Mar 15 Energy & Environment KY, WV Move to Weaken Mine Safety Rules Lawmakers in both Kentucky and West Virginia are working to loosen mine safety regulations, alarming some mine safety experts. Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill that reduces the number of underground mine inspections. Similar legislation is pending in West Virginia’s Senate but with more substantial changes. Under that bill, the state’s mining inspection system would move […] By Glynis Board Mar 15 Energy & Environment KY, WV Move to Weaken Mine Safety Rules Glynis Board
Mar 7 Health After Obamacare: Retired Miners Face Losses If Affordable Care Act Ends As Congress considers repealing the Affordable Care Act, health professionals in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia grapple with what that might mean for a region where many depend on the law for access to care. This occasional series from the ReSource explores what’s ahead for the Ohio Valley after Obamacare. See more stories here >> […] By Becca Schimmel Mar 7 Health After Obamacare: Retired Miners Face Losses If Affordable Care Act Ends Becca Schimmel
Dec 21 Resource Shift How To Help Those “Fighting For Breath” Listening to the Branham family describe how they’ve been affected by Mackie’s black lung is heart-wrenching. Our profile of the Branhams and the NPR investigation of black lung cases have gotten a lot attention, and in many cases I’ve seen the stories shared on social media with a warning that they’re likely to make you […] By Benny Becker Dec 21 Resource Shift How To Help Those “Fighting For Breath” Benny Becker
Jul 7 Economy Ohio Valley Coal Companies Get Tens Of Millions In Paycheck Protection Loans More than 50 Ohio Valley coal companies received loans totaling as much as $119 million through the Paycheck Protection Program meant to keep people employed during the pandemic’s economic downturn. Congress passed the PPP in March to help businesses keep employees on the payroll and out of unemployment lines. The data released by the Small […] By Sydney Boles Jul 7 Economy Ohio Valley Coal Companies Get Tens Of Millions In Paycheck Protection Loans Sydney Boles
Jul 2 Health Masking Questions: How Pandemic Health Measures Became Politicized Health officials and researchers say the science is clear: face masks can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Yet in the Ohio Valley, not all elected officials are in agreement on whether to mandate measures such as the use of face masks in public places. In April, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine initially announced […] By Liam Niemeyer Jul 2 Health Masking Questions: How Pandemic Health Measures Became Politicized Liam Niemeyer
Dec 6 Energy & Environment What The Petrochemical Buildout Along The Ohio River Means For Regional Communities And Beyond The R.E. Burger coal-fired power plant’s final day ended, appropriately enough, in a cloud of black smoke and dust. From 1944 to 2011, the plant generated power, fumes and ash in the Ohio River Valley. It was one of dozens of coal and steel plants dotting the banks of the river, which for years has […] By Sharon Kelly Dec 6 Energy & Environment What The Petrochemical Buildout Along The Ohio River Means For Regional Communities And Beyond Sharon Kelly
Sep 4 Energy & Environment While “Zombie” Mines Idle, Cleanup And Workers Remain In Limbo The sound of metal banging against metal broke the calm on the high mesa separating Colorado’s Paradox and Big Gypsum valleys. An old rusted headframe marked the entrance to an abandoned uranium mine that, from a distance, looked as if its workers were simply off on a lunch break. Jennifer Thurston, a local environmentalist, paused […] By Mark Olalde and Joe Yerardi Sep 4 Energy & Environment While “Zombie” Mines Idle, Cleanup And Workers Remain In Limbo Mark Olalde and Joe Yerardi
Jul 13 Agriculture Hogwash: Farmers Fear Trump Trade Disputes Are Damaging Ag Markets Jimmy Tosh sells a lot of pigs. He is owner and CEO of Tosh Farms, Tosh Pork, and Bacon By Gosh, in Henry County, Tennessee, and has 84 contracted barns in the region where farmers grow pigs for his products. On a recent July day, Tosh craned over some 1,200 piglets and reflected on how […] By Nicole Erwin Jul 13 Agriculture Hogwash: Farmers Fear Trump Trade Disputes Are Damaging Ag Markets Nicole Erwin
Aug 25 Energy & Environment Strip Mining Science: Trump Administration Stops Mining Health Study The Perry County Public Library in Hazard, Kentucky, lies along Black Gold Boulevard — a name that nods to the wealth the coal from these hills has generated. On a recent Tuesday evening, however, the library was the venue for a hearing about the full costs of extracting that coal. A team from the National […] By Glynis Board Aug 25 Energy & Environment Strip Mining Science: Trump Administration Stops Mining Health Study Glynis Board
Mar 7 Energy & Environment National Academy Mining Health Study Underway A committee with National Academy of Sciences has started work on a study of the health effects of surface mining in central Appalachia. The eleven-member panel gathered in Washington, D.C., to hear about earlier research on how mining affects nearby residents. Bill Orem of the U.S. Geological Survey was among those who addressed the […] By Benny Becker Mar 7 Energy & Environment National Academy Mining Health Study Underway Benny Becker