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Center in the Media
News Archive
(Listing with summaries)
2009-2010
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
News Archive
(Headlines only)
2009 -2010
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
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National and Regional Articles:
(click here for State Articles)
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Mining-Rule Change Creates Tremors In W. Virginia
Weekend Edition Saturday. Earlier this week, the
Environmental Protection Agency approved a last-minute rule
change, long sought by the coal industry, to allow mining within
100 feet of rivers and streams. WVNPR, December 6, 2008
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Activists slam EPA decision on
mining rule change MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Angry
environmentalists launched an online campaign Wednesday urging
President-elect Barack Obama to undo a federal rule that
clarifies when coal companies can dump mining waste in streams,
calling it a long-awaited ''parting gift'' from the Bush
administration. AP December 3, 2008.
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Sierra Club Sues Coal Co. For Fouling
Rivers New York -- Finding regulators slow to act, the
Sierra Club and a West Virginia environmental group have taken
Powellton Coal Co. LLC to court, alleging the mining company
routinely dumps its waste into neighboring rivers rather than
follow surface mining regulations. Law 360 Online, November 25,
2008.
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Federal court hears appeal on W.Va. valley fills RICHMOND, Va. -- A lawyer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told a federal appeals court Tuesday that the agency met all the legal requirements for issuing permits to a coal company to fill valleys with rubble from blasting the tops off of several West Virginia mountains, a mining practice called mountaintop removal. AP September 24, 2008.
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Trouble in Coal Country
Trouble in Coal Country, Cutting off the tops of mountains is a
cheap way to mine, but it’s changing the landscape and may be
endangering lives. Washingtonian Magazine, September 15, 2008.
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The Plenty 20: Joe Lovett
- Lovett is a character straight
out of a John Grisham novel: Ten years ago, he launched a
successful legal career fighting environmental destruction in
Big Coal country. Since cofounding the Appalachian Center for
the Economy and the Environment in 2001, Lovett has led efforts
to nationalize mountaintop-removal mining (for easier
monitoring) and has advanced precedent-setting litigation,
taking the government and coal industry to task. Plenty, Issue
24 http://www.plentymag.com/magazine/the_plenty_20_1.php?page=3
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W.Va., Coal Mine Settle Suit
Over Selenium Hobet Mining LLC will pay $4 million to
settle claims by the state of West Virginia that the company
violated the Clean Water Act by discharging selenium and other
pollutants into the state's water supply. Portfolio Media,
July 14, 2008
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Stripping Mountains to Power D.C.; In W.Va., Mining Companies
Shear Off Peaks And Transform Landscape in Search for Coal;
MUD, W.Va. -- This is a place where "moving mountains" is no
longer a figure of speech. Here, among the steep green
Appalachians, mining companies are moving mountains off their
pedestals to get the kind of coal that Washington needs.
Washington Post, April 20, 2008.
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No new whistleblower protection for
WV miners A group of state legislators in West
Virginia introduced a bill earlier this year to strengthen the
State's laws to protect mine workers who raise concerns about
unsafe working conditions. Several weeks have now passed, and
are any of us surprised to learn that the bill was killed in the
WV legislative committee? The Pump Handle, March 11, 2008.
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Coal mining ravages Appalachia mountains CHARLESTON,
WEST VIRGINIA–When you flick on the lights this evening, think
of Kayford Mountain. Or what was Kayford Mountain, but now is a
sprawling, muddy, trembling construction site 100 meters below
Larry Gibson's home. Toronto Star, February 23, 2008.
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Groups Petition MSHA
to Bolster Miners’ Rights A group of advocates for miners and
their families sent a rulemaking petition to MSHA on February 1,
asking the agency to improve its regulations governing the
training that mine workers receive about their statutory rights. Wordpress.com,
February 5, 2008.
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WV Lawmakers Push
Whistleblower Protection for Mine Workers A group of
state legislators in West Virginia introduced a bill to
strengthen the State’s laws to protect mine workers who raise
concerns about unsafe working conditions. Wordpress.com, January
24, 2008.
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Massey Energy settles suit with EPA on 4,500 violations of the
Clean Water Act Massey Energy has agreed to pay the
largest fine ever by a coal company for polluting streams. In a
consent decree issued last Thursday in the case the United
States vs. Massey Energy, the company announced it would pay $20
million in fines for 4,500 violates of the Clean Water
Protection Act related to mining operations in West Virginia and
Kentucky over a 6 year period. Massey also agreed to set aside
$10 million to prevent future problems at the company’s 44 mines
and coal facilities Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia.
