Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
Renewing the promise of Appalachia
There’s more than wildflowers budding in Appalachia as spring comes to the mountains this year. We are witnessing the proliferation of efforts big and small to stabilize and revitalize local economies as the coal industry declines. And the conversations continue expanding outward, bringing together an increasingly broad cross-section of residents and stakeholders.
Dominion open houses bring communities together
A pattern emerged during the recent trio of open house meetings hosted by Dominion on the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Churchville, Hot Springs and Snowshoe, Va. Unfortunately, it was a pattern of misleading materials, unhelpful spokespeople and dubious facts.
DEQ’s “Do Not Drink” reversal elevates coal ash concerns
State officials in North Carolina owe citizens an apology and an explanation. The state Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Health and Human Services are walking back their own recommendations that families living near coal ash ponds not drink or cook using well water containing levels of toxic substances that exceed their own standards.
Responding to “Appalachia’s Distress”
Over the weekend, a letter by our Executive Director Tom Cormons to the editors of The New York Times appeared on the newspaper’s website. It was penned in part to stress the importance of the Stream Protection Rule and to urge federal regulators to stand firm in the face of industry opposition, and finalize it.
A home base in Southwest Virginia
We’re very excited to announce the official opening of our new office in the City of Norton, Va., located in far southwest Virginia, part of the Mountain Empire Here, we’re surrounded by the mountains, forests, rivers and communities we love.
