BLOGGER INDEX
Erin Savage
While Erin prefers to be on rivers rather than at a desk, as our Central Appalachian Program Manager she devotes a lot of time delving through data to make it meaningful to others who care about the health of our waterways.
Wednesday, March 7th, 2018 | Posted by Erin Savage | 3 Comments
More than a year into the Trump administration, a director for the Office of Surface Mining has yet to be confirmed. And it's unlikely that Trump's pro-coal pick will reinstate a review of the human health impacts of mountaintop removal. [
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Thursday, February 1st, 2018 | Posted by Erin Savage | 5 Comments
The Trump administration claims an uptick in coal production shows its anti-regulatory agenda is working —
ignoring the fact 2017 was an outlier and coal's long-term trend is downward. Meanwhile, coal communities across the country need better policies now to help diversify their local economies.
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Thursday, October 5th, 2017 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
The National Mining Association shrugged when a review of research linking mountaintop removal to human health impacts was halted. But the NMA does not speak for coal communities. [
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Monday, September 11th, 2017 | Posted by Erin Savage | 1 Comment
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice clearly favors Central Appalachian coal — it’s largely how he made his fortune after all. It's less clear whether Justice is thinking about Central Appalachian people or the future of the region. [
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Tuesday, August 22nd, 2017 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
The U.S. Department of the Interior ordered the National Academy of Sciences to halt its review of the links between mountaintop removal coal mining and human health impacts. [
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Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
People from coal-impacted communities across Central Appalachia recently gathered in Wise County, Va., to share their concerns and ideas with U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva. [
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Thursday, April 20th, 2017 | Posted by Erin Savage | 1 Comment
A coal slurry spill on March 23, 2017, leaked approximately 5,400 gallons of coal slurry into Crooked Run, a tributary of the Coal River. The processing plant in Boone County, W.Va., where the spill originated is affiliated with Alpha Natural Resources. [
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Tuesday, February 7th, 2017 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
When Congress voted last week to overturn the Stream Protection Rule, people braced themselves for the coming impacts. But threats to public water from corporate and political interests are nothing new in Central Appalachia, nor is the problem unique to this area. In the face of these threats, communities fighting for clean water need our continued support. [
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Tuesday, December 20th, 2016 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Interior released the Stream Protection Rule, which aims to protect streams from the impacts of surface and longwall mining. The final rule offers only modest improvements to protections for public waterways, but it is well worth defending from congressional attack. [
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Monday, December 5th, 2016 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
Wilbur Ross -- a man who helmed a large Kentucky coal company with a troubled history of environmental and miner safety violations -- has been chosen to be the next U.S. Secretary of Commerce. If President-elect Trump truly believes that economic growth and opportunity can only be gained at the expense of worker safety, community health and clean water, he could make no better pick than Ross. [
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Friday, October 7th, 2016 | Posted by Erin Savage | No Comments
The eye-catching Kentucky arrow darter was just listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, largely due to water pollution from activities like surface coal mining. Increased protection for this rare fish will lead to healthier ecosystems and communities. [
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2016 | Posted by Erin Savage | 1 Comment
The history of the Doe Branch mine in Southwest Virginia is long and complicated, and its future remains unclear. A bankruptcy saga with the mine’s previous owner stalled development in the past year, but things appear to be getting back on track — putting the Russell Fork River at risk. [
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