Climate Ground Zero

03/07/2025

"Why this matters:

NOAA's work underpins vital public services, including accurate weather forecasts and disaster response. Dismantling its capabilities appears to be part of a broader trend by the Trump administration to undermine climate science and environmental research. This crackdown extends to federal agencies, universities, and international programs, raising concerns about the future of critical research fields and the potential long-term impacts on public health and safety."

The European Union’s ambassador to China has called on Beijing to stop approving new coal-fired power plants, warning that the country’s rapid expansion of coal projects contradicts its renewable energy leadership.Amy Hawkins reports for The Guardian.In short:China approved 66.7 gigawatts of new...

03/02/2025

Newly inaugurated to the US Senate, Jim Justice is dragging his heels on legally required reclamation of his minesites.

"Under federal mining regulations and state oversight, mining companies must restore land already dug up for coal while they’re still operating in order to prevent any further harm."

A coal company owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has been found in contempt by a federal judge for not following an order to pay an insurance company to maintain collateral for financial obligations.

02/20/2025

Help is needed, please support Coal River Mountain Watch!

07/14/2022

New article in Grist details the history of the destruction of mountains for Coal extraction and local.efforts to end mountain top removal.

The activism spotlight has left the Coal River Valley. But when the battlefield is your home, you don’t give up the fight.

05/04/2022

Coal truck tipped over in Rock Creek, WV across from the Family Dollar, spilling the load. Driver was transferred to the hospital with minor injuries according to emergency workers on site.

Coal is best left in the ground.

04/25/2022

A Cast of Veteran Actors & Grammy Award Winner Steve Earle Come to Beckley Monday, May 9th to Tell the Story of the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

03/24/2021

A permit application for a new surface mine in Raleigh County has renewed concerns about environmental impacts from mining in the area.

03/19/2021

Detritus of water and chemicals after coal is washed.
Coal slurry impoundments are usually unlined and contain large quantities of lead, mercury, arsenic, chromium, copper, and a host of other toxins that leach out and contaminate groundwater.
Thank you to for flight support.

02/26/2021

From Vernon Haltom at Coal River Mountain Watch:

"The coal industry has abused the people of WV for well over a century, so there’s no quick and easy fix. One thing is to sign this petition. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/stop-poisoning-our-community. Like and follow CRMW if you don’t already (and chip in if you can). Share this info with friends. Support the Appalachian Community Health Emergency (ACHE) campaign. Support and promote energy efficiency and green energy. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=vTb9Bm2otxE "

01/31/2021

A glimmer of sanity.

"The EU is this week calling for a worldwide phase-out of coal. West Virginia is dependent on a rapidly disappearing fuel, and it needs other sources of income and jobs, so it does indeed need to “diversify.” Those folks who work in coal in West Virginia need a Plan B. May more solar and wind farms come their way – fast – because Justice can’t bring himself to tell them the hard, scary truth."

West Virginia is getting a 115 MW wind farm, which will increase the state's wind power by 15%. Here's why that's a really big deal.

12/21/2020

Canada! We thought you were smarter than US!

Debate has swirled as Alberta opens up a large swath of the Rocky Mountains' eastern slopes to new coal mining.

11/17/2020

A federal court has denied state environmental regulators’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit that raises questions about the financial health of West Virginia’s surface coal mining reclamation program.