It looks as though Debra McCown at the Bristol Herald Courier has been rather busy lately. These three in articles that take an in depth look at the debates around mountaintop removal and carbon capture came out on the 7th and 8th of February.

Coal mining practices that destroy, not just the land, but entire communities.

Feb. 8–APPALACHIA, Va. — Dorothy Taulbee points out the place where her house once stood — where she thought she’d live until her last days. Along with the rest of her neighborhood in the century-old community of Stonega, Taulbee’s home was razed to make way for a surface mine.

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Is it possible to pick up the pieces and rebuild a mountain?

Feb. 8–CLINTWOOD, Va. – Jimmy “Popcorn” Adkins smiles as he hops the rocks in the middle of a roaring creek. After all, he built this mountain stream.

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Can the myth of clean coal become a reality?

ABINGDON, Va. – In the past two years, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced $6.7 billion in funding initiatives for “clean coal” research projects in such places as Birmingham, Ala.; Bainbridge Island, Wash.; and Beulah, N.D.

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