Mercury protections needed in Virginia
Richmond Times-Dispatch, OpED, Donald McEachin
This OpEd focuses on mercury pollution in VA waterways sourced from coal-fired power plants and the need for federal mercury regulations. EPA should be coming out with a finalized mercury rule at the end of this week.
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Dominion plans 56 mile transmission line for Peninsula
Dailypress
Dominion is planning [...]

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Two weeks ago, Governor McDonnell hosted an Energy Conference in Richmond. In anticipation of the conference, the Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network criticized the Governor for the lack of emphasis on renewable energy and energy efficiency in the agenda.  The Governor responded by claiming that the conference agenda was “balanced” and included [...]

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Sixty-seven mountains leveled and over 156,000 acres of land lost. Countless communities sickened by heavy metals and coal ash contamination. A warming planet threatens our coastlines and promises ever-increasing extreme weather events. From the cradle to the grave, coal is a dangerous source of energy. It is time to move away from coal, and on [...]

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From the Richmond Times Dispatch. You can read the whole article here, excerpt below.

The CEO of the state’s largest utility said there must be a realistic conversation about the sustainability of alternative energy resources before a national energy policy can be made.
“Our habit of debating energy issues is to talk back at each other. We [...]

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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? Great. [...]

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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 Selvages have [...]

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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 Land” [...]

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Cross posted from the Appalachian Voices’ Front Porch Blog
Another shiny coal industry front group. How authentic.
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The coal industry PR generators must be running low on fuel, because they have been misfiring repeatedly over the course of the Summer, and it looks like they may have another false start with “FACES” (Federation for American Coal, [...]

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cross-posted from the CCAN blog.
This morning, CCAN staff, volunteers and concerned Americans nationwide staged series of beach-themed rallies in around fifty cities across the country. Held in partnership with 1Sky, the festive gathering sought to urge our Senators to enact climate legislation that ensures a real cap on CO2, dictated by the EPA, as [...]

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cross-posted from the CCAN blog
Yesterday, the EPA performed a turn-around on its protection of the locations of 44 “high risk” coal ash impoundment sites, signaling a desire to make the regulatory body more transparent. Formerly protected under the auspices of national security, the ash impoundments, located in Ohio, Arizona, and throughout the southeast, have [...]

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Crossposted from Appalachian Voices’ Front Porch Blog and iLovemountains.org
Operation Endangers Community, Destroys Wind Energy Potential

Residents of the Coal River Valley, accompanied by supporters from across Appalachia, took a stand this morning against the impending destruction of their mountain in the name of coal. Five activists with Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice chained themselves to [...]

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Virginia, like the nation, is at a critical juncture. The economy is declining and the climate is warming with potentially catastrophic consequences. Right now, Virginia has an enormous opportunity to secure a clean energy future that will reinvigorate the economy and curb emissions of harmful greenhouse gases.
Will you join us in seizing this enormous opportunity?
We [...]

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