Jan 27 Health Troubled Waters: A Coalfield County Loses Trust In Water And Government On any given day in Martin County, Kentucky, the water system loses more water to leaks than it delivers to paying customers through their faucets. The water system is under a state investigation for the third time since 2002. Customers complain of frequent service interruptions and discolored water, and their bills come with a notice […] By Benny Becker Jan 27 Health Troubled Waters: A Coalfield County Loses Trust In Water And Government Benny Becker
Oct 21 Energy & Environment Toxic Legacy: “Teflon” Chemical Sticks Around In Water Supplies For more than half a century along the Ohio River, the chemical company DuPont provided jobs for thousands of people. One chemical they produced is PFOA, commonly known as C8. It was a remarkably useful compound, used in “Teflon” non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and even in some food wrappers. Over time, researchers have found that […] By Glynis Board Oct 21 Energy & Environment Toxic Legacy: “Teflon” Chemical Sticks Around In Water Supplies Glynis Board
Nov 14 Energy & Environment ‘That’s Vinegar’: The Ohio River’s History Of Contamination And Progress In 1958, researchers from the University of Louisville and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission gathered at a lock on the Monongahela River for routine collecting, counting and comparing of fish species. At the time, the best way to accomplish this was what’s called lock chamber sampling, or filling a 350-by-56-foot lock with river […] By April Johnston Nov 14 Energy & Environment ‘That’s Vinegar’: The Ohio River’s History Of Contamination And Progress April Johnston
Sep 6 Energy & Environment West Virginia, Kentucky officials repeatedly ignored plans to prepare for catastrophic floods. Residents are paying the price. When four and a half feet of water engulfed the town of Fleming-Neon, Kentucky, in July, fire chief Carter Bevins found himself in an unfamiliar position. “We were helpless,” he said. The volunteer firehouse, which sits on a small road directly in front of Wright Fork creek, was surrounded by a chest-high wall of […] By Alexa Beyer Sep 6 Energy & Environment WV and KY officials ignored plans to prepare for catastrophic flooding Alexa Beyer
Oct 8 Economy 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 Economy Letting the Sunlight in: When Appalachian Solar Dreams Become Realities Katie Myers
Apr 5 AppalachAmerica As the U.S. confronts climate change with a move to a new, clean energy future, what happens to those places that gave us the old energy — the fossil fuels that powered the country for more than a century? In “Welcome to AppalachAmerica,” host Jeff Young and the reporters at the Ohio Valley ReSource […] By Suhail Bhat Apr 5 AppalachAmerica Suhail Bhat
Mar 31 Energy & Environment Biden’s $2 Trillion Proposal Could Boost Ohio Valley Infrastructure And Clean Up Energy Sector President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan contains tens of billions of dollars to address environmental and economic issues throughout the Ohio Valley region, according to details released Wednesday by the White House. Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, had promised a major infrastructure initiative, but one never got traction during his four years in office. Speaking in Pittsburgh […] By Curtis Tate Mar 31 Energy & Environment Biden’s $2 Trillion Proposal Could Boost Ohio Valley Infrastructure And Clean Up Energy Sector Curtis Tate
Mar 17 Energy & Environment Slow Recovery: Repeated Floods And Storms Strain East Kentucky’s Aging Infrastructure Katrina Bostrin had never seen the lake come up that quickly before. She’d lived in Jackson, the county seat of Breathitt County, Kentucky, on and off since she was a child. It had come up to the garage before, but never inside her home. As she spoke, a volunteer crew from a local church ripped […] By Katie Myers and Corinne Boyer Mar 17 Energy & Environment Slow Recovery: Repeated Floods And Storms Strain East Kentucky’s Aging Infrastructure Katie Myers and Corinne Boyer
Feb 25 Energy & Environment Climate Change Increases Flooding Risk For Some 230,000 Ohio Valley Homes A new analysis of flooding risk that accounts for the effects of climate change finds many more homes in Appalachian communities in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia are at risk of flooding than the federal government’s emergency managers have indicated. In 12 Appalachian counties in the region, at least half of all residences are at […] By Suhail Bhat and Jeff Young Feb 25 Energy & Environment Climate Change Increases Flooding Risk For Some 230,000 Ohio Valley Homes Suhail Bhat and Jeff Young
Nov 13 Democracy & Civic Life What Biden’s Plan For “Building Back Better” Could Mean For The Ohio Valley David Meinschein’s teachers, staff and students have sacrificed a lot this year amid the staggering challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. He opens the door heading inside Ballad Memorial High School’s basketball gymnasium — known locally as the “Green Palace” for its school colors. The school’s emptiness is another reminder of COVID-19’s impact. But as assistant […] By Liam Niemeyer Nov 13 Democracy & Civic Life What Biden’s Plan For “Building Back Better” Could Mean For The Ohio Valley Liam Niemeyer