RockingChair

Front Porch Blog

Updates from Appalachia

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Environmental regulations didn’t cause coal’s decline — and rollbacks won’t save it.

Despite his repeated promises to do so, President Trump is unlikely to revive the coal industry through federal policy, and CEOs of electric utilities and coal mining companies know it.

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D.C. sends a ray of hope to Southwest Virginia

Through the dark clouds of the Trump administration’s agenda for rolling back or killing off programs critical to the health of Appalachian communities and the environment, a bright spot has emerged — $10 million for repurposing old coal mines in Southwest Virginia for new economic opportunities.

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Atlantic Coast Pipeline is far from a done deal

In a classic “fake news” move, Dominion Resources execs held a tele-press conference yesterday where they basically said the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a done deal. But at least 25,000 people across W.Va., Va. and N.C. are demanding answers, such as: Is this pipeline even needed?

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Appalachian Voices marches for science

Despite chilly winds and rain, Appalachian Voices’ staff members and volunteers spanned out across the region last weekend to “March for Science” with thousands of others in D.C., Charlottesville and Asheville.

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Coal slurry spill in West Virginia linked to Alpha Natural Resources affiliate

A coal slurry spill on March 23, 2017, leaked approximately 5,400 gallons of coal slurry into Crooked Run, a tributary of the Coal River. The processing plant in Boone County, W.Va., where the spill originated is affiliated with Alpha Natural Resources.

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