Appalachia Could Address Poverty and Build Worker Power by Reforesting Mine-scarred Land

This post is the second in a four-part series based on a recent ORVI report on abandoned mine land (AML) issues. Figures cited below can be found in the accompanying report. Abandoned coal mines have damaged thousands of acres of land, polluted hundreds of miles of streams, and are emitting tons of greenhouse gases. In […]
Repairing the Damage: Cleaning Up the Land, Air, and Water Damaged by the Coal Industry Before 1977

Cleaning up Appalachia’s thousands of acres of abandoned mine lands could create jobs, reduce climate-warming emissions, improve quality of life, and minimize environmental damage.
The true cost of cleaning up historic damage from the coal industry

This afternoon, Congress will hold a hearing on a slew of bills that seek to clean up land and water damaged by the coal industry before it was regulated in 1977. The hearing rightly highlights the urgency of reauthorizing fees on coal production that fund cleanup, which are set to expire in September even though […]