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.
Local Elected Officials Object To Hearing Your Voice
Photo by Katherine McAdoo on Unsplash Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) is taking steps toward meaningfully engaging residents of communities that are disproportionately affected by industrial development through a new Environmental Justice Policy. While CCJ sees this policy as a step in the right direction, some of our local legislators feel that these steps…
I-70 Accidents and “Construction” over Tunnel Ridge
This is the 21st installment in our What’s on your mind? blog series and was written by CCJ Community Organizer Tonya Yoders. Almost every day, I have to drive the stretch of I-70 interstate between Washington, PA and Wheeling, WV. More often than not, there are significant delays just trying to get to my destination….
Bipartisan bill would open Pennsylvania primary elections
According to a 2020 report to the general assembly of Pennsylvania regarding the Administration of Voter Registration, more than 1.3 million voters were registered as independent or unaffiliated. Therefore, over a million people did not have the opportunity to vote in the primary elections that year, because Pennsylvania is one