Fact Check

To help you find the truth in West Virginia politics, reporters and researchers from PolitiFact West Virginia examine statements by elected officials and candidates  – and anyone else who speaks up on matters of public importance – provides context for those statements and then rates their accuracy according to PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter. PolitiFact West Virginia is a partnership of 100 Days in Appalachia, Pulitzer Prize winning PolitiFact and the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University.

Fact-check: Does China Burn Seven to Eight Times as Much Coal as the U.S.?

When former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he would spend $500 million on a Beyond Carbon initiative, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice joined energy industry representatives at a press conference to denounce the effort. The project Justice criticized aspires to retire all coal use by 2030 while securing an economic future for fossil […]

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Fact-check: Is Murray Energy the Nation’s Largest Coal Company?

Murray Energy Corp., a major player in the coal-mining industry, declared bankruptcy in late October, sending shockwaves across coal-dependent regions of West Virginia and neighboring states. In addition to putting coal employment at risk, the company is the last major employer contributing to the United Mine Workers of America’s pension plan.  With such a […]

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Fact-checking Ethylene Production in the U.S.

Three U.S. House members from West Virginia have proposed creating an Appalachian Storage Hub to store and transport large amounts of natural gas liquids in the region. One of those House members is West Virginia Republican David McKinley. In a news release announcing House Resolution 4433 — the Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative — […]

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