Posts Tagged ‘appalachia’
Massive mountaintop removal mine threatens Clearfork Valley
The Clearfork Valley of Tennessee has been intensely surface-mined going back decades. Now, Kopper Glo Mining is moving forward with a nearly 1,500-acre mountaintop removal mine on nearby Cooper Ridge.
Read MoreHouse Committee approves the RECLAIM Act with bipartisan support
On Tuesday morning, the House Natural Resources Committee passed the RECLAIM Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at revitalizing coal mining communities. The legislation would direct $1 billion over five years to restoring abandoned mine lands. Committee members also approved an amendment put forward by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) to require projects that receive funding under…
Read MoreCitizens discuss environmental threats and economic priorities during Congressman’s visit
People from coal-impacted communities across Central Appalachia recently gathered in Wise County, Va., to share their concerns and ideas with U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva.
Read MoreAll the ways this White House props up coal
The coal lobby’s influence over the White House is a given at this point — as is the White House’s willingness to put its finger on the scale in favor of our dirtiest, most carbon-packed energy sources.
Read MoreEnvironmental 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.
Read MoreGet out the sunscreen: Solar is coming to Southwest Virginia
The Southwest Virginia Solar Fair on May 9 in Wise, Va., will be a celebration of the upcoming solar development in Southwest Virginia and brings an emerging and exciting effort full circle.
Read MoreWhite House budget leaves Appalachia in the dust
The White House released its budget blueprint last week, and the proposal is nothing short of a disaster for Appalachia and rural communities across the country. Here’s a look at a few agencies and programs the White House wants to completely eliminate if it had its way.
Read MoreFERC’s pipeline review process is broken
It’s no secret: oil and gas pipelines have captured the nation’s attention, not to mention the new administration’s. But new research is refuting the industry’s pro-pipeline arguments and even a former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is calling for greater scrutiny of proposed natural gas infrastructure projects.
Read MoreProtect natural resources for Southwest Virginia’s future
For all my life, the coal economy has ruled this region and its people,” writes Ron Short of Danville, Va., in a letter supporting the Stream Protection Rule. “Now we are facing the demise of the coal industry, and we must save the valuable natural resources that we have left if we are ever to develop cultural tourism and eco-tourism as important parts of a new economy that works for everyone.”
Read MoreFighting for clean water after the Stream Protection Rule
When Congress voted last week to overturn the Stream Protection Rule, people braced themselves for the coming impacts. But threats to public water from corporate and political interests are nothing new in Central Appalachia, nor is the problem unique to this area. In the face of these threats, communities fighting for clean water need our continued support.
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