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.
The Second Project in the Third Phase of the Washington County Broadband Initiative has been Awarded
We are currently in phase three of the initiative to bring broadband services to underserved communities all over Washington County, and the second project, which will extend broadband services to approximately 680 rural homes and businesses in Hanover Township and Burgettstown has been awarded to Comcast. In total this project will cost $8.1 million and…
CCJ at MIT – Legacies of Coal: In Search of a Just Transition
Back in April, our Community Organizer for Greene County, Tonya Yoders, sat on a panel at MIT during their event titled Legacies of Coal: In Search of a Just Transition. Reflecting on her experience, Tonya stated that speaking on the panel at MIT was, “something I never would have thought I would get to do.”…
CCJ Awarded the 2023 Agency Award
On May 10th, 2023, CCJ was awarded the 2023 Agency Award from our friends at the Washington County Teen Outreach during their annual “One Kid at a Time” Awards. The award, given to an agency that provides support for youth in our community, honors CCJ’s efforts over the past year. The award was accepted by…
Xylazine is becoming more common in PA. Here’s what you need to know.
In advance of the following update about overdose impacts in our community, we want to remind folks that they can reach out to the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission to access narcan/naloxone and to learn about treatment options at 724- 223-1181. You can request a free Narcan Kit here. CCJ is also a community distributor…
RGGI Funds Should Be Used to Help Transition Homer City Power Plant Workers
In July 2022, Pennsylvania officially became a participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cap-and-trade market for carbon dioxide emissions. It requires the operators of fossil fuel power plants (including coal) to purchase one credit for every ton of carbon dioxide they emit into the atmosphere. Every year, the amount of…
The New Freeport Fracking Incident Timeline and Updates
It has been almost a year since an EQT shale gas well interacted, or “communicated”, with a shallow abandoned well in New Freeport, PA. This resulted in fracking fluid spilling out and potentially getting into the water supply of residents in the area. This occurred on June 19, 2022, and it did not take long…
Opioid Settlement Update: Funds Coming into the State
Last year, Governor Shapiro and his team were hard at work claiming opioid settlement money for the state and the rest of the country in his role as Attorney General. Today, settlement funds total out nationally to about $54.07 billion. Out of that, Pennsylvania will receive $2.2 billion over a period ranging from 10-18 years….
Washington County is Getting Ready for Phase 3 of the Broadband Initiative
The Washington County Board of Commissioners have approved the first 3 projects in the third phase of the broadband initiative. Phase three of the initiative will expand broadband service to 10 areas in the county, targeting 6,000 more locations and bringing 700 miles of new fiber optic construction to these areas for a total cost…
The Municipal Primary is May 16th!
Here is some important information to keep in mind. The 2023 Municipal Primary is coming up next month: May 16th is the date to cast your vote. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. If you are not sure where your polling place is, you can find that information here. If you have…
Scattering Seeds of Community: CCJ’s 3rd Annual Seed Swap
We are pleased to announce that our 3rd Annual Seed Swap was a resounding success! We had over 100 community members attend our swap, handed out 60 grow your own potato bags, and gave out thousands of packets of free seeds! Our Seed Swap was even featured on the front page of the Observer Reporter…