This piece was originally published by Ohio Valley ReSource. On a recent sunny weekday, Bill Currey proudly walks among 30 neatly stacked, brightly colored plastic kayaks. Birds chirp merrily, and the soothing sounds of the meandering Coal River permeate the background — nature’s version of a white noise machine. For […]
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Appalachian Advocates Continue Call for Just Transition in Coal Communities with New Plan
This piece was originally published by the Ohio Valley ReSource. Environmental and economic advocacy groups from coal-producing parts of the country unveiled a policy agenda on Monday to help coal-reliant communities make a transition to a more sustainable future. The plan includes items that have long been on the wish […]
Read MoreThe Hidden Costs of Appalachia’s Trail Economy
Driving between Pocahontas and Boissevain in southwestern Virginia, it’s easy to miss the mouth of Haynes Branch tucked into the woods along State Route 644. Like much of central Appalachia, this landscape of hills and hollows west of the Bluestone River in Tazewell County owes its existence to water. There’s […]
Read More‘There’s Going To Be Something Better for Him’: Former Blackjewel Miners Reflect on Changes in Coal Country
This article was originally published by Ohio Valley ReSource. On a blistering August afternoon in Cumberland, Kentucky, David Pratt, Jr. stood in the middle of a two-lane highway, holding a sign that read “COAL MINERS AND TRUCKERS AGAINST CORPORATE AMERICA.” A few yards away, his father, David Pratt Sr., who […]
Read MoreOhio Valley Coal Industry Braces as COVID-19 Impacts Electricity Demand, International Exports
As states across the Ohio Valley order the closure of non-essential businesses to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, coal mines will remain open. But as with many industries, the global pandemic is straining the coal sector, and some experts say the already-struggling industry could face intense challenges in […]
Read MoreCoronavirus and Slumping Prices Hit Ohio Valley’s Oil & Gas Sector
This article was originally published by Ohio Valley ReSource. Energy producers, utilities and energy sector workers across the Ohio Valley are adjusting operations and bracing for continued economic impacts as the fast-moving coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold. Efforts to limit the spread of the virus include shuttering schools and businesses […]
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