Posts Tagged ‘Battle of Blair Mountain’
The Significance of the Battle of Blair Mountain, 100 Years Later
Labor and regional advocates commemorate a pivotal milestone in coal union history.
Read MoreStepping into the Mine Wars
The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, W.Va., chronicles the struggle to unionize the state’s coal mines. Photographs and artifacts introduce visitors to the people and events from that time.
Read MoreTurn This Town Around
A project to help re-energize small towns is encouraging community-led projects, like the brand-new West Virginia Mine Wars Museum!
Read MoreOrder Will Protect Portion of Historic Blair Mountain Battlefield
By Brian Sewell A section of historic Blair Mountain is off-limits to mountaintop removal coal mining until at least 2018 when the permit comes up for renewal. An order issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection prohibits Aracoma Coal, a subsidiary of Alpha Natural Resources, from mining within 1,000 feet of the mountain’s…
Read MoreTouring Coal Country’s Past
By Molly Moore In 1978, student Doug Estepp was poking around in the West Virginia University library when he came across a newspaper headline describing the 1920 Matewan shootout — a violent episode in the dispute between coal companies and pro-union miners. Although Estepp grew up near Matewan in Mingo County, W.Va., it was the…
Read MoreIn Bankruptcy, Patriot Coal Creates its Legacy | Sacrificing a Historic Landmark to Coal
In Bankruptcy, Patriot Coal Creates its Legacy By Brian Sewell Concerns over how Patriot Coal will meet its commitments to generations of retirees have rippled throughout Appalachia. When the St. Louis-based spin-off of Peabody Coal filed for bankruptcy in July, it cited “substantial and unsustainable legacy costs” owed to retirees and beneficiaries as factors. Now,…
Read MoreMercury Proposal Receives Support, Opposition
This spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would reduce mercury, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions from coal plants. According to the agency, the proposed rule would save an estimated 17,000 American lives a year beginning in 2015 and prevent 120,000 cases of childhood asthma. A campaign motivated by environmental organizations…
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