Posts Tagged ‘Appalachian Voices’
Rally to Save Ison Rock
Hundreds of citizens gathered at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16 to call on the EPA and White House to block a proposed mountaintop removal permit that would destroy Ison Rock Ridge in Wise County, Va. More than 2,000 residents living in the five communities that surround the mountain would…
Read MoreGroups Challenge Public’s Exclusion From Secret Negotiations
An agreement negotiated in secret between the Beshear administration and a major polluter in eastern Kentucky does little to protect the public or prevent future violations, claimed several groups representing Kentucky citizens who use water polluted by the company’s coal mining operations.
The citizens’ groups filed a petition in Franklin Circuit Court on Thursday asking that the agreement between Nally & Hamilton Enterprises and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet be vacated on the grounds that there is “no factual evidence in the record, much less substantial evidence, [that] supports a finding that the Agreed Order is a fair resolution of Nally’s thousands of [Clean Water Act] violations, or that it will be an effective deterrent of future violations.”
Read MoreOther Tidbits
Rallying for Ison Rock Ridge In southwestern Virginia, a mountain known as Ison Rock Ridge — along with several headwater streams — is slated for destruction to access the coal seams inside it. During October, Appalachian Voices, the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition are hosting three major rallies to…
Read MoreHigher Fines for Big Coal in Kentucky Clean Water Act Case
By Erin Savage The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet recently reached a settlement of $507,000, with Nally & Hamilton Enterprises, Inc., a mountaintop removal coal mining company in eastern Kentucky. The fine tops previous record-setting fines issued in Appalachian Voices’ on-going case against Frasure Creek and ICG coal companies, $310,000 and $350,000, respectively. Appalachian Voices,…
Read MoreYour Goode Deed of the Day
This fall, Appalachian Voices is excited to collaborate with a regional artist and a socially conscious website for an online art sale and fundraiser. GoodeDeeds.com promotes art for charity by holding online gallery events. The site provides the opportunity for artists from around the world to display their artwork, and all of the profits are…
Read MoreSaying Hello to Our 2011-12 AmeriCorps Team
Appalachian Voices is excited to welcome three new members from Americorps Project Conserve to our team for the 2011-12 service year. Brian Sewell Communications Outreach Associate Brian graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Religious Studies. He was a freelance writer in Charleston, S.C. before relocating to…
Read MoreInside Appalachian Voices
Taking A Stand in the War on Water By Erin Savage Though placid lakes and playful streams seem to say otherwise, a war on water is currently raging in the Appalachian Mountains. Here are just a few of the ways that Appalachian Voices is taking the plunge and combating water pollution. Read more at appvoices.org/waterwatch.…
Read MoreTennessee Crud: Appalachia plays host to yet another environmental disaster
Story by Bill Kovarik At first, when a 55-foot wall of coal fly ash sludge broke loose from an earthen dam early Dec. 22 near Kingston, TN, the nation barely paid attention. Initial reports from the Associated Press said there had been an isolated spill of “inert material not harmful to the environment,” according to…
Read MoreOpinion
Citizens and Advocates: The New Newsmakers By Bill Kovarik and Sarah Vig From the standpoint of public information, the TVA Fly Ash Disaster was unlike any other environmental disaster in recent history. Immediately following the spill, TVA’s public relations department attempted to spin the catastrophic failure of an earthen dam holding back a billion gallons…
Read More4th Annual Week In Washington To Promote Clean Water Protection Act
Help Lobby Members of Congress to Pass an Anti-Mountaintop Removal Bill In mid-March, the Alliance for Appalachia will be sponsoring the fourth annual End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington, a week of direct lobbying by Appalachian residents and others from across the United States. Participants get to join with other activists and impacted citizens, and…
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