Court Rules to Protect Virginia Rivers and Streams from Mining Pollution: A & G Coal to be Held Responsible for Unpermitted Discharges of Toxic Selenium

Contact: Matt Hepler, SAMS, 276-565-6167, mhepler24@gmail.com Kim Teplitzky, Sierra Club, 412-802-6161, kim.teplitzky@sierraclub.org Erin Savage, Appalachian Voices, 828-262-1500, erin@appvoices.org Appalachia, Va. – The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia ruled Monday that A & G Coal is responsible for discharging toxic selenium from their Kelly Branch mine into nearby Callahan Creek. The Court…

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Court Victory for Clean Water in Kentucky: The Battle Continues

Last week, an attempt by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet to toss concerned citizens out of court failed. Judge Phillip Shepherd denied a motion to dismiss our challenge of a settlement between Frasure Creek Mining and the cabinet. Appalachian Voices and our partners KFTC, Kentucky Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance, will now be allowed to…

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Two Big Scores for Virginia Greens, but the Game is not Over

Over the course of a week, the state agency that oversees mountaintop removal mining in southwest Virginia denied a massive surface mine proposal in Wise County, and officials reviewing a huge natural gas plant recommended the application be denied because the applicant had not shown necessity in light of other options. This week, the Virginia…

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Report Tracks Appalachian Coal’s Continuing Decline

By Brian Sewell A report released in May by the West Virginia-based consulting firm Downstream Strategies underscores the need for investment in Central Appalachian counties hardest hit by a decline in coal production and demand. By looking at market and regulatory factors, plus trends in the U.S. and abroad, the report offers a comprehensive examination…

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Tenn. Tuesday: TVA’s Nuclear Nuisance

Welcome to Tennessee Tuesday! We’ve been searching across the state, patrolling the web and scouring our inboxes (as has President Obama, of course) in order to bring you the latest on the state-est that’s the greatest! Let’s get right to it. First of all, we’ve seen a brief clip from this morning on Fox News…

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