Community Correspondents Corps, January 21, 2008.
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Coal Company Hit With
E.P.A.’s Largest Civil Penalty Coal Company Hit With
E.P.A.’s Largest Civil Penalty; The nation’s fourth largest coal
producer, Massey Energy Co., was hit Thursday with a $20 million
fine, the largest civil penalty ever levied by the federal
government for a violation of this type under the Clean Water
Act. NY Times January 17, 2008.
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Shnayerson's Coal
River' examines ills of mountaintop mining If you want
to blow off the top of a mountain and dig out the exposed coal,
you'll need a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
They're the ones responsible for America's waterways. The top of
the mountain will end up in the valleys, filling in rivers and
streams. Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 6, 2008
State Articles:
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Coal River mine permit appealed by wind
backers CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Environmental groups said
Thursday that they were appealing the Manchin administration's
approval of a key permit change for a Massey Energy strip mine at a
site where citizen groups are promoting alternative plans for a
wind-energy facility. Charleston Gazette, December 18, 2008
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Judge denies contempt motion in selenium
case CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A federal judge has declined to
hold Apogee Coal Co. in contempt of court for continuing to stall
the cleanup of selenium pollution from a mountaintop removal mine in
Logan County. Charleston Gazette, December 11, 2008.
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White House, EPA approve changes to
mining buffer zone rule CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The White
House and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed off
Tuesday on plans to revoke parts of a key water quality rule
that could have been used to limit the burial of streams by
mountaintop removal coal mining operations. Charleston Gazette,
December 2, 2008.
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Opposition mounts as Bush finalizes
stream 'buffer zone' rule Political opposition is
building as the Bush administration moves to revoke parts of a
key water quality rule that could be used to limit mountaintop
removal coal mining. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Political opposition
is building as the Bush administration moves to revoke parts of
a key water quality rule that could be used to limit mountaintop
removal coal mining. Charleston Gazette, December 2, 2008.
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New Program Keeps Drugs Out of Rivers
A new consumer drug return program is one group's answer to the
ongoing problem of poor fish health in the Potomac River and its
tributaries, State Journal, November 20, 2008
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ACEE Executive Director, Joe Lovett, guests on
Decision Makers TV show to counter Massey CEO Don
Blankenship’s recent appearance. WOWK TV, November
14, 2008
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Obama expected to tighten coal
regulations CHARLESTON, W.Va. - When Barack Obama
becomes president, the coal industry isn't likely to go
bankrupt. But coal operators and coal-fired utilities should
brace for tougher regulation of mine safety, strip mining and
especially greenhouse gas emissions. Charleston Gazette,
November 9, 2008
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Judge blocks permit for Clay-Nicholas
mine: Fola Coal may continue mining in interim A
federal judge on Friday blocked a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
permit for a Fola Coal Co. mountaintop removal mine along the
Clay-Nicholas County line. Charleston Gazette, October 31, 2008
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Americans oppose mountaintop removal,
according to poll CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Americans
oppose mountaintop removal coal mining by a wide margin,
according to the first nationwide poll on the issue to be made
public. Charleston Gazette, October 23, 2008.
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Mine companies can't rebuild streams,
judge told HUNTINGTON - Scientists have little
evidence that coal operators can rebuild the miles of streams
mountaintop removal mining buries beneath waste rock and dirt, a
federal judge was told Wednesday. Charleston Gazette, October
23, 2008.
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Coal company wants judge off mine
case: No conflict, Conservancy says CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Fola
Coal Co. lawyers want a federal judge to withdraw from hearing a
court action that seeks to block one of the company's strip
mining permits. Charleston Gazette October 16, 2008
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Board overturns DEP permit for Taylor
County mine Board members ruled that DEP officials did
not properly consider potential acid mine drainage from the mine
and approved an inadequate ICG plan to treat that water
pollution. Charleston Gazette, October 12, 2008.
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Another mining permit challenged
Another Mining permit challenged; Environmental groups are
trying to stop another new mountaintop removal permit, this one
along the Clay-Nicholas county line. Lawyers for the Ohio Valley
Environmental Coalition sought a preliminary injunction late
last week to block the permit for two Fola Coal Co. mines.
Charleston Gazette, September 3, 2008.
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MSHA too busy for black lung rules,
Stickler says Three weeks ago, federal mine safety
chief Richard Stickler said his agency was too busy with other
things to write a tougher coal dust standard that would help
protect miners from deadly black lung disease. Sunday
Gazette-Mail, September 14, 2008.
