Posts Tagged ‘Congress’
Neighbors of Mountaintop Removal Testify Before Congress
In April, people living near coal strip mines testified before a U.S. House subcommittee about how mountaintop removal coal mining has affected their lives and communities.
Read MoreRECLAIM Act back in Congress
The bill to expedite spending of $1 billion in coal-impacted communities to repurpose old mine sites for new economic projects has been reintroduced into Congress with bipartisan support.
Read MoreAppalachians testify in Congress to end mountaintop removal
Residents of coal-impacted communities went to Washington, D.C., to share how strip mines have affected their lives and to support a moratorium on destructive strip mining.
Read MoreCongressional Hearing Addresses Abandoned Mine Cleanup
Regional leaders testified in front of a U.S. House subcommittee about strategies to restore abandoned mines and witnesses expressed support for the RECLAIM Act.
Read MoreCuts to funding for black lung benefits
Despite significant grassroots pressure, an excise tax that pays into a healthcare and disability fund for miners with black lung was slashed in half. The lack of action by Congress amounts to a tax break for coal companies while putting benefits for former miners and their families at risk.
Read MoreBattling for Black Lung Benefits
The deadly disease is on the rise, but funding for healthcare will be halved unless Congress acts this year.
Read MoreReauthorization of Mine Lands Program Advances
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would renew funding for restoring abandoned coal mine sites — but it would also limit a wide swath of environmental protections.
Read MoreEnvironmental Votetracker — Aug/Sept 2018 issue
Chart showing how Appalachian legislators voted on recent environmental legislation.
Read MoreEndangered Species Act Threatened
New guidelines from the Trump Administration alongside a congressional package of nine bills would bring massive changes to the Endangered Species Act.
Read MoreFederal spending bill: Some good, and bad news for Appalachia
Congress included funding for several programs important for Appalachian communities, but failed to include the critical RECLAIM Act.
Read More