Our blogs are written by the staff of the Center for Coalfield Justice, with an occasional guest post. The most recent post appears on top, and others show up below in order of publishing date. You can receive the blogs in your inbox by signing up for our mailing list. Once per month we publish a newsletter, which contains most of the blog posts.
Productivity is Rising. Why Aren’t Workers Sharing in the Gains?
Two weeks ago, new economic numbers were released that normally would signal good news for the economy: productivity is rising. Productivity measures how much the economy produces per hour of work. When productivity increases, it usually means workers and businesses can produce more value in the same amount of time. This is usually thanks to…
Addie Pazzynski Reflects on Their Recent Fellowship at CCJ
I stepped into the Communications Fellow role last July after several years of supporting CCJ as a member and resident of Greene County. Working as a Fellow for CCJ gave me the opportunity to bring my background in writing, research, digital communications, and faith-based perspectives on environmental justice to CCJ’s work in my community. Here…
The Connections Between Crypto Mining, Fracking, and Data Centers in Pennsylvania
A cryptocurrency is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network. Individual coin ownership records are stored in digital ledgers, which are computerized databases using strong cryptography (encryption) to secure transaction records, control the creation of additional coins, and verify the transfer of coin ownership. Cryptocurrency has the…
Join Us for an Open House in our New Space!
In 2025, we shared the big news that we were moving into a new office, and now we are thrilled to welcome you into our new location! We have more than double the space of our previous office, where we can gather, organize, learn, and dream together! In just the past few years, our staff…
Washington County’s Opioid Settlement Funds: A Critical Turning Point
In December 2025, the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust’s Board of Trustees raised serious concerns about how Washington County has been using its opioid settlement funding. Eight applications submitted by the County were deemed non-compliant with funding requirements, while another nine remained under consideration. Alongside these determinations, the Board offered pointed critiques of…
PJM Part 4: Who’s Really Paying the Price?
Here we go again… If you’ve been following this series, you know how much the growth of data centers is reshaping electricity markets in Pennsylvania. Beyond the technical charts and market filings, there’s a very real question at the heart of this debate: how much are regular people paying for all this growth, and why?…
GUEST BLOG | Project Hummingbird Data Center: What Would a Fair Deal For Greene County Residents Look Like?
This is the 26th installment in our What’s on your mind? blog series and was written by Karl Hursey. Have something on your mind? Write about it! Please read this blog for more information. Karl is a retired health care professional who has lived in Greene County for over 25 years. He would like to ensure other families have…
Cultivating Community Resilience at CCJ’s 6th Annual Seed Swap
Spring is almost here, and that means it’s time for one of our favorite community traditions! We’re excited to invite you to the Center for Coalfield Justice’s 6th Annual Seed Swap on March 7th from 1–4 PM at Washington Citizens Library. Our Seed Swap is about a lot more than just seeds. It’s about access….
NEED TO KNOW: Transparency and Notice Weakened for Local Meetings
For the foreseeable future, community members will have less reliable information about what will be discussed at local meetings due to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Sunshine Act. The Sunshine Act is the law in Pennsylvania that guides local government on how to conduct its meetings so that the public can be engaged…
A Government That Harms Its Own People Is Already Shut Down
The following is a speech written by our Operations Director Alli for a recent demonstration outside of Senator Fetterman’s office in Pittsburgh. The event was hosted by SEIU, PA Stands Up and Indivisible PA as one of several rallies across Pennsylvania urging Fetterman to vote against a spending proposal that would continue to fund operations…