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.
Third-party permitting is Coming to Pennsylvania. What Does that Mean for Energy Projects and Impacted Communities?
Every year at the beginning of summer, our Pennsylvania lawmakers spend weeks deciding how the state’s money will be spent in the upcoming year. Each party has priorities and negotiates to determine what will be included in the final budget. This budget season, our lawmakers kept much of their negotiations behind closed doors, and details…
Ballot Guide for Washington and Greene Counties
On November 5, 2024, we’ll be headed to the polls once again to decide who will represent our communities in our state and federal government offices. This year, as we do every four years, we will elect the President of the United States. However, the President isn’t the only thing we’re voting for this year…
Solar for Schools: The Push for Energy Equity
With the passage of Solar for Schools and recent federal investments into infrastructure development, now is the most profitable time for school districts to embrace solar. In recent years, there has been a growing trend among schools to embrace solar energy projects to save costs with the additional benefit of educating students about renewable energy…
Join us for the Center for Coalfield Justice’s 30th Anniversary Fall Fundraiser!
This may be hard to believe, but CCJ is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! That is three decades of service to the communities we call home and we are so excited to be able to celebrate it with you all! Take a look back on some of our work over the past 30 years!…
Coal Mining Updates in Greene and Washington Counties
Four mining companies are currently extracting coal from Washington and Greene Counties using the underground Longwall Mining process. Consol (Bailey, Enlow, Harvey) operates three separate mines that span from Southern Greene County to Southern Washington County; Alliance (Tunnel Ridge) operates a mine in Western Washington County; Iron Senergy (Cumberland) operates a mine in Greene County;…
Cecil Township Proposes 2,500 ft Setback for September 4th Ordinance Hearing: What you need to know
In recent months, Cecil Township has seen a cornucopia of proposed maps, ordinances, and social media posts concerning its oil and gas zoning ordinance. Today is no exception, as the Board of Supervisors (“Board”) has announced on social media that they plan to propose a strict 2,500-foot setback from all “protected structures.” This decision came…
What the ‘We Choose Now’ Community Assembly Was Like
This year, I have been participating in the Building A Movement, or BAM, facilitation training cohort. It is a nine month training program for community leaders working on environmental and economic justice issues to sharpen their skills as a facilitator. This program is led by the folks at Taproot Earth and Project South, who have…
Voting Rights Groups Respond to Decision In Washington County Court Over Disenfranchised Mail Voters
On Friday afternoon, the Washington County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the county board of elections to inform mail-in voters of any disqualifying errors on their mail-ballot packets when those errors are detected by the board. The court found that the constitution requires the board to provide that notice before the voter irretrievably loses the right to vote.
Maggie Lynn Mine Update
The Maggie Lynn limestone mine is a surface mine found in Washington County. Neiswonger Construction, currently operating the Maggie Lynn limestone quarry, aims to undermine the surface site. Neiswonger has applied to move operations from simple surface mining to ‘underground’ highwall mining of limestone. Highwall mining is a combination of surface and sub-surface mining. A…
Review of Beaver Land
Reading Suggestion: The Naturalist Series Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip explores the profound impact of beavers on the environment and human history. The book delves into the ecological role of beavers, whose dam-building activities have shaped landscapes and created habitats crucial for other wildlife. Philip illustrates how these industrious…