Ethan Story
Ethan comes to CCJ with a J.D. and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. While attending Vermont Law School, Ethan worked as a Research Associate with the Water and Justice Program. In this role, he worked with diverse stakeholders to help protect their access to reliable, clean water. Ethan also interned with the PA Department of Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania Environmental Council, where he worked on issues ranging from coal and oil and gas development to water treatment facilities. He has been published on the subjects of public trust, water rights, and other environmental issues. When he is not at work, he spends time with his family, running, and fly fishing one of PA’s many beautiful rivers.
Contact Ethan at ethan@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org.
Blog Posts by Ethan Story
Natural gas, once presented as an energy source to help the transition from coal, has transformed into a relatively inexpensive and reliable energy source worldwide. However, our reliance on fossil fuels has resulted in irreparable and immense destruction of land and lives. That is why there are many making the argument for a just transition. Part of this transition plan, very simply, is that we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and slowly start to transition that reliance to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
DONATE NOW Imagine waking up and starting to make your morning coffee only to find that your water has stopped flowing. Many of those who live in coal country, unfortunately, have experienced or at least know a neighbor whom this has happened to. The likely cause of the water loss is longwall coal mining. In […]
What Is Radon? Radon is created when uranium found in the soil, rocks, and underground water breaks down. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and travels vertically through holes and cracks in the ground; this gas can sometimes enter homes, businesses, and schools. When inhaled, radon can increase the risk of cancer and result in […]
Act 74 of 2019 Previously, PA’s Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act limited the temporary cessation of operations at coal refuse disposal sites to no more than 1 year. The Federal Surface Mine Conservation and Reclamation Act of 1977 (“SMCRA”) allowed for flexibility with temporary cessation status. Act 74 of 2019 amended Section 6.1 of the […]
Who determines whether we have clean air or not? As members of the public, do we hold a responsibility to ourselves and each other to ask for clean air? On the other hand, if we don’t ask for clean air, should we be surprised to find that our air is considered dangerous to our health? […]
Last week, the NRDC released a comprehensive report highlighting the gaps in our federal and state laws concerning how radioactive waste, generated from oil and gas development, gets into our water and air. The report, which is aptly titled: A Hot Fracking Mess: How Weak Regulations of Oil and Gas Production Leads to Radioactive Waste […]