Posts Tagged ‘Congress’
Appalachia’s Environmental Vote Tracker: Aug/Sept 2013 issue
See how Appalachia’s congressional delegation voted on environmental issues.
Read MoreTenn. Tuesday – Compromise is Not a Condition
We’ll kick off this Tennessee Tuesday post with what seemed like a small story in the big world of Tennessee politics. Last week, the New York Times editorial page blog offered some extra thoughts on a Tea Party letter to Tenn. Senator Lamar Alexander, in which the Tea Party compelled Alexander to retire from office…
Read MoreTenn. Tuesday – A Bright Day, Welcoming The Newest Tennessean
Appalachian Voices’ resident Tennessean, and a proud one at that, is celebrating the birth of his second daughter, who for at least a little while yesterday morning was the newest resident of the great state of Tennessee. Congratulations JW, Elizabeth and Emma, we know Isla James will be as proud of her home as y’all…
Read MoreVirginia votes are key to protecting America’s waters from coal ash pollution
There’s a move afoot in Congress to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from passing the first-ever national rule for power plants to properly dispose of coal ash–all 125 million tons of it produced every single year. U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, of my home state of Virginia, are key votes on this…
Read MoreHouse Republicans fight for mountaintop removal mining
A lopsided legislative hearing held by the House Natural Resources committee last Friday is further proof that fans of mountaintop removal mining aren’t giving up without a fight. The hearing focused on legislation recently introduced by Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), a proud coal industry advocate, and Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), a pro-coal congressman in his…
Read MoreCommittee to Vote on Mountaintop Removal Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning at 11 a.m., the U.S. House Appropriations Committee will vote on a bill that is an egregious attack on the environment. The Appropriations bill before them would sharply cut funding for the Department of the Interior and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, and prevent the agencies from improving the regulation of mountaintop removal…
Read MoreHouse Votes to Block EPA on Coal Ash
This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2218, a bill that strips the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate coal ash. The bill fails to protect human health and the environment from the unsafe disposal of toxic coal ash waste. The bill’s supporters, led by bill author Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), continue…
Read MoreThe Environment on The Hill: Congress Continues to Undermine Essential Protections
Yesterday was a busy day on Capitol Hill. With multiple hearings on environmental issues in the House and Senate, Congress is trying to get a lot of business done before the August recess. House Natural Resources Committee Questions OSM Director Pizarchik Joseph Pizarchik, Director of the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement (OSM) was…
Read MoreAs the Barn Burns, the House Stays Cold on Energy Efficiency
There has been much ado about energy efficiency in Congress recently, but so far there’s nothing to show for it. On June 12, we wrote about the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which could help millions of residential electricity customers across the United States access low-cost financing for improving the energy efficiency of their homes,…
Read MoreTenn Tuesday: Haslam Can’t Keep Hands off the Family Business. Alexander and Corker To Support Critical Energy-Efficiency Legislation? Squirrel!
Haslam Dragged Down by Coal Ties, TVA All Over the Place, Critical Energy Savings Votes in the U.S. Senate as early as this week. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s troubles continue to be front and center in the national media, with the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal and The Tennessean reporting on Governor Haslam failure to…
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