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Front Porch Blog

Updates from Appalachia

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Tell White House officials that coal mine cleanup must be a priority

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.

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debris from former mine access road

Blackjewel mine creates emergency road hazard in Russell County, VA

Heavy rains caused debris from an inactive coal mine to block portions of VA State Route 632 in late August — an event that might become all too common with climate change-fueled rainfall likely to intensify.

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five miners wearing shirts that say Black Lung Kills gather around a notepad

Miners with black lung call on Congress to protect benefits

In an August webinar, advocates and representatives of the Black Lung Association discussed the critical importance for the passage of a permanent 25% increase to the Black Lung Excise Tax on coal companies.

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Utility disconnection protections: Let’s make it permanent

Shutting off electricity and other vital utilities of families who can’t afford their bills is unjust. During a pandemic, it’s barbaric. Appalachian Voices offers solutions.

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Updates in the fight against MVP and MVP Southgate

Catch up on updates about the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline and its Southgate extension with upcoming events, regulatory developments and the latest news about construction of these projects and the communities fighting back.

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