People living near a pair of Virginia mountaintop removal coal mines have long complained about blasting and dust. Now, the company’s bankruptcy makes it even harder for nearby residents to get relief. [ Read More ]
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Willie Dodson
A Virginia native who now splits his time between Johnson City, Tenn., and Wise County, Va., Willie has organized with environmental and social justice campaigns in the region for more than a decade. He is Appalachian Voices' Central Appalachian Field Coordinator.Company’s bankruptcy makes it harder for residents to address problems with nearby mines
Thursday, November 19th, 2020 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
Virginia regulators poised to grant mining permits to questionable company
Tuesday, November 17th, 2020 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
As companies go bankrupt, they tend to pass off their mine mining permits — and the responsibility to reclaim them — to increasingly questionable entities. This is currently unfolding in Southwest Virginia, if the state mining agency allows it.
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Coal miners call on Congress for support amidst dual threats from black lung and COVID-19
Monday, April 27th, 2020 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
The coal industry is trying to exploit the coronavirus pandemic for a tax break at the expense of healthcare and disability benefits for miners with black lung, but miners are pushing back.
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Bond-forfeited Virginia Blackjewel mines may finally have a buyer
Tuesday, April 7th, 2020 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
Three Virginia strip mines, neglected in the wake of the Blackjewel bankruptcy, may finally have a buyer. But it remains to be seen if the new company would be able to reclaim the land. [ Read More ]
Companies play hot potato with unreclaimed Blackjewel mines
Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
Virginia regulators, a surety insurance company, and two coal companies are playing hot potato with 22 of bankrupt Blackjewel’s coal permits — and none of them want to be left with the responsibility of reclaiming the sites.
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Black lung service providers shift in the face of COVID-19
Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
As coal miners with black lung disease have a heightened risk of complications from coronavirus, black lung healthcare providers work to respond to the global pandemic. [ Read More ]
Virginia issues new enforcement actions for Justice family mine violations
Thursday, March 5th, 2020 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
Mining companies owned by West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and his family have chronically violated environmental standards and failed to pay fines and fees. Virginia regulators recently issued notices of mine permit revocation and bond forfeiture for two of the family's companies. [ Read More ]
Protected or not? Coal company pushes for mine in protected Tennessee area
Tuesday, November 5th, 2019 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
Federal regulators are considering a proposal for a new surface coal mine in Tennessee's Cumberland Mountains, despite the fact that in 2016, the federal government declared most of the area in question off-limits to surface mining. [ Read More ]
Bond forfeitures begin on bankrupt Blackjewel and Revelation mine permits
Thursday, September 5th, 2019 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
An unreclaimed coal mine has sent mud and debris onto a neighboring property. The mine is one of five Virginia permits owned by bankrupt Revelation Energy and Blackjewel that are now facing bond forfeiture, which means the state or the mines' insurance companies could take over the cleanup. [ Read More ]
Blackjewel’s black lung problem
Friday, August 30th, 2019 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
Bankrupt coal company Blackjewel owes nearly $10 million in taxes to the fund that provides benefits to miners with black lung disease whose employer has gone bankrupt. [ Read More ]
KY plans to spend Abandoned Mine Land Pilot funds on a federal prison
Wednesday, April 24th, 2019 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
The state of Kentucky intends to use Abandoned Mine Land Pilot funds to build water and sewer lines for a proposed federal prison, a project that does not support true economic renewal or justice. [ Read More ]
Good – and not-so-good – mine reclamation projects
Friday, March 8th, 2019 | Posted by Willie Dodson | No Comments
Congress has funded "pilot" projects to repurpose old coal sites in Appalachia for three years; the results show a clear need for a strong RECLAIM Act grounded in community-driven goals and environmental cleanup. [ Read More ]
