The Appalachian Voice
EPA Plans to Roll Back Air and Water Protections
Last spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its intention to roll back dozens of vital environmental health protections, calling it the “biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history.”
Read MoreLaw Slashes Renewable Energy, Offers Benefits to Coal and Gas
On July 4, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a budget reconciliation package with sweeping impacts on many issue areas, particularly health and the environment.
Read MoreGas Buildout Continues Across Southeast
A massive buildout of methane gas infrastructure in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee is taking place across the Southeast.
Read MoreTVA Pursues Multiple Methane Gas Power Plants and Pipelines
The Tennessee Valley Authority is planning the biggest methane gas buildout of any utility this decade — nine new plants since 2020.
Read MoreCitizen Air Monitoring Network Grows Stronger in West Virginia’s ‘Chemical Valley’
Citizen air monitoring network efforts are giving Appalachians more information about the air they breathe in West Virginia’s “Chemical Valley.”
Read More‘Next Time, We’ll Be Ready:’ Community Resilience Hubs Take Root in Western North Carolina
After Hurricane Helene, some organizations are hoping to establish long-term community resilience hubs in North Carolina. In an ideal scenario, these hubs would be equipped with renewable infrastructure, such as solar microgrids, to maintain reliable access to electricity in the event of grid outages.
Read MoreRural Virginia Community Defeats Massive Gas Plant and Data Center Proposal
Residents of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, came together to help defeat a proposal from Balico, LLC to develop 2,200 acres of rural land for a massive gas power plant and huge data center complex of 84 buildings.
Read MoreOn the Road to Recovery: Rebuilding the Virginia Creeper Trail
Hurricane Helene devastated part of the popular Virginia Creeper Trail. Despite promising recent updates, the timeline for major restoration and eventual completion for portions of the picturesque rail-to-trail path remains uncertain, requiring small businesses that rely on visitors to pivot or risk closure.
Read MoreResearch On Larry Gibson Dedicated To The West Virginia & Regional History Center
Marybeth Lorbiecki compiled 1,283 pages of research to produce a biography on Larry Gibson that was officially transferred in March to the West Virginia & Regional History Center at West Virginia University. Her research chronicles Gibson’s rise from an unknown working-class man into the international star he’d become for environmental activists.
Read MoreVirginia Tech’s Solar Projects Power Campus Toward Carbon Neutrality Goal
As part of its commitment to sustainability, Virginia Tech has taken a significant step toward reducing its carbon footprint by completing four 1.2-megawatt solar arrays on building rooftops across its Blacksburg campus in fall 2024.
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