Posts Tagged ‘West Virginia’
Injustices Follow Elk River Chemical Spill
By Kimber Ray For many in West Virginia whose water was contaminated by Freedom Industries this past January, the $11,000 fine issued against the company by federal officials in July demonstrated the failure of state and federal officials to demand corporate accountability. In a Charleston, W. Va., prison, inmates are reporting that they had to…
Read MoreKeeping West Virginia Wild
Lovers of outdoor recreation and stunning scenery can now permanently enjoy expanded public access to the popular Gauley River. The 665 acres in Gauley River National Recreation Area acquired by West Virginia Land Trust this spring includes a gorge once intended for development. According to Brent Bailey, executive director of the land trust, “The importance…
Read MoreCamp Creek: Gateway to West Virginia Wonders
Just two miles away from busy Interstate 77, visitors to West Virginia’s Camp Creek State Park trade the hum of passing traffic for birdsong and the rushing chatter of waterfalls.
Read MoreSurface Mine Near State Forest Meets Opposition
By Brian Sewell A mountaintop removal permit in West Virginia is causing significant backlash because of its proximity to a cherished state forest and residential areas. Located along the eastern boundary of Kanawha State Forest in Kanawha County and a few miles from downtown Charleston, the 414-acre KD Mine No. 2 received approval from regulators…
Read MoreExpecting Justice: The backward priorities of a billionaire coal baron
In recent years, outstanding violations and unpaid fines have weighed down coal companies owned by West Virginia billionaire Jim Justice and burdened the communities where they operate. But rather than paying his debts, Justice just spent $30 million to build a lavish sports complex on the grounds of the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.
Court sides with EPA on science-based mountaintop removal permitting
A ruling by U.S. Court of Appeals today is as clear as the science indicting mountaintop removal coal mining, and affirms what advocates working to end the destruction of Appalachian mountains and streams have been saying for years.
One fish, two fish … Dead fish
A study from researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published this month provides strong new evidence that mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia is devastating downstream fish populations.
Fortunately, the Obama administration has an opportunity to take meaningful action to protect Appalachian streams.
Stories from South Central Regional Jail, WV
The January spill of the coal-processing chemical MCHM in West Virginia poisoned the tap water of some 300,000 people. Stories are now emerging that some of them were inmates at the regional jail who were denied access to ample, clean water.
O, to have the bully pulpit of Congress
Rep. Nick Rahall — like too many others in Congress — apparently sees no problem using that forum to spout untruths and fabrications to further his own agenda. In this case, he mischaracterizes the EPA’s veto of a permit for one of the largest mountaintop removal mines in the region in order to safeguard Appalachia’s waters and communities.
Read MoreScience-backed lawsuits protect clean water in Central Appalachia
A recent federal court decision found that conductivity released from mines violated clean water laws. Another case just filed in Virginia challenges the discharge of total dissolved solids from mines in watersheds already damaged by high levels of total dissolved solids. Both cases could result in stronger protections for Central Appalachian streams.