RockingChair

Front Porch Blog

Updates from Appalachia

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The Looney Ridge Surface Mine in Southwest Virginia. Photo by Jimmy Davidson

The state of coal community protections 48 years after landmark mining law

On Aug. 3, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act into law. This anniversary presents a good opportunity to discuss SMCRA’s intent, where it’s fallen short over the years and how the Trump administration is undermining SMCRA’s protections.

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A "Welcome to Dante, Virginia" sign stands in front of a small brick building with a dark metal roof, set against a backdrop of forested hills with autumn foliage. The sky is clear and blue, and a few other buildings are visible in the background.

SWVA leaders advocate for community resilience projects in D.C.

On an extraordinarily hot, humid day in July,…

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Five members of the Black Lung Association stand side by side.

Miners continue long fight for adequate black lung benefits 

This is a meeting of the Southwest Virginia Black Lung Association Chapter II, and they have a lot to talk about.

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Part II: How the Trump plan for the federal budget hurts Appalachia

This is the second of two blogs highlighting some of the ways that the proposed budget would make Appalachians less safe and less financially secure, undercutting economic development and environmental remediation efforts.

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Downtown Pennington Gap, Virginia

Appalachian Voices v. EPA: A letter from our executive director

Appalachian Voices joined our partners and attorneys in a class-action lawsuit against the EPA for unlawfully terminating its Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program. Read a letter from Executive Director Tom Cormons about why we’re taking this step.

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