Posts Tagged ‘Water Pollution’
Too Big to Fail, But Not to Change
When “pink slime” hit the headlines in March, Americans were rightfully disgusted. The thought of being poisoned for profit by beef-product filler treated with ammonia sparked national outrage. Grocery stores and even mega-fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell were quick to publicly shun the slimy substance. Over the course of just a…
Read MoreAsheville’s Call to Action: The Beginning of the End for Toxic Coal Ash
By Patrick Cavanaugh, 2012 Red, White and Water intern It’s hard to miss the Asheville coal-fired power plant as you drive into Lake Julian Park in Arden, N.C. The smokestacks and discolored water surrounding the plant scream of environmental abuse and disfigurement. Our mission was the hidden abuses this plant perpetrates on nearby residents that…
Read MoreKentucky Surface Water: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Depending on what you have heard about eastern Kentucky, or your own experiences there, you may have different impressions of Appalachian streams around the area. Some may envision picturesque creeks running through green valleys, while others may think of bright orange “streams” running over rip-rock. Unfortunately, bright orange streams are commonplace in eastern Kentucky. The…
Read MoreBig Coal’s Assault on Property Rights
Big Coal’s audacity can be astounding. For years, the coal company Consol has been dumping toxic wastewater into mined-out underground mines in Buchanan County, Virginia, without the consent of the owners of the property where these old mines are located. In 2008, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that this is an illegal trespass against the…
Read MoreSubcommittee Hearing A “Dog and Pony Show” With Your Ringmaster, Rep. Bill Johnson
I’ll admit, this morning’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing had my head spinning. Similar to the committee’s previous hearings on the stream buffer zone rule, statements made by the Republican majority committee members could cause concerns as to who exactly they’re representing. The hearing seemed staged to give committee members yet another opportunity…
Read MoreURGENT: Don’t Let Big Coal Poison Virginia’s Groundwater!
A dirty bill in the Virginia General Assembly is bad news for the health of Virginia’s groundwater. We urgently need to show state senators that clean water for the Commonwealth is more important than cost-cutting measures for the coal industry! A bill, HB 710, has been introduced into the Virginia General Assembly that would allow…
Read MoreYesterday and Today: Defending the Clean Water Act
By Jamie Goodman Forty years ago, it took a flaming river to spur our nation to protect its waterways. The river that played a prominent role in the creation of the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency is thought to have erupted in flames on thirteen separate occasions in a one-hundred-year period, ending…
Read MoreSELC Releases Top Ten Endangered Places List, Shows Threats in Southeast
The Southern Environmental Law Center recently released its fourth-annual Top 10 Endangered Places list for 2012, highlighting the ecologically and culturally rich areas throughout the Southeast that are threatened by development, water issues and the environmental impacts of mountaintop removal and hydraulic fracturing. Southeastern states bordering Appalachia, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, are each featured…
Read MoreKentuckians and Friends Show State Officials Their Love for Mountains on Valetine’s Day
Despite cool, rainy weather in Frankfort, KY, more than 1,200 individuals showed up on the steps of the Kentucky state capitol building for I Love Mountains Day. This annual event is held by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth so that KFTC members and other advocates can come together to show their support for protecting eastern Kentucky’s…
Read MoreKentucky Arrow Darter Threatened by Mountaintop Removal
By Madison Hinshaw, Communications Editorial Intern in Spring 2012. We’ve known for a long time that mountaintop removal is affecting Appalachian creatures. This time it’s a fish found in the Appalachian streams and rivers — the Kentucky arrow darter. This fish, found only in Kentucky, is one of the top 10 U.S. species most threatened…
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