The Appalachian Voice
TVA Milestone at Nuclear Plant
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted in May to issue an operating license to Watts Bar Unit 2, a nuclear power reactor owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority, pending additional regulatory requirements. If approved, Watts Bar 2 would be the first commercial nuclear reactor licensed in the United States since the first unit at the…
Read MoreLawsuit Defends Blackside Dace
A federal lawsuit filed in Knoxville, Tenn., alleges regulators failed to meet legal obligations to protect a threatened fish endemic to Appalachian streams. Four citizens groups, including the Sierra Club and Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment, claim the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement failed to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife…
Read MoreMountaintop Removal Reduces Nearby Songbird Populations
Forest-dependent songbird species appear in significantly smaller numbers in areas adjacent to reclaimed mountaintop removal mines, according to a study published this year in the journal Landscape Ecology. Evaluating bird populations in forested land next to reclaimed mine sites in Kentucky and West Virginia, researchers found declines in nearly two dozen types of songbirds, including…
Read MoreIncreasing Homeowner Access to Energy Savings
Financing programs are helping homeowners invest in upgrades that make residences more comfortable while lowering electric bills and reducing a home’s carbon footprint.
Read MoreDominion Eyes Alternate Route for Atlantic Coast Pipeline
Immense public opposition in Virginia led developers to propose alternate routes for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, avoiding the two counties where residents have been most unwavering. Dominion Transmission Inc., which plans to build the 550-mile natural gas pipeline through West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina to serve southeastern utilities, announced in May that it mapped…
Read MoreSchools Do the Math and Go Green
Regional schools are finding that solar power and energy efficiency can help reduce electric bills, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and provide a valuable learning opportunity.
Read MoreDuke to Close Asheville Coal Plant
Under pressure to address rampant coal ash pollution, Duke Energy announced it will close its aging coal plant located near Asheville, N.C., and replace it with a 650-megawatt natural gas-fired facility, nearly doubling the current plant’s electricity-generating capacity. Of the four facilities deemed “high priority” by North Carolina’s Coal Ash Management Act, the Asheville plant…
Read MoreStudents Use Sustainable Methods to Build New Homes, Teach Others
Virginia Tech students are helping high-schoolers learn about sustainable building materials, all while constructing a home for a family in need.
Read MoreCaught red-handed! Or more accurately, red-beaked
Wood thrushes — and their appetite for bright-red ginseng berries — are helping the plant spread its range further north.
Read MoreAn Appalachian Bookshelf
Featuring reviews of “Phenomenal” by Leigh Ann Henion, “Beautiful Land of the Sky” by Loren M. Wood, and “Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook” by John Schaeffer
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