young snorkelers exploring a shallow river.

The rivers and streams of southern Appalachia attract snorkelers with their wide variety of species and beautiful sites.

TAGS:

How the Coal Mine Cleanup System is Failing

A desolate patch of disturbed ground sits as a result of an abandoned surface mine.

The bankruptcy of coal company Blackjewel has exposed many flaws in the current mine cleanup system.

TAGS:

How a Pipeline Battle Led an Advocate for Formerly Incarcerated People Into Solar Workforce Development

Men work with solar components

Richard Walker of Bridging the Gap in Virginia is working to make sure vulnerable communities are not left behind in the green energy transformation.

TAGS:

Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project

A series of photographs of various bear, deer and elk roaming in the wild.

A collaborative effort to make the Pigeon River Gorge section of I-40 safer for wildlife and humans is yielding results.

TAGS:

Chubs: A key species and a mystery

A gray and green fish carries a stone in its moth, surrounded by smaller red fish

Snorkelers helped to uncover a population of river chubs in an unusual location.

TAGS:

Cultivating Communities Through Seed Saving

The University of North Georgia Appalachian Studies Center’s signature project, the Saving Appalachian Gardens and Stories, is a demonstration garden for heirloom seeds and an oral history collection. Photo courtesy Rosann Kent.

Seed saving allows gardeners and farmers to explore new varieties of the plants they grow while forming communities around the practice.

TAGS:

The Beast of Bristol: The Landfill Haunting Residents of the Twin Cities

two people in front of a large guitar statue hold signs about the landfill problems

Terrible, persistent smells from the Bristol landfill have put a damper on quality of life for residents of the Twin Cities. Officials acknowledge the problem, but there’s no clear path forward.

TAGS:

Surviving Winter as a Salamander in Appalachia

A green salamander peeks its head outside its rocky winter retreat.

What do salamanders do when the air turns frigid? UVA-Wise professor Walter Smith has been observing a particular green salamander for 8 years, and shares some of the species’ survival strategies.

TAGS:

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube