Posts Tagged ‘Virginia’
Charlottesville Expands Electric Vehicle Initiative
By Chelsey Fisher Throughout many large cities in Appalachia, electric vehicle chargers are increasing in availability near car dealerships, highways and tourist attractions, making it easier for owners to travel in the area. Charlottesville, Va., is one such city promoting electric vehicles. Charlottesville’s first experience with electric vehicles started in 2012 when the city received…
Read MoreInterview with Tom Perriello
Tom Perriello, a lifelong resident of Ablemarle County, Va., is a steadfast supporter of environmental and poverty concerns. He used his background in law to prosecute warlords in West Africa, was named one of Time Magazine’s “40 under 40” in 2010, and represented Virginia’s 5th district from 2009 to 2011. While in Congress, he supported…
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 MoreStepping Toward Wind and Solar Energy in Virginia
The call for action on climate change has grown louder in the weeks following the announcement of the Obama administration’s climate action plan. As the president laid out in June, the plan that leads to a more sustainable energy policy, and as the newly confirmed administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy, reminded…
Read MoreA Great Day for Virginia Streams
Yesterday, advocates for clean water won a major court victory in Virginia. Under a court order, A&G Coal will be the first coal company in Virginia required to get a permit for their discharges of toxic selenium. U.S. District Judge James P. Jones ruled that because the company did not tell regulators that they might…
Read MoreCourt Rules to Protect Virginia Rivers and Streams from Mining Pollution: A & G Coal to be Held Responsible for Unpermitted Discharges of Toxic Selenium
Contact: Matt Hepler, SAMS, 276-565-6167, mhepler24@gmail.com Kim Teplitzky, Sierra Club, 412-802-6161, kim.teplitzky@sierraclub.org Erin Savage, Appalachian Voices, 828-262-1500, erin@appvoices.org Appalachia, Va. – The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia ruled Monday that A & G Coal is responsible for discharging toxic selenium from their Kelly Branch mine into nearby Callahan Creek. The Court…
Read More$108 Million awarded for VA Coalfields Expressway?
To help citizens raise their concerns around the coal industry-proposed route of the Coalfields Expressway in southwest Virginia, we’re inviting residents of the commonwealth to submit letters to the editor of their local newspapers. Sign-up to submit your own letter to the editor here. Recent headlines announcing $108 million in funding for the Coalfields Expressway…
Read MoreToday’s Farming Frontier
Resilient Growers Adapt to Contemporary Challenges By Molly Moore A summer drive along nearly any Appalachian road reveals scenes of agrarian beauty – cows grazing in the morning mist, hills striped with rows of Christmas trees, and a mix of colorful and weathered barns. Twenty years ago, the drive would have toured fields and sloping…
Read MoreTwo Big Scores for Virginia Greens, but the Game is not Over
Over the course of a week, the state agency that oversees mountaintop removal mining in southwest Virginia denied a massive surface mine proposal in Wise County, and officials reviewing a huge natural gas plant recommended the application be denied because the applicant had not shown necessity in light of other options. This week, the Virginia…
Read MoreReport Tracks Appalachian Coal’s Continuing Decline
By Brian Sewell A report released in May by the West Virginia-based consulting firm Downstream Strategies underscores the need for investment in Central Appalachian counties hardest hit by a decline in coal production and demand. By looking at market and regulatory factors, plus trends in the U.S. and abroad, the report offers a comprehensive examination…
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