Congress can clean up orange water by removing red tape. Join the efforts of community leaders across the country and tell Congress to let states use their infrastructure funding for acid mine drainage treatment!
Blog Archives
Building community awareness to solve acid mine drainage: A conversation with DJ Coker
DJ Coker of Duff, Tennessee found acid mine drainage at a nearby pond that used to be part of a coal mining operation. Now, he’s made it his mission to get the site cleaned up and demand accountability from those responsible. Watch DJ’s story.
Restoring waters damaged by acid mine drainage: A conversation with Amanda Pitzer
Amanda Pitzer with Friends of the Cheat discusses the specific impacts of acid mine drainage on the Cheat River, analyzes abandoned mine lands funding pending before Congress and charts a path for future success in collaboration with state and federal decision-makers.
TAGS: abandoned mine lands Acid Mine Drainage AMD treatment cheat river Coal Friends of the Cheat Water Pollution West Virginia
How acid mine drainage fits into pending mine cleanup legislation: A conversation with Joe Pizarchik
Joe Pizarchik, former head of OSMRE and one of the nation’s foremost experts on complex and sprawling abandoned mine lands issues, provides an essential overview of how acid mine drainage fits into pending legislative proposals and where we should look next.
Confronting acid mine drainage: A conversation with Rural Action’s Marissa Lautzenheiser
In this conversation, Marissa Lautzenheiser of Rural Action lays out the basics of the acid mine drainage challenge, discusses the unique funding needs for AMD clean-up, and talks about some of the innovative work Rural Action is doing to tackle this problem.
TAGS: abandoned mine lands Acid Mine Drainage Appalachian Ohio Coal mine reclamation Ohio rural action Water Pollution
When Coal Companies Go Bankrupt, Who Cleans Up the Mess?
Blackjewel and Revelation Energy’s July bankruptcy announcement is the latest in a long string of bankruptcies plaguing the coal industry. But this bankruptcy is different, and the troubles it brings could be a sign of more problems to come.
Citizen scientists uncover water quality violations in Kentucky national forest
Citizen scientists discovered that acid mine drainage is causing a creek in Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest to flow a bright orange, and they spurred state regulators to issue citations to the mine operators. But mining company Revelation Energy is in bankruptcy, which leaves big questions about who will clean up the mess — and when.
TAGS: ACE Project Acid Mine Drainage blackjewel Citizen science coal bankruptcy Daniel Boone National Forest Kentucky reclamation revelation energy Water Pollution
RECLAIM Act back in Congress
The bill to expedite spending of $1 billion in coal-impacted communities to repurpose old mine sites for new economic projects has been reintroduced into Congress with bipartisan support.
TAGS: Acid Mine Drainage ACLC Appalachian Citizens Law Center Coal mining Congress economic development Economic Transition just transition Kentucky Mountaintop Removal RECLAIM Act
The Ongoing Cleanup of Abandoned Coal Mines
A key federal mine reclamation program is up for reauthorization in 2021 — and the work is far from finished.
TAGS: abandoned mine lands Acid Mine Drainage aml AML pilot program AML reauthorization Cheat River Gorge SMCRA
Response to Spill Leads to Action Against Coal Polluter
Our Appalachian Water Watch team was able to document the spill of acidic water on Pine Creek as it occurred in real-time, spurring public outcry and state action against the mining company.
