Tag: coal
Feds announce changes making it easier for public to report coal...
Changes to the Ten-Day Notice rule will make it easier for citizens to report mining concerns.
Comprehensive coal ash clean up drives jobs, economic benefit
Conversations about pollution sometimes get caught between environmental responsibility and economic opportunity. A new report suggests it doesn’t have to be a choice. When it comes to coal ash clean up, the Ohio River Valley region can have it both ways.
Fossil fuel use falls in 2020, while renewables hit all-time high
Fossil fuel consumption was at its lowest level in 30 years in 2020, while energy consumption from renewables hit a record high. While 2020 was not a normal year, the data point to a changing U.S. energy landscape.
Modern-era coal mine clean up could cost over $7.5B, report says
A July 7 report from Appalachian Voices found a total of 633,000 acres across seven states still in need of some reclamation. If more coal companies declare bankruptcy, there could be gaps between the money available to clean up mines, and the money needed to do it.
Coal-fired power plants in Ohio, Pa. to close
GenOn Holdings announced June 9 that the Avon Lake Generating Station, in Avon Lake, Ohio, and Cheswick Generating Station, in Springdale, Pennsylvania, will be retired by Sept. 15.
West Virginia coal mine to close, laying off 180 workers
About 180 miners with Monongalia County Coal Mine in Greene County, Pennsylvania received permanent layoff notices, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Abandoned mine land legislation hits Senate
U.S. Senators from Appalachian coal states introduced legislation last week to reauthorize federal funding to reclaim abandoned mine lands across the country. The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fee Extension Act and RECLAIM Act were introduced in the House earlier in the spring.
Town hall showcases opportunities for reclaimed mine land
Support for the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund is set to expire this year, unless Congress votes to renew it. On top of leaving environmental and public safety hazards untouched, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright said losing that funding would amount to enormous lost economic opportunity.
Ohio coal research project gets funding, looking for local feedback
A research project to document how eastern Ohio has been shaped by changes in the coal industry was awarded a $35,000 grant from the Sustainability Institute at Ohio State University. The project team wants to talk to people from Belmont, Coshocton and Noble counties who were impacted by the coal industry.
Reports: Plugging wells, reclaiming mine land could create thousands of jobs
Two new reports by the Ohio River Valley Institute set out to find what it would cost to remediate and reclaim all the abandoned oil and gas wells and mine land in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The bad news? It'll cost billions. The good news? That investment could provide a “shot in the arm” to the region in terms of job creation.
