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 DEP Reports That Conventional Oil and Gas Has a Culture of Noncompliance…Likely Not Going to Change Soon
At the direction of Gov. Tom Wolf, the Department of Environmental Protection (“Department”) conducted and released a report that reviewed the Department’s oversight of the Commonwealth’s conventional oil and gas industry. Pennsylvania distinguishes conventional and unconventional wells based on depth. A conventional gas well is one that produces oil or gas from a conventional formation….
PA REPORT FINDS STATE REGULATORS ARE FAILING TO HOLD OIL AND GAS ACCOUNTABLE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 18, 2023 Contact: Lisa DePaoli, lisa@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org, 724-229-3550, ext. 5 PA REPORT FINDS STATE REGULATORS ARE FAILING TO HOLD OIL AND GAS ACCOUNTABLE — The Department of Environmental Protection needs the staffing and resources to protect communities across the Commonwealth Washington, PA. – Pennsylvania’s first-ever assessment of the…
Help Rural Communities Receive the Broadband Expansion Funding They Need in 5 Minutes or Less
Internet access is essential. Especially after the rise of online options for work and school over the last few years, access to stable and affordable internet service is a crucial part of life in this country. That’s why CCJ encourages efforts to expand internet connectivity in areas like Washington and Greene Counties. The Federal Communications…
CCJ Welcomes our New Community Organizer and Communications Associate
We are happy to report that we have expanded our team in order to better serve our communities. Jodi Borello is our new community organizer for Washington County. Jodi and her family have been negatively impacted by the fossil fuel industry through multiple environmental crimes: Jodi has testified in front of two grand juries that…
Former Cabot Oil and Gas will pay for new public water system in Dimock
It started with a drinking water well explosion on New Year’s Day 2009. Dimock, a small community in Susquehanna County, gained national attention when the 2010 documentary “Gasland” showed residents lighting their tap water on fire. Since unconventional gas drilling, known as fracking, took off in the late 2000s in Pennsylvania and neighboring states, the…
2022 Year in Review
For the first time since 2020, we were able to engage more directly with our community – and our engagement with residents in Washington and Greene Counties has more than doubled. It is not surprising to see more people getting involved as in this past year we have seen over 10,000 acres of new coal…
Thanks To Generous Support From Our Community, Residents In New Freeport Have Clean Water For The Holidays
On Saturday, November 20, 2022, several members of CCJ staff helped to distribute water to residents of New Freeport who have been without safe, clean drinking water since June. This was possible because of the incredible support from all of the people who donated cases and jugs of water or who made monetary donations to…
No Matter Who is Elected to Office, Our Work Continues
One thing is clear after this past election: Your votes do matter. However, the fight to protect our communities and health from pollution never stops at the polls. CCJ will be here with you, continuing to support our communities and advocating for true economic solutions while protecting our health, environment, and local economy. With Josh…
Add Your Voice to Make Sure Senator Manchin’s Gifts to the Fossil Fuel Industry Don’t Get Delivered This Holiday Season!
Late this summer, we asked our members to join us in Washington, D.C, to rally against a dirty side deal made between Democratic leadership and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. The deal for Senator Manchin’s vote on the Inflation Reduction Act was to attach dangerous changes to our permitting system to a must-pass bill that funds…
Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub in Western Pennsylvania Will Keep the State Dependent on Fossil Fuels for Decades
Pennsylvania state legislators, Governor Wolf, and the fossil fuel industry and their allies worked behind the scenes for months on two pieces of legislation to ensure Pennsylvania will be home to a Regional “Clean” Hydrogen Hub. One bill gives billions of dollars to the fossil fuel industry through the middle of the century, while the…