Posts Tagged ‘Clean Water Act’
Energy Report News Bites
The Southeast’s First Utility-Scale Wind Farm Breaks Ground, Clean Water Act Clarified, and Air Pollution Standards Challenged in N.C.
Read MoreA moment of truth for Kentucky’s coal regulators
A striking case of corruption related to mine inspections in Kentucky led to the recent criminal conviction of former Democratic state representative Keith Hall. But questions remain about how deep the conspiracy goes. Will Governor Steve Beshear and the state agencies that enforce mining laws in Kentucky adequately investigate?
Read MoreHow much progress are we making on ending mountaintop removal?
Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration pointed to a steep decline in coal produced by mountaintop removal mining. But
a closer examination of the data calls into question the adequacy of the legal definition of “mountaintop removal” and, more importantly, demonstrates that much more work is needed to truly end destructive mining practices in Central Appalachia.
Residents Near Duke Ash Ponds Told To Not Drink Their Water
Across North Carolina, residents living near Duke Energy’s coal ash ponds have received letters warning them not to drink their well water. Although Duke denies responsibility for the contamination, the utility recently plead guilty to violations of the Clean Water Act in a separate case.
Read MorePermit Renewal Raises Questions for Radford Arsenal
Air pollution concerns at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant spark a controversy in the New River Valley.
Read MoreKeep the Clean Water Act going strong
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ended a decade of confusion with the release of a long-awaited Clean Water Rule, which clarifies the scope of waters that are protected under the Clean Water Act. As the EPA pursues updates to the “effluent limitation guidelines,” we hope the Obama administration ready to continue the trend of strengthening and modernizing the Clean Water Act.
Read MoreDuke Energy to close aging Asheville coal plant
Duke Energy announced plans today to retire its polluting, uneconomical Asheville coal plant and build a natural gas-fired facility in its place. While the news should be celebrated as progress, it also represents another precarious step along a dangerous road that will prolong our region’s over-reliance on fossil fuels and saddle consumers with long-lived investments in natural gas.
WV Coal Lab Penalty Upheld
The West Virginia Environmental Quality Board upheld a decision by the state Department of Environmental Protection to revoke the certification of Appalachian Laboratories Inc., where employees routinely conspired to violate the federal Clean Water Act.
Read MoreGoing to Court for Clean Water
In mid-March, Appalachian Voices and our partners in Kentucky sued Frasure Creek Mining in federal court for more than 20,000 violations of the Clean Water Act, which could lead to nearly $700 million in fines.
Read MoreGoing to court for clean water
After we revealed thousands of water pollution violations at Frasure Creek Mining’s mountaintop removal coal mines in eastern Kentucky, state regulators (finally) took administrative action. Appalachian Voices and our partners are seeking to intervene in that process to ensure environmental protections are enforced, and we have filed our own lawsuit in federal court.