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Feds pull out of Greenbrier power plant project
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Federal officials have quietly pulled the
plug on funding for construction of the proposed Western
Greenbrier Co-Generation plant. U.S. Department of Energy
officials now list the $416 million facility as "discontinued."
Charleston Gazette, September 3, 2008.
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Hobet permit doesn't limit selenium
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Manchin administration approved a new
Hobet Mining permit that does not include limits on the mine's
discharge of selenium, a pollutant that a top expert says is
already pushing the Mud River watershed "to the brink of a major
toxic event." Charleston Gazette, August 15, 2008
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Hobet Mining warns employees of
layoffs; Court order blocks extension of mine
Company and union officials warned Hobet employees of layoffs,
but did not
provide specifics. CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Hobet Mining has
warned employees that a court order blocking a new permit may
cost some of them their jobs, but company and union officials
weren't saying exactly when those layoffs might start or how
many workers could be affected. Charleston Gazette, August 14,
2008
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Judge blocks Hobet mine expansion
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a permit to expand
the Hobet 21 mountaintop removal mine along the Boone-Lincoln
county line. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers issued
a temporary retraining order requested by the Ohio Valley
Environmental Coalition and other groups. Charleston
Gazette August 12, 2008
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Suit challenges Hobet mine
expansion Hobet Mining wants to bury more than 4 miles
of Berry Branch headwaters as part of a 400-acre expansion of
its sprawling mountaintop removal mine along the Boone-Lincoln
County border. Charleston Gazette August 10, 2008
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Mining company to pay $1.48 million selenium fine;
Hobet given nearly two more years to end violations CHARLESTON,
W.Va. -- Hobet Mining Inc. will pay a nearly $1.5 million fine
to resolve a lawsuit by state regulators over repeated selenium
water-quality violations from its sprawling mountaintop removal
operations along the Lincoln-Boone county line. Charleston
Gazette, July 13, 2008.
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Coal
companies accused of mining without a permit
West Virginia environmental group best known for challenging
mountaintop removal permits in court is planning to sue two
companies for mining before they received any permit at all.
WVNPR, June 23, 2008
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Mines'
selenium extensions wrong, appeals board finds The
Manchin administration must revisit two dozen orders that gave
coal operators three additional years to fix selenium pollution
violations, a state appeals board ruled Thursday. Charleston
Gazette, June 13, 2008
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Environmental groups to sue TECO Two environmental
groups have notified a local coal company that they will be
filing suit over two allegedly illegal valley fills. Appalachian
News Express, June 12, 2008
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Mine's
selenium deforms fish, expert says Selenium pollution
from one of West Virginia's largest mountaintop removal mines is
dangerously poisoning Mud River fish, leaving some with serious
deformities, according to one of the nation's leading experts on
the issue. Charleston Gazette, April 27, 2008.
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Massey
plans big expansion; Firm wants to open a new coal mine every 17
days this year Massey Energy Co. expects to open a new
coal mine at a rate of one every 17 days this year as it
continues an ambitious plan to increase production 25 percent by
2010, a company official said Friday. Massey is
positioning itself to take advantage of soaring demand and
prices for Appalachian coal. The expansion is centered on
underground coal mines, giving Massey alternatives if a court
decision that would make it more difficult and time consuming to
get federal permits for surface mines is upheld. Charleston
Gazette, April 26, 2008
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Mining
appeal argument delayed until September The Bush
administration and the coal industry will have to wait another
four months to argue their appeal of the latest federal court
ruling to curb mountaintop removal coal mining. Charleston
Gazette, April 25, 2008
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Coal
operators agree to limit valley fills Coal operators
agreed to limit waste dumping at three mountaintop removal mines
to streams that had already been disturbed. Charleston Gazette,
April 24, 2008.
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New MSHA
rule increases coal mine seal strength The U.S.
Mine Safety and Health Administration on Friday finalized a rule
that requires stronger underground mine seals, but does not
toughen seal standards as much as studies by two other
government agencies suggested was needed. The Charleston
Gazette, April 19, 2008.
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Judge to
Corps: Show permit info The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers must stop stonewalling environmental group requests
for information about new mountaintop-removal mining permits, a
federal judge ruled Thursday. Charleston Gazette, April 18, 2008
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Corps
accused of violating permit ruling The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers has issued at least three new mountaintopremoval
mining permits in violation of a year-old federal court ruling,
environmental groups alleged Wednesday. Charleston
Gazette, April 17, 2008
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Manchin
plans no investigation of coal, health Gov. Joe
Manchin plans no immediate state review of coal pollution's
impacts on public health following the release of four studies
that raise questions about the industry's effects. Manchin asked
two state agencies to look at the studies, but any serious
follow-up investigation should be left to the federal
government, state officials said. Charleston Gazette, March 30,
2008.
