The Appalachian Voice
Restoring Land for Native Plants, Bees and Streams
A new nonprofit organization, born out of the bankruptcies of Alpha Natural Resources and Patriot Coal, is hoping to bring native forests back to these lands, and restore streams that can support native aquatic life and insects.
Read MoreWildlife Officials Plan to Reduce Black Bear Population in Virginia
Wildlife officials in Virginia approved a controversial plan to reduce the population of black bears in the state.
Read MoreCommunities Push Back Against White Supremacist Groups
In late April, citizens of Pikeville, Ky., and beyond took to the streets in opposition to the white supremacist hate groups that had converged in Eastern Kentucky for the “Take a Stand for White Working Families” rally.
Read MoreUtilities Face Legal Challenges in Ongoing Coal Ash Cleanup
Duke Energy and Dominion Energy, both energy utilities, face legal challenges as they struggle to cut costs while meeting their requirements to clean up their coal ash ponds. And new regulations in Kentucky worry some.
Read MoreWater Quality Permits and the Pipelines
On May 24, Virginia’s state environmental regulatory agency conceded that information it had provided about how it would evaluate the potential water quality impact of two natural gas pipelines was inaccurate.
Read MoreEmpower Kentucky Plan Would Create Jobs, Boost Energy Efficiency
A new plan by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth sets a path for the state to reduce its carbon footprint, increase social justice, create jobs and boost the economy.
Read MoreCongress Passes Budget Deal
In a last minute deal, Congress passed a compromise budget in late April that will fund federal obligations through September 2017. The budget includes funding for miner’s health care benefits that were lost during bankruptcy hearings for the parent companies.
Read MoreResidents Allege Herbicide Spraying Caused Health Problems
A group of Tennessee residents believe that excessive spraying of herbicides by Powell Valley Electric Cooperative in June of 2016 has caused major health problems for them and their pets.
Read MoreDuke Energy Wants to Raise Rates to Pay for Coal Ash Cleanup
Energy giant Duke Energy has signaled to the North Carolina Utilities Commission that it will seek to raise its rates, in part to pay for the nearly $5 billion needed to clean up its coal ash impoundments.
Read MoreMarching for Science and Climate and Other Shorts
Appalachian Voices was proud to join hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents who marched in Washington and around the nation for science and for the climate. We also released a new study on energy efficiency in Western North Carolina.
Read More