Posts Tagged ‘Congress’
Worried about Water? The EPA’s New Tool Can Help
Maps provide a valuable perspective of the lay of the land, the ability to identify local waterways, their length and proximity to urban or agricultural areas, and their connectivity as they wrap around hills or snake through open plains. But there was always something you couldn’t learn about rivers and streams near your community by…
Read MoreUpdate: House Passes Dirty Coal Package
UPDATE: Last Friday, the House passed the Dirty Coal package, H.R. 3409, by a vote of 233-175. Thirteen Republicans, led by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8), crossed party lines to oppose the bill and stand up for Appalachian communities and public health. The three parts of the bill not related to mountaintop removal mining had received…
Read MoreSpeaking Truth to Power: Appalachian Voices at the DNC
From the halls of Congress to small churches and community centers, Appalachian Voices has worked for years to make mountaintop removal an issue of national importance and awareness. Our members, volunteers and staff understand the importance of speaking truth to power with one strong collective voice. This is why next week we will travel to…
Read MoreHalf-Baked Coal Ash Bill: A Dangerous Proposition for Our Air and Water
Air and Water Protections are as American As Apple Pie — and they are under attack. Most people talk about creating legislation in terms of sausage-making. It can be downright dirty work. But I prefer to think of it as pie-baking, requiring the combination of concentrated efforts while keeping the final product in mind. Though…
Read MorePolls, Politics, and the Power of Your Voice
With the elections coming up in only a few months, public opinion polls are starting to become more common. There are bound to be thousands of horse race polls (Obama vs. Romney), but politicians are often more interested in issue polls, such as the one released by the Washington Post recently, which asked people if…
Read MoreDid A Steamed Bun Ask the White House To Label Coal Ash As Non-Hazardous?
Last week, we escaped another harrowing attempt by Rep. David McKinley (WV) and company to allow coal-fired utilities to keep getting away with polluting our water (and sometimes air) with coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal for electricity. While a rider to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from issuing federal standards on…
Read MoreVICTORY: Alexander, Hagan, Rockefeller vote for Clean Air
Inhofe Resolution fails despite support of Virginia Senators Webb, Warner Big news out of the Senate as Senator Inhofe’s most recent effort to stop clean air protections (SR 37) was killed by a vote of 46 to 53. Much more on the specifics of the legislation here. A handful of Republicans, including Senator Lamar Alexander…
Read MoreCongress’ Big Day: Voting on two polluter-friendly proposals
By Erin Burks Red, White and Water intern, Summer 2012 This is a critical week in the U.S. Congress. The House will vote on a bill that could have negative impacts on the quality of waterways in our nation for years to come. With the most anti-environmental Congress to date currently in charge, today is…
Read MoreTo the Capitol and Back
By Jessica Kennedy Editorial assistant, Summer 2012 I’ve never seen mountaintop removal. I’ve seen it in pictures, books, movies. I’ve seen it in dreams and reconstructed it in my head. I’ve pictured its destruction settling in my mountains – the giant hills that make Boone the town it is. I am thankful mountaintop removal has…
Read MoreFront Row Seats at the Political Theater in Abingdon, VA
Last Saturday, June 2nd, FACES of Coal and Americans for Prosperity held the “Rally for Appalachian Coal Jobs” in Abingdon, VA. The flier for the rally touts the usual “War on Coal” rhetoric: “Appalachian Coal Jobs have been under regulatory assault from the bureaucrats in Washington D.C. It’s time we stand up and defend them!”…
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