Posts Tagged ‘Virginia’
Citizen groups notify Justice-owned coal company of intent to sue over reclamation violations
A coal company owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his family has been notified that Appalachian Voices, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and Sierra Club are planning to file a lawsuit over its failure to clean up three Wise County, Virginia, mines.
Read MoreThe Beast of Bristol: The Landfill Haunting Residents of the Twin Cities
Terrible, persistent smells from the Bristol landfill have put a damper on quality of life for residents of the Twin Cities. Officials acknowledge the problem, but there’s no clear path forward.
Read MoreEnvironmental groups seek to defend Virginia’s denial of air permit for MVP in court
Richmond, VA — The Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices, represented by Appalachian Mountain Advocates, moved to intervene in a lawsuit to help defend the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board’s denial of an air permit for the proposed Lambert Compressor station. If built, the station would connect the beleaguered Mountain Valley Pipeline to the proposed “Southgate” extension into North Carolina. The conservation groups filed the motion in response to a lawsuit by the Mountain Valley Pipeline that seeks to reverse the board’s decision.
Read MoreGov. Jim Justice’s Straight Fork Surface Mine again facing possible permit revocation
Updated Jan. 20, 2022: On Jan. 13, Virginia Energy sent a letter to A&G Coal Corporation suspending the permit for the Straight Fork Surface Mine after the corporation failed to respond to the Dec. 8, 2021 show cause order. The permit suspension gives the Justice company until Feb. 14 to deal with the ongoing violations. Failure to do so will then trigger permit revocation and a determination of bond forfeiture.
Read MoreMember-owners join together to support transparency and governance reforms for Virginia’s rural electric cooperatives
Richmond, Va. — A coalition representing member-owners of Virginia’s rural electric cooperative (RECs) is rallying in support of Del. Wendy Gooditis’ legislation that seeks to establish protections and safeguards for customers (member-owners) of the thirteen rural electric cooperatives in the state. These reforms would include allowing member-owners to observe board meetings, voter integrity measures for cooperative board elections, and transparency in cooperative political lobbying.
Read MoreCan’t stop, won’t stop! Fighting to protect you and the environment at Virginia’s General Assembly
Virginia’s 2022 General Assembly gaveled in on January 12 for two months of legislative wrangling in the crowded halls of the state capitol! We expect to play defense on protecting pivotal laws that tackle the climate crisis, while pushing for progress in key areas. Don’t sit this one out — we need all Virginia hands on deck!
Read MoreAppalachian Voices calls on Gov.-elect Youngkin to withdraw Wheeler’s nomination as Natural Resources secretary
“Based on his egregious record as EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler is unfit to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources,” said Tom Cormons, executive director of Appalachian Voices.
Read MoreMountain Valley Pipeline faces new legal challenge to water permit
Richmond, VA — A new legal action filed today challenges Virginia’s State Water Control Board approval of a key water quality permit for the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. The petition for review of the project was filed with the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.
Read MoreState Corporation Commission rejects Chickahominy Pipeline’s plan for 83-mile unregulated gas pipeline
Today the Virginia State Corporation Commission rejected plans from Chickahominy Pipeline, LLC, to construct an unregulated gas pipeline 83 miles from Louisa County to a proposed gas-fired power plant in Charles City County, instead determining that the company is a public utility subject to Commission regulation. The Southern Environmental Law Center represented Concerned Citizens of Charles City County, Hanover Citizens Against A Pipeline, Appalachian Voices, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation in the case.
Read MoreWins and losses come as the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline continues
On Dec. 3 — after more than eight hours of public, industry and agency comments spread over two days — six of the seven members of the state Air Pollution Control Board voted to deny the air permit for the Lambert Compressor Station.
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