Apr 21 Environment Mine Workers’ Leader Wants To Save Last Coal Jobs As Biden Tackles Climate United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts said he’s been hearing the term “just transition” tossed around for more than 20 years as part of the long-running, nearly Sisyphean discussion about climate change, clean energy, and coal country. Simply put: he’s not a fan. “I ask anybody who has been uttering those two words […] By Jeff Young Apr 21 Environment Mine Workers’ Leader Wants To Save Last Coal Jobs As Biden Tackles Climate Jeff Young
Apr 12 Environment Slip Sliding Away: Landslides Follow Flooding As Major Risk To Appalachian Communities After intense flooding this March, some worry that more slides are inevitable — and that part of the problem might be man-made. By Katie Myers Apr 12 Environment Slip Sliding Away: Landslides Follow Flooding As Major Risk To Appalachian Communities Katie Myers
Apr 6 Environment White House Climate Advisor Sees A Path To Clean Energy Through Coal Country For decades now, rhetoric around action on climate change has been about things like saving the planet, or saving polar bears. Just think: How many times have you seen an image of ice crashing into the sea from a melting glacier, or a sad-eyed seal atop a floe, as part of a climate change message? […] By Jeff Young Apr 6 Environment White House Climate Advisor Sees A Path To Clean Energy Through Coal Country Jeff Young
Mar 26 Environment Study Shows Bias, Conflicts Of Interest Among Doctors Who Read Black Lung X-rays Doctors hired by coal companies in black lung cases are far less likely to diagnose the disease in X-rays than are independent doctors or those who are hired by coal miners, a new study has concluded, pointing to conflicts of interest in the system that sick miners use to receive assistance. The doctors who worked […] By Curtis Tate Mar 26 Environment Study Shows Bias, Conflicts Of Interest Among Doctors Who Read Black Lung X-rays Curtis Tate
Mar 23 Environment Blackjewel Bankruptcy Leaves Damaged Lands, Miners’ Compensation In Limbo Blackjewel's bankruptcy leaves unresolved the fate of some 200 permitted mine sites and payment for miners who won a class action settlement. By Katie Myers Mar 23 Environment Blackjewel Bankruptcy Leaves Key Issues In Limbo Katie Myers
Mar 10 Health Coal Mine Safety Regulators Issue COVID Protection Guidelines, But No Regulations The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday stronger coronavirus safety guidance intended to keep coal miners safe from COVID-19 in the workplace. However, the Labor Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration stopped short of issuing an emergency standard — as the mine workers’ union had requested — and instead kept to voluntary guidelines. “This updated […] By Jeff Young Mar 10 Health Coal Mine Safety Regulators Issue COVID Protection Guidelines, But No Regulations Jeff Young
Jan 25 Economy Biden Has An Ambitious Agenda. What Will It Mean For The Ohio Valley? After an extraordinary inauguration ceremony marked by heightened security and coronavirus safety measures, President Joe Biden started his first day in office signing executive actions on climate change, immigration, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before taking the oath of office, Biden was already addressing the nation about his ambitious plans to fight the twin crises […] By Jeff Young , Liam Niemeyer, Ohio Valley ReSource and Alana Watson Jan 25 Economy Biden Has An Ambitious Agenda. What Will It Mean For The Ohio Valley? Jeff Young, Liam Niemeyer, Ohio Valley ReSource and Alana Watson
Dec 21 Environment Judge Denies Former CEO’s Move to Liquidate Blackjewel Coal A federal bankruptcy judge has denied a petition from former Blackjewel coal executive Jeff Hoops to liquidate the company. The decision means the reorganization of the company will continue under Chapter 11 bankruptcy as former employees, creditors and state agencies seek to recover millions owed by the company. Hoops cited “permanent negative cash flow” at […] By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Dec 21 Environment Judge Denies Former CEO’s Move to Liquidate Blackjewel Coal Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Dec 14 Economy Blackjewel Coal Alleges ‘Intentional, Willful’ Self-Dealing By Former CEO The filing instigates a civil lawsuit against Hoops, a major escalation in a protracted case with broad implications for the coal industry. By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Dec 14 Economy Blackjewel Coal Alleges ‘Intentional, Willful’ Self-Dealing By Former CEO Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Dec 3 Economy Blackjewel Coal Moves To Liquidate, Leaving Millions Unpaid To Workers And Regulators The convoluted bankruptcy of coal company Blackjewel has hit another turn of events as the company’s former CEO moved to liquidate the company. A federal judge is considering a motion submitted last week to convert the bankruptcy from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7. That would mean that instead of exiting bankruptcy as a new company […] By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Dec 3 Economy Blackjewel Coal Moves To Liquidate, Leaving Millions Unpaid To Workers And Regulators Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Nov 20 Election 2020 Ohio Valley Divide: Vote Analysis Shows Bluer Cities, Deeper Red Rural Places President-elect Joe Biden received a bigger turnout in the Ohio Valley in 2020 than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. So did his opponent Donald Trump. In an election that saw historic levels of voting nationwide, Democrat Biden added 3.2% to Clinton’s 2016 vote share in the Ohio Valley while Republican Trump improved 2.4% on his […] By Suhail Bhat Nov 20 Election 2020 Ohio Valley Divide: Vote Analysis Shows Bluer Cities, Deeper Red Rural Places Suhail Bhat
Nov 16 Environment Federal Watchdog Finds Coal Safety Regulator Not Protecting Miners From Silica Dust The Mine Safety and Health Administration is not doing enough to protect coal miners from deadly silica dust, according to a new report from the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General. The IG found that MSHA’s standards for exposure to deadly silica dust were out of date, and MSHA lacked the ability to […] By Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource Nov 16 Environment Federal Watchdog Finds Coal Safety Regulator Not Protecting Miners From Silica Dust Sydney Boles, Ohio Valley ReSource
Nov 5 Election 2020 Presidential Run By Ex-Massey Energy CEO A Factor In Competitive States Former coal executive Don Blankenship, who went to prison for his role in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in West Virginia, drew about 55,000 votes Tuesday as a third-party candidate for president, including thousands of votes in closely contested states. While not a significant amount in comparison to the more than 140 million Americans […] By Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource Nov 5 Election 2020 Presidential Run By Ex-Massey Energy CEO A Factor In Competitive States Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource
Oct 25 Environment Ohio Valley Coal Mine Executive Bob Murray Dead at 80 Robert E. Murray, the founder and former president and CEO of Murray Energy Corp., formerly the largest privately-held underground coal company in the country, has died. He was 80 years old. Murray’s death was reported Sunday evening by television stations WTOV9 in Steubenville, Ohio, and WOWK in Huntington, West Virginia. According to the news outlets, […] By Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource Oct 25 Environment Ohio Valley Coal Executive Bob Murray Dead at 80 Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource
Oct 25 Environment From Appalachia To Wyoming: Youth From Coal Country Discuss The Future After Coal On a recent Saturday, over Zoom, a group of seven high schoolers from Wyoming, eastern Kentucky and West Virginia gazed at an image of a gleaming, pale blue, coal-fired power plant. “OK, so this one really interested us,” said Sarah Belcher, a senior from eastern Kentucky. “So we noticed your all’s coal facilities, they’re really […] By Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource Oct 25 Environment From Appalachia To Wyoming: Youth From Coal Country Discuss The Future After Coal Brittany Patterson, Ohio Valley ReSource