Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
A “strict proposal” that should be stronger
The N.C. Senate’s coal ash bill would put into law what Duke Energy has already committed to: cleaning up the most high-profile coal ash sites in the state. But in its current form, the proposal gives too much sway to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and a coal ash commission that has yet to be created.
Your comments needed to chart Virginia’s energy future
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order this month to create an energy council tasked with assisting in the development of a comprehensive energy strategy for Virginia. For those who would like to see robust investment in efficiency and renewables as part of this strategy, the task before us clear: make sure the energy council hears from us at every opportunity.
What does EPA’s carbon rule mean for your state?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recently announced Clean Power Plan aims to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants nationwide. A new tool on the EPA’s website summarizes climate change impacts, current state actions to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and how the rule allows users to see how their state will be affected by the federal effort.
Take Action: Protect Appalachian Streams from Toxic Selenium
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is poised to loosen national recommended water quality standards for selenium, a toxic pollutant commonly released from mountaintop removal coal mines. You can stand up for streams in Appalachia by submitting comments urging the EPA to protect aquatic life and strengthen selenium standards.
On Capitol Hill, Appalachian citizens make the case against mountaintop removal
Last week, Appalachian Voices and Earthjustice teamed up with a group of Appalachian residents in Washington, D.C., to lobby members of the U.S. House of Representatives to cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act, and discuss the importance of protecting clean water with the Environmental Protection Agency and Office of Surface Mining.
