Insufficient bonding systems and decades of poor enforcement of mine reclamation law have led to a severe backlog in abandoned mines — and a new wave of coal bankruptcies is exacerbating the problem. [ Read More ]
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Erin Savage
While Erin prefers to be on rivers rather than at a desk, as our Central Appalachian Program Manager she devotes a lot of time delving through data to make it meaningful to others who care about the health of our waterways.Tell White House officials that coal mine cleanup must be a priority
Tuesday, September 14th, 2021 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Collapse of the coal industry: Problems and recommendations
Tuesday, June 8th, 2021 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Coal mine regulations have not kept up with the industry's collapse, leaving regulators without the money – or the legal tools – to address growing problems of scarred landscapes and polluted waters. [ Read More ]
Google Earth teams up with Appalachian Voices
Tuesday, May 25th, 2021 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Appalachian Voices teamed up with Google Earth on a video to show how the search engine's satellite imagery helps us protect the environment. [ Read More ]
“Environmentalist” Tom Clarke abandons mines in West Virginia
Friday, April 3rd, 2020 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
With the failure of coal operator ERP's unconventional scheme, West Virginia must contend with the company's environmental violations and mines in need of cleanup. [ Read More ]
Progress on healthcare for miners with black lung disease
Wednesday, December 18th, 2019 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Congress reinstated a tax to fund healthcare and benefits for miners with black lung and their families for 2020 — but further action is needed to extend the tax and support the fund for 10 years. [ Read More ]
A decision point for abandoned coal mines
Friday, September 6th, 2019 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
An accurate inventory of abandoned coal mine lands is imperative for understanding the scope of the problem, where funding needs to be directed, and how much funding is necessary. [ Read More ]
Blackjewel’s bankruptcy looks like bad news for workers and mine cleanup
Wednesday, July 10th, 2019 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Appalachia's latest coal bankruptcy looks different than others — mines shut down immediately and paychecks were clawed back from employees' bank accounts. We take a look at what the Blackjewel and Revelation Energy bankruptcy could mean for mine land reclamation. [ Read More ]
Central Appalachia’s newest coal boss facing bankruptcies
Monday, December 10th, 2018 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Virginia businessman Tom Clarke's foray into the coal industry initially looked promising for addressing environmental and community problems. Now, however, his business model is looking questionable. [ Read More ]
Coal industry sees bankruptcies and exports in volatile 2018
Monday, November 26th, 2018 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Some coal companies appear to be banking on opportunities for short-term gain with metallurgical coal, but the metallurgical market can only prop up the industry for so long. [ Read More ]
Still on hold: Few answers on review of mountaintop removal health impacts
Wednesday, March 7th, 2018 | Posted by Erin Savage | 3 Comments
More than a year into the Trump administration, a director for the Office of Surface Mining has yet to be confirmed. And it's unlikely that Trump's pro-coal pick will reinstate a review of the human health impacts of mountaintop removal. [ Read More ]
5 graphs explain coal in Trump’s first year
Thursday, February 1st, 2018 | Posted by Erin Savage | 5 Comments
The Trump administration claims an uptick in coal production shows its anti-regulatory agenda is working —
ignoring the fact 2017 was an outlier and coal's long-term trend is downward. Meanwhile, coal communities across the country need better policies now to help diversify their local economies.
[ Read More ]
The National Mining Association doesn’t speak for coal communities
Thursday, October 5th, 2017 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
The National Mining Association shrugged when a review of research linking mountaintop removal to human health impacts was halted. But the NMA does not speak for coal communities. [ Read More ]
