Posts Tagged ‘West Virginia’
Unaddressed Concerns Keep Fracking in the Forefront
By Brian Sewell Nationwide, stories regarding natural gas-related water contamination, waste disposal and property rights concerns keep bubbling up, bolstering arguments used by opponents of fracking. And as natural gas prices rise due to cold weather and a slowdown in drilling, the fuel’s supporters are questioning how long claims of affordability will last. Increased demand…
Read MoreMountaintop Removal Masquerade
Opponents of Proposed Surface Mine Highway Push for Environmental Review By Molly Moore Tim Mullins recalls what Pound, Va., was like in the 1970s — nestled in the commonwealth’s mountainous southwestern corner, it was a town of crowded sidewalks, ample schools and nary a parking spot to be found. Today, formerly bustling businesses are dilapidated…
Read MoreUncertainty Upstream
Appalachian Water Watch Responds to the Spill By Erin Savage, Water Quality Specialist for Appalachian Voices When I first heard about the chemical spill in Charleston, W.Va., on the morning of Jan. 9, I emailed the rest of the Appalachian Voices staff and immediately started packing an overnight bag. While I didn’t exactly know what…
Read MoreAdam Hall: A Defender of West Virginia
By Kimber Ray Depressed towns and waters laced with toxic chemicals have been handed down to West Virginia in the wake of mountaintop removal coal mining, yet many in the community leave these grievances unspoken. Adam Hall, the son of a strip miner in Glen Daniel, W.Va., was once among those who were voiceless on…
Read MoreA Call For Justice: The People’s Pastoral
By Kimber Ray The collective voice of the world rises up — from the people of Appalachia’s hills and hollers, from the rich diversity of global communities, and from the air, water and land of Earth itself. The Catholic Committee of Appalachia and Jeannie Kirkhope, administrative director of the CCA, hope to gather this call…
Read MoreSnowshoeing Canaan Valley’s Winter Wonderland
By Molly Moore When fresh snow muffles the sounds of scurrying squirrels and creaking twigs, the winter woods offer a serenity that’s different from the rustling, lively forests of spring, summer and fall. But the deep snow that can make a frosty trail so bewitching can also creep over the tops of otherwise sturdy boots,…
Read MoreOSM Investigates WV Mining Law Enforcement
By Brian Sewell The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced on Dec. 30 that it will investigate West Virginia’s surface coal mining regulatory program. The announcement comes six months after the Citizen Action for Real Enforcement campaign — a coalition of 18 state and national organizations — held a press conference and…
Read MoreBreaking the Resource Curse
“Future Funds” Could Spur Economic Development in Central Appalachia As Central Appalachian coal production declines, many realize the need to maximize tax revenues from coal and natural gas extraction. For the past three years, a movement to establish a permanent natural resource trust fund has grown in West Virginia. Ted Boettner, the executive director of…
Read MoreA 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…
Read MoreTeacher, Wife, Activist, Mother:
Wilma Lee Steele Turns Focus to Healing By Molly Moore For Wilma Lee Steele, the devastation wrought by mountaintop removal coal mining can’t be measured solely by polluted streams or transformed ridgelines. For someone as spiritually connected to the mountains of her West Virginia home as Steele is, blasting away mountaintops for the sake of…
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