RockingChair

Front Porch Blog

Updates from Appalachia

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Southwest Virginia’s natural resources present new opportunities and challenges

Join us for a discussion on how we can leverage ecotourism into a burgeoning new economy for the region!

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Southwest Virginia takes powerful steps to advance solar energy

A big week for solar energy in Southwest Virginia includes celebrating eight communities for their advancements in solar and the announcement of a substantial grant to build a big solar project on a former mine site.

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Coal miners visit D.C. to urge Congress to act on Black Lung legislation

More than 150 coal miners or their widows and loved ones traveled to D.C. in July to call for action on black lung legislation.

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A miner's helmet.

Over 100 Miners Heading to Washington to Advocate for Black Lung Benefits

Over 100 miners from across the Appalachian region are traveling to Washington D.C. this week to lobby lawmakers on a number of issues related to black lung disease, a fatal respiratory condition caused by continuous exposure to harmful dust and rock particles in and around coal mines.

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mountaintop removal coal mine

Blackjewel’s bankruptcy looks like bad news for workers and mine cleanup

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.

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