Posts Tagged ‘Coal’
Predictable politics giving way to popular support for POWER+
In Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee, cities and counties with long histories of coal mining are advocating for the POWER+ Plan, a federal budget initiative proposed by the White House to build a more diverse economy in the communities hardest hit by the regional coal industry’s decline. They deserve to be heard.
Read MoreFormidable Costs
Coal Company Conducts Business as Usual Near Kanawha State Forest By Tarence Ray Seven miles south of Charleston, W.Va., sits a 9,300-acre expanse of trails, streams and wildlife known as the Kanawha State Forest. The forest’s diverse wildflower and bird species attract naturalists from all over the region, and trails and fully-equipped campgrounds bring in…
Read MoreClean Water Laws Wrestle With Coal
America’s environmental regulations have hampered the coal industry to varying degrees for decades, and though those rules can protect communities from pollution, the law alone is often not able to secure clean water. Here are some of the trouble spots.
Read MoreProposed Stream Protection Rule Released
By Erin Savage The agency responsible for regulating surface coal mining across the country released a proposed Stream Protection Rule on July 16, which is intended to limit mining impacts on streams. The long-awaited rule is not the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s first attempt to control the effects of surface mining…
Read MoreU.S. coal giant Alpha Natural Resources files for bankruptcy
Alpha Natural Resources, one of the largest coal mining companies in the United States and a big player in the Appalachian coal market, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday of this week, blaming “an unprecedented period of distress with increased competition from natural gas, an oversupply in the global coal market, historically low prices due to weaker international and domestic economies, and increasing government regulation that has pushed electric utilities to transition away from coal-fired power plants.
Read MoreAlabama Coal: Strip Mine Proposal Halted on Mulberry Fork
By Kimber Ray Even to those familiar with Appalachia’s historically destructive relationship with coal, the proposal for the 1,773-acre Shepherd Bend strip mine in northern Alabama seemed unprecedented. Flowing through the mountains of Alabama’s largest coal-producing region, the Mulberry Fork tributary of the Black Warrior River houses the drinking water intake for more than 200,000…
Read MoreCaught Between a Budget and a Hard Place
An Obama administration proposal would direct funds to workforce training and reemployment programs in the coal-bearing communities of Appalachia and increase the budgets of agencies focused on economic development, but regional politicians are slow to embrace the plan.
Read MoreReport Analyzes Economic Impact of Abandoned Mine Lands Program
A new report examines how federal funding to remediate abandoned mine lands could be implemented in a way that helps Appalachian communities struggling with coal’s decline.
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 MorePromoting the Power Plan as a Plus for Appalachia
Appalachian Voices has been busy promoting the Power-Plus Plan, which would among other things support job retraining for former miners, provide funds for community infrastructure improvements and direct new funding to clean up abandoned mines while creating new jobs.
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