HUGE news. Don Blankenship will testify before Congress next week alongside UMWA President Cecil Roberts, whose impassioned testimony drew quite a reaction a few weeks ago before the Senate HELP Committee.  (.pdf) Senator Byrd has accused Massey of ”scoffing and laughing at” repeated MSHA violations at the Upper Big Branch mine prior to the disaster [...]

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Cross posted from the Appalachian Voices “Front Porch Blog” Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va. issued the following statements in response to media inquiries on a number of topics relating to the mining disaster in West Virginia: “While the situation on the ground this morning is not as encouraging as we had [...]

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Hello friends, I’m writing to ask you to take a step today that can help break King Coal’s economic stranglehold on coalfield communities in Southwest Virginia. By a few simple, digital steps, and three votes, you can help jump start grass roots efforts at sustainable economic development in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Heard enough? [...]

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Reposted from The Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s Blog. Today was another day for Virginia to make headlines. Like most headlines of late, this wasn’t a good one either. Our new Attorney General has made the environment one of his top priorities. Shouldn’t this be a GOOD thing you ask? In some instances, yes, but not [...]

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Dominion stokes the coal industry, but says it’s a friend to the environment BY ERIKA HOWSARE of the Cville Weekly It’s a dim, drizzly afternoon, and I’m riding around Wise County with Kathy and Gary Selvage. I can see what they’re pointing out—evidence of surface mining—but I can’t see it the way they do. The [...]

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Just remember that this was only the very first step. Now the statewide battle begins… Surry Board approves ODEC applications Smithfield Times – Jim Tuttle – ‎1 hour ago‎ SURRY — The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday night to approve five land use applications for a proposed coal-fired power plant … Permits Approved For [...]

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PRESS RELEASE from the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition www.WiseEnergyForVirginia.org February 1, 2010 ***************************************** NEW ECONOMIC REPORT SHOWS FEW JOBS FROM PROPOSED COAL PLANT IN SURRY COUNTY WOULD GO TO LOCAL RESIDENTS ***************************************** CONTACT: Scott Moore, Moore Data LLC, 843-564-5257 Tom Cormons, Appalachian Voices, 301-910-8973 Cale Jaffe, Southern Environmental Law Center, 434-760-0816 Download the full [...]

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Obama Administration Asked to Halt All New Mountaintop Removal Permits – – – – – – – – – – – CONTACTS: Sandra Diaz, Director of Development and Communications, Appalachian Voices….828-262-1500 Dr. Matthew Wasson, Director of Programs, Appalachian Voices….828-262-1500 – – – – – – – – – – – Just days after the U.S. [...]

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Today the EPA announced plans to seek stronger limits of pollution forming ozone. EPA administrator said in a statement, “Smog in the air we breathe poses a very serious health threat, especially to children and individuals suffering from asthma and lung disease.” The current limit, set by the Bush administration EPA, is 75 parts per [...]

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This is awful. Absolutely terrible. Its already pretty bad that the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) used the anti American, anti-democracy Bonner and Associates as their PR firm even though they are known for breaking the law by impersonating public groups and private individuals to promote such things as smoking in the workplace. [...]

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Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 John Adams has been mining coal in southwest Virginia for almost 40 years. I met him in the hallway outside the auditorium where the Big Stone Gap hearing was being held. He wore an ‘I Love Mountains’ pin proudly fastened next to the ‘Friends of Coal’ logo on the black t-shirt [...]

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As Congress was returning from the August recess, there wasn’t much news about the climate bill.  The only energy-related news breaking through the coverage of the rancorous health care debates and town-hall tea parties was a study on “energy sprawl” published by five staff members of the Nature Conservancy. “Renewable Energy Needs Land, Lots Of [...]

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pstrongThis LTE was published in the a href=”http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/letters/article/ED-GLICK17_20090916-190802/293287/”Richmond Times Dispatch/a/strong/ppstrongThis is crossposted from the a href=”http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/blog”CCAN/a blogbr //strong/ppstrongWise County Plant Isn’t Necessary/strong/ppbr /Editor, Times-Dispatch: Although the news article, “New Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant Pleases Both Sides,” quotes Dominion Virginia Power as claiming that the Wise County coal plant is vital to meeting Virginia’s future [...]

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Cross posted from the Appalachian Voices Front Porch Blog The struggles of folks in West Virginia is not only getting national air time, it is finally front and center – the lead story of last Sunday’s New York Times, to be exact. The article details the Massey family from Prenter, W.Va., and their life with [...]

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This was brought to my attention by a Surry County resident. People who are for the proposed coal plant in Surry County have resorted to posting giant signs (four by eight feet) around the County which is obnoxious, and at least in the town of Surry, we have found out recently, its even illegal to [...]

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