A Science of Responsibility:

Dr. Ben Stout’s Dedication to Community-Based Research By Brian Sewell Dr. Ben Stout, a stream ecologist and professor of biology at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, is as at home in nearby communities as he is in the classroom. For more than 20 years, he has conducted his research outside of the lab and…

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An Era of Undoing: The State of Appalachia’s Labor Unions

By Brian Sewell “We are union,” the marchers chanted. Blanketing the streets of downtown Charleston, W.Va., with bystanders shouting in support, the vocal crowd stretched for blocks behind a banner that read “Fighting for Fairness at Patriot.” Shortly after Patriot Coal declared bankruptcy in July 2012, the company announced plans to rescind its promise of…

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Rebranding Bank of America’s Responsibility

————————————————————————————————————————————– Join us in Charlotte on May 9 to remind Bank of America, the largest financier of the U.S. coal industry, of their responsibility to citizens and the environment. Visit our action page for more info and to sign up. ————————————————————————————————————————————– “BREAKING: Daring Action at Bank of America Stadium,” read the first email in my…

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Alpha Pays $209 Million in Upper Big Branch Settlement

Alpha Natural Resources, the global coal company that purchased Massey Energy in January 2011, reached a settlement with victim’s families and the Mine Safety and Health Administration for $209 million in civil and criminal penalties for a mine explosion that killed 29 workers last year. The explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine, one of…

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Renewed Call to Revoke Massey Energy’s Corporate Charter

PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS RENEW CALL TO REVOKE MASSEY ENERGY’S CORPORATE CHARTER JOINT STATEMENT OF FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE, APPALACHIAN VOICES, AND THE RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK Dec. 7, 2011 Yesterday, Alpha Natural Resources, the parent company of the Massey Energy coal company, agreed to pay $209 million in criminal penalties, civil penalties, and compensation to the…

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Other Tidbits

Rallying for Ison Rock Ridge In southwestern Virginia, a mountain known as Ison Rock Ridge — along with several headwater streams — is slated for destruction to access the coal seams inside it. During October, Appalachian Voices, the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition are hosting three major rallies to…

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Mercury Proposal Receives Support, Opposition

This spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would reduce mercury, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions from coal plants. According to the agency, the proposed rule would save an estimated 17,000 American lives a year beginning in 2015 and prevent 120,000 cases of childhood asthma. A campaign motivated by environmental organizations…

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Speaking Truth to Power: Appalachian Women Travel to Delaware To Hold Massey Energy Accountable

This summer, Appalachian Voices joined Free Speech for People and Rainforest Action Network to petition Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden to repeal Massey Energy’s corporate charter due to their gross disregard for Appalachian communities. Massey Energy, like many corporations, is legally chartered in Delaware. And though Alpha Resources bought Massey Energy earlier this year, Massey…

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Massey Energy Gets to Continue Business-As-Usual While Tim DeChristopher Gets Two Years in Prison

Please join Appalachian Voices, Free Speech for People and Rainforest Action Network in asking that Massey Energy’s corporate charter be revoked True community exists when neighbors respect each other. Good neighbors are mindful of the impacts that their actions have on the whole. When a powerful neighbor, like a corporation, does not respect their neighbors,…

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