Coal community advocates bash cuts to federal mine reclamation funding and urge restoration in FY25 budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2024 CONTACT Trey Pollard – trey@pollardcommunications.com READ LETTER HERE COAL COUNTRY – As Congress advances a government funding bill that slashes millions in funding for the agency charged with supporting critical mine reclamation projects and enforcing mine reclamation standards, seventeen local, regional and national organizations released a letter urging Congress…

Read More

Opportunities for clean energy development in Appalachia from Inflation Reduction Act and other federal investments highlighted during White House event

In an event highlighting investments secured through the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act in Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky, Appalachian Solar Finance Fund Director Autumn Long discussed how the fund’s work and impact have been amplified by federal investment in Central Appalachian states.

Read More

No time to waste averting another coal mine cleanup crisis

Regulators are ignoring a growing crisis unfolding in modern mine reclamation. Coal companies are often failing to complete timely reclamation, and safeguards to ensure mine cleanup are failing. Communities are already seeing a new, more devastating wave of abandoned mines — a problem that will get worse without action.

Read More

Statement by Appalachian Voices on House Appropriations Committee proposed cuts to interior and environment agency budgets

workers cleaning up mine site

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee released its proposed FY 2024 budget for the Department of Interior and Environmental Protection Agency. The proposal includes a 10% budget cut to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s operational budget, while also providing a $1 million increase to the budget for the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program.

Read More

35 Organizations endorse congressional appropriations roadmap to spur coal community economic development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2023 Contact: Trey Pollard – trey@pollardcommunications.com READ THE LETTERS HERE: Senate Letter and House Letter COAL COUNTRY – Local, regional and national leaders representing 35 organizations sent a letter to congressional leaders today urging them to back key investments in community and economic development as well as the reduction of…

Read More