Dec 22 Energy & Environment In the Southwest and Appalachia, Indigenous Organizers Want a New Economy for Their Coalfield Communities Carol Davis has noticed the West drying up. Where she lives, in the Four Corners area of New Mexico and on the Navajo Nation, years of drought have left former oases dusty and dry. Though the drought has some roots in wider climate issues, Carol says much of the groundwater in her area has dried […] By Katie Myers Dec 22 Energy & Environment In the Southwest and Appalachia, Indigenous Organizers Want a New Economy for Their Coalfield Communities Katie Myers
Dec 7 Energy & Environment Mine Reclamation, Clean Water and Broadband: What the Infrastructure Law Brings to Appalachia The bipartisan infrastructure bill that became law last month has billions of dollars in it for roads, bridges, airports and transit systems in the Ohio Valley. The law also addresses some of the region’s other pressing needs. The $1 trillion infrastructure law has the potential to deliver big improvements to Appalachia. It will help reclaim […] By Curtis Tate Dec 7 Energy & Environment Mine Reclamation, Clean Water and Broadband: What the Infrastructure Law Brings to Appalachia Curtis Tate
Nov 10 Energy & Environment Kentucky Court Orders Justice to Pay Penalty Over Mine Reclamation A Kentucky court has found coal companies owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice in default of a 2019 mine reclamation agreement. A judge in Frankfort on Tuesday ordered Justice to pay a nearly $3 million penalty, plus interest, over mine reclamation work at three sites in eastern Kentucky that was not completed before deadline. […] By Curtis Tate Nov 10 Energy & Environment Kentucky Court Orders Justice to Pay Penalty Over Mine Reclamation Curtis Tate
Nov 5 Energy & Environment Justice-Owned Mines to Reopen, in the Midst of Kentucky Reclamation Lawsuit Jay Justice, son of Jim Justice, governor of West Virginia, with whom he owns several mining companies, just announced the re-opening of four mines in Kentucky. The reopening announcement came with a promise of 150 new jobs, but an active lawsuit and a new report on overdue reclamation liabilities at Justice-owned mines suggest that […] By Katie Myers Nov 5 Energy & Environment Justice-Owned Mines to Reopen, in the Midst of Kentucky Reclamation Lawsuit Katie Myers
Nov 3 Energy & Environment Updated tap water database lets you search for contaminants in your drinking water The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released updates to its Tap Water Database on Wednesday. The environmental health nonprofit’s database makes public drinking water systems searchable by zip code. It also shows legal and illegal levels of contaminants and the health risks associated with them. But many chemicals found in drinking water are not regulated by […] By Corinne Boyer Nov 3 Energy & Environment Updated tap water database lets you search for contaminants in your drinking water Corinne Boyer
Oct 15 Energy & Environment In Elk, A Kentucky Professor Sees An Opportunity To Help Revitalize Appalachia Howard Whiteman is inching along in his black Toyota Prius, craning his neck to see what’s beyond the rolling grasslands into the nearby woods. He wishes he brought binoculars. He’s slowly making his way around an enclosed 700-acre Elk and Bison Prairie in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, the only public land in […] By Liam Niemeyer Oct 15 Energy & Environment In Elk, A Kentucky Professor Sees An Opportunity To Help Revitalize Appalachia Liam Niemeyer
Oct 8 Energy & Environment Letting the Sunlight in: When Appalachian Solar Dreams Become Realities The promise of solar energy for small, rural communities, and particularly those recovering from the decline of the coal industry, is twofold: job creation, and revenue. Money is flowing into solar energy— the Appalachian Regional Commission just funded a major regional solar financing program, and a massive solar farm may be coming to Martin County, […] By Katie Myers Oct 8 Energy & Environment Letting the Sunlight in: When Appalachian Solar Dreams Become Realities Katie Myers
Sep 18 Energy & Environment Coal Keeps The Lights On, For Now, At West Virginia’s Mountaineer Plant The first thing that strikes you about the Mountaineer power plant is its sheer size. Its stacks rise more than 1,000 feet over the Ohio River floodplain, almost as tall as the Empire State Building. Its massive cooling tower can hold 8.5 million gallons of water. A 20-story building houses its 1,330-megawatt generator. It produces […] By Curtis Tate Sep 18 Energy & Environment Coal Keeps The Lights On, For Now, At West Virginia’s Mountaineer Plant Curtis Tate
Sep 10 Energy & Environment Shouldering Coal’s Costs: Uncertain Future for Programs Addressing Coal Industry Health Impacts Bennett Quillen walks through a late August downpour check on his fall crop, and sees that his greasy beans are coming ripe. He learned how to farm from his father, and he’s determined to model environmental stewardship for his community. “I believe in taking care of the land,” Quillen says. “I want to leave the […] By Katie Myers Sep 10 Energy & Environment Shouldering Coal’s Costs: Uncertain Future for Programs Addressing Coal Industry Health Impacts Katie Myers