Appalachian Voices statement on White House coal actions

President Donald Trump ordered a series of actions this week intended to prop up America’s declining coal industry. Trump announced that the Department of Energy will pay electric utilities $175 million for upgrades to aging coal plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. Trump also ordered the Pentagon to buy more coal-generated power, though did not specify where such power might be purchased. 

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Bankrupt coal company cited for releasing ‘sludge’ into West Virginia’s Gauley River watershed

This stretch of the South Fork of Cherry River is surrounded by South Fork Coal Company's surface mining operations. The brown hue to the water is caused by elevated sediment in the river. Photo by Willie Dodson

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued its latest notice of violation against South Fork Coal Company, the bankrupt mining firm operating a 3,600-acre surface mining complex in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, on March 24. The citation was issued for “iron staining and sludge deposits” in Becky Run caused by the company’s Lost Flats #2 Surface Mine.

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