August/Sept 2019 - Features
The August/September issue explores a broad range of topics, including growing public frustration with the Tennessee Valley Authority and continued protests and legal delays affecting major fracked-gas pipelines.
We also look at local attempts to tackle the problem of food insecurity, share one man’s inspiring effort to save rare heirloom apple varieties, and examine how sustainable agriculture practices and local ingredients are influencing our region’s vineyards and distilleries. In addition, we feature community efforts to restore and protect historic African-American cemeteries. Check out these stories and more below!
Challenging TVA
Tired of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s frequent rate increases and lack of transparency and clean energy, communities across the region are pushing for change in the monopoly utility.
Restoring Black Cemeteries
Across the region, communities are working to document and preserve historic African-American cemeteries. Hear from people involved in this work, including reflections from a writer who discusses her family’s past through the lens of a local cemetery.
Featured Stories
Pipelines Continue to Face Obstacles
As the Mountain Valley Pipeline continues to cause problems and spark protests, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline faces new legal troubles.
A Tale of Orchards Past
Apple aficionado Tom Brown has dedicated more than 20 years of his life to saving Appalachia’s forgotten heirloom apples.
Tackling Food Insecurity
To combat food insecurity, some programs work to fill gaps in federal food assistance programs, while others are getting creative with food systems and supporting local farmers. All of them are making a difference in the fight against hunger, and all face challenges.
Aug/Sept 2019 - Columns
Hiking the Highlands
Summiting Grandfather Mountain
On this classic Western North Carolina hike, hikers can see a fantastic view of the cliffside profile for which Grandfather Mountain is named.
Naturalist's Notebook
Tangled Up in Kudzu
The story behind the highly invasive vine that is creeping across the Southeast, and what can be done to stop it.
Member Spotlight
Calling on Legislators for Action in Washington, D.C.
In July, Appalachian Voices traveled to Capitol Hill alongside about 150 miners, widows and their loved ones to demand Congress to restore proper funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. And in June, we joined other organizations in a visit to D.C. to ask legislators to co-sponsor the RECLAIM Act to fast-track abandoned mine reclamation.
Solar Strides in Southwest Virginia
Appalachian Voices applauds the achievement of eight Southwest Virginia municipalities for receiving SolSmart designations that will help pave the way for solar projects in the region. Additionally, the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia received state funding to identify opportunities for large-scale solar manufacturing and development
Welcome Josh and Tyler!
Appalachian Voices would like to welcome the two newest members of our team, Josh McClenney and Tyler Hughes!
Politics
The Trump Administration’s Environmental Record
A partial summary of President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s established track record of reducing environmental protections.
Environmental Votetracker — August/September 2019 issue
See how Appalachian legislators at the federal level voted in June and July 2019.
Across Appalachia
Job Corps Sites to Remain Open
The Trump administration reversed its decision to privatize 16 federal job centers and close nine after public and political backlash.
Ohio River Protections Now Optional
In June, an interstate regulatory agency voted to replace mandatory water quality protections for the Ohio River with voluntary guidelines that states can choose whether or not to follow.
Federal Approval Rescinded for Kentucky Prison
The project would have used public money, including abandoned mine reclamation funds, to build a federal prison on a former coal mine in Letcher County, Ky.
Energy Report
Environmental Groups Sue Four Coal and Chemical Facilities
Environmental groups have sued three coal facilities and one chemical plant for the alleged illegal pollution of adjacent waterways.
Blackjewel and Revelation Energy Coal Bankruptcy Raises Concerns for Workers and Mine Cleanup
Two coal company bankruptcies in July resulted in retroactively withdrawn paychecks from coal miners and an unclear future for roughly 13,000 acres of unreclaimed mine land.
Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Public Comment Period Begins
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be accepting public comments on the 73-mile fracked-gas pipeline through Sept. 16, 2019.