DC Judge Restricts The EPA’s Ability To Protect Our Water and Ecosystems

I’m outraged by today’s news from DC. Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson has ruled that the EPA exceeded its authority in revoking permits for what could now become West Virginia’s largest mountaintop removal (MTR) mine. Back in January 2011, the EPA vetoed Arch Coal’s permit to mine at the Spruce site,  as it would cause [...]

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EPA Issues Historic Veto on Arch Coal’s Spruce Mine

Excellent news this morning from Washington DC! Today, the EPA announced that they are vetoing the Clean Water Act permit for Arch Coal’s Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County, West Virginia. This is a historic victory for the movement to end mountaintop removal mining. It’s the first time that the EPA has issued a [...]

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Rainforest Action Network Victories: Top Ten of 2010

Making change in the world is hard work — some times decades-long hard work. But with the right combination of strategies, experience, tenacity, and allies, it is possible to achieve victories that have a lasting impact. This year, Rainforest Action Network took on corporate titans and secured real wins for the world’s forests, the climate, [...]

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Manchin Doesn’t Care About DADT Or Mountains

Joe Manchin is off to a poor start as the new Senator for West Virginia. Many of his constituents are furious he skipped out on the Senate’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) repeal vote on Saturday in order to attend a Christmas party. Meanwhile, he still finds time for pointless posturing on behalf of the [...]

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EPA Takes One Step Closer to Spruce Mine Veto

The Spruce No. 1 mountaintop removal mine in West Virginia came one step closer to a veto today. The EPA released recommendations made by their Region 3 Administrator who oversees mid-Atlantic states including West Virginia. Region 3 Administrator Shawn Garvin recommended that the U.S. EPA veto the Spruce Mine Clean Water Act permit because of [...]

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RAN Pays Illegal Dumping Fine + Video

Last week I traveled to West Virginia with a few friends and loaded a pickup truck with dirt from the coalfields. We then drove the dirt to the EPA’s headquarters in Washington DC and dumped it onto the sidewalk in front of the building. The pile of dirt was meant to be a reminder for [...]

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Top 3 Ways to Rid U.S. Need for Mountaintop Removal Coal

Those of us who are working to stop mountaintop removal coal mining are often asked how the United States would meet its energy needs without coal from Appalachia. There are a few answers to that question… 1 Be Energy Efficient One answer is that opportunities for energy efficiency in the US are huge. Individual and [...]

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Citizen Watch Over Appalachia

We must thank the 9,263 RAN activists who submitted a public comment to Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, urging that she hold firm and veto the Spruce Mine permit, protect over 2,000 acres of forest and save more than seven miles of streams. We need to prevent further situations like this – [...]

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