Wednesday, July 9th, 2014 | Posted by Matt Wasson | 1 Comment
A study from researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published this month provides strong new evidence that mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia is devastating downstream fish populations.
Fortunately, the Obama administration has an opportunity to take meaningful action to protect Appalachian streams. [
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Friday, June 27th, 2014 | Posted by Kara Dodson | 2 Comments
The January spill of the coal-processing chemical MCHM in West Virginia poisoned the tap water of some 300,000 people. Stories are now emerging that some of them were inmates at the regional jail who were denied access to ample, clean water. [
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Wednesday, June 11th, 2014 | Posted by Eric Chance | 15 Comments
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is poised to loosen national recommended water quality standards for selenium, a toxic pollutant commonly released from mountaintop removal coal mines. You can stand up for streams in Appalachia by submitting comments urging the EPA to protect aquatic life and strengthen selenium standards. [
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Tuesday, June 10th, 2014 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
A recent federal court decision found that conductivity released from mines violated clean water laws. Another case just filed in Virginia challenges the discharge of total dissolved solids from mines in watersheds already damaged by high levels of total dissolved solids. Both cases could result in stronger protections for Central Appalachian streams. [
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Monday, June 9th, 2014 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Hundreds of fish were killed after Cumberland County Coal released a chemical into Kentucky's Clover Fork River on May 30. Although the company was cited for polluting the river, fines alone cannot erase the damage done to a community and an ecosystem. [
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Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 | Posted by Brian Sewell | 1 Comment
Two recent federal enforcement actions against major Appalachian coal companies, Alpha Natural Resources and Nally & Hamilton, are a positive sign. But can fining coal companies come close to solving the fundamental problem of water pollution that stems from mountaintop removal? [
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Tuesday, February 25th, 2014 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Preliminary water testing results from the February West Virginia coal slurry spill that blackened six miles of Fields Creek reveal that pollutants included MCHM, the coal-washing chemical that contaminated the drinking water of 300,0000 West Virginians in January. This finding is significant because state environmental officials appeared to be uncertain whether MCHM was involved — it seems that once more, polluting companies withheld important information from the public. [
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Wednesday, February 19th, 2014 | Posted by Eric Chance | 4 Comments
Yesterday there was a hearing in Franklin Circuit Court for our ongoing challenge of a weak settlement that the state of Kentucky reached with Frasure Creek Mining. The settlement is a slap on the wrist that lets them off the hook for thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act, and it bears a striking resemblance to the settlement between North Carolina and Duke Energy that has come under scrutiny after their recent coal ash spill into the Dan River. [
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Tuesday, February 11th, 2014 | Posted by Jamie Goodman | 1 Comment
Early Tuesday morning there was a significant slurry spill at Patriot Coals Kanawah Eagle operation. Over 100,000 gallons of toxic coal slurry spilled into Fields Creek near Charleston, WV. Members of the Appalachian Water Watch team were at the site to investigate.
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Thursday, February 6th, 2014 | Posted by Erin Savage | 1 Comment
Appalachian Voices’ Appalachian Water Watch team has received results from several locations impacted by the crude MCHM and PPH spill in Charleston, W.Va. While a superficial review of the results might seem to indicate that flushing individual water systems was effective in eliminating most of the MCHM from the pipes, when combined with additional data and personal observations from affected residents, the conclusions become less clear. [
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Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 | Posted by Erin Savage | 4 Comments
I checked Facebook early on the morning of January 9th, cursing my mild addiction to social media, and was suddenly glad that I had. I saw a news report of a chemical spill in Charleston, W.Va., which I quickly emailed to the rest of the staff at Appalachian Voices. I then packed a bag anticipating the potential to be gone for several days. I knew as little about what I might be doing through my work with Appalachian Water Watch as I did about what exactly had happened in Charleston. [
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Tuesday, January 28th, 2014 | Posted by Eric Chance | 2 Comments
Today, Appalachian Voices along with our allies in Virginia filed a lawsuit against Penn Virginia, for water polluted by selenium coming from abandoned mines on their land. This lawsuit is one in a series of suits aimed at cleaning up selenium pollution in Callahan Creek. [
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