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Coal
industry, fed mining appeal argument May 13 Oral
arguments in the latest mountaintop-removal court appeal have
been scheduled for May 13 in the 4th U.S. Court of Appeals. The
Bush administration and the coal industry are appealing rulings
last year by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers to require a
more detailed review of new mining permits. Charleston Gazette,
March 28, 2008.
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Suit aims
to block Greenbrier plant The West Virginia Highlands
Conservancy wants a circuit judge to order state regulators to
revoke a key permit for the proposed Western Greenbrier
Co-Generation plant. Charleston Gazette, March 27, 2008.
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Suit
seeks to force MSHA to tighten dust limit A Kentucky
coal miner has sued U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to try to
force federal regulators to tighten the limits on coal dust that
causes black lung disease. The Charleston Gazette, March 22,
2008.
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Senate
committee bows to King Coal Recently, a small group of
state senators dealt a big blow to West Virginia coal miners
when they killed a bill pending before their legislative
committee. The bill would have better protected West Virginia
coal miners who speak up about unsafe work conditions. The
Charleston Gazette, March 11, 2008.
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Mountaintop-removal hearing generates strong turnout
Mountaintop Removal Hearing Generates Strong Turnout; Here’s a
sample of opinions from supporters and opponents of
mountaintop-removal mining who spoke Wednesday at a public
hearing. Sen. Jon Hunter, D-Monongalia, scheduled the hearing
for a bill he introduced that would effectively ban the mining
practice by making it illegal to dump excess rock and dirt into
streams. WVNPR , February 29, 2008.
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Miner whistleblower bill
fails (mp3) A Senate committee killed legislation that
would have given better protections to whistleblowers in coal
mines. West Virginia Public Broadcasting, February 25, 2008.
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Mine
expansion in middle of fight; Reclamation buries natural streams
HYDEN, Ky. -- Giant earth-moving equipment groans under tons of
rock that has been blasted from a mountainside at the Thunder
Ridge mine to expose a seam of coal underneath. The debris
is being dumped in one of two hollows freshly scoured of trees
and brush. Once the hollows are filled, they will be graded,
planted with vegetation, and rocky riprap channels will replace
the natural streams that once drained them. The Courier-Journal,
Kentucky, February 11, 2008.
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Legislation introduced to end valley fills in West Virginia
CHARLESTON,
W.VA. – Senator Jon Blair Hunter (D-Monongalia) earlier this
week introduced legislation that would effectively end the
practice of burying thousand of miles of streams under the
rubble created by mountaintop removal coal mining. “I
introduced Senate Bill 588 because I fervently believe that God
did not intend for us to destroy the mountains, the streams, the
forests and His people in order to mine coal,” Sen. Hunter said.
Herald-Dispatch, February 10, 2008.
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DEP
protecting coal industry on selenium, lawsuit says In
November 2006, environmental group lawyers warned Hobet Mining
that its Boone County operations were dumping too much selenium
into tributaries of the Mud River. Lawyers Derek Teaney
and Joe Lovett told Hobet that the West Virginia Highlands
Conservancy and the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition planned
to sue the company over its alleged permit violations.
Charleston Gazette, February 10, 2008.
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Increased
training on miners' rights sought Coal miners should
receive more and better training to understand their right to
work in a safe and healthy workplace, according to a new
petition filed with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health
Administration. Charleston Gazette, February 6, 2008.
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MSHA
urged to detail problems with assessing fines Top
federal lawmakers want the U.S. Mine Safety and Health
Administration to provide more detailed answers about thousands
of violations for which the agency never assessed monetary
fines. Senate and House Democrats called for MSHA to
explain how the problem occurred, how bad it is, and what is
being done to quickly fix it. Charleston Gazette, January 29,
2008
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Group to
study post-mining land use Gov. Joe Manchin wants a
team of state officials and economic developers to study ways
West Virginia can better use former mountaintop removal mine
sites. Charleston Gazette, January 23, 2008
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$20
million fine, improvements part of Massey deal; feds believe
company will now have to change Federal environmental
regulators believe a record $20 million fine, new pollution
monitoring requirements and the threat of automatic penalties
for additional violations will force Massey Energy Co. to change
the way it does business. Charleston Gazette, January 18, 2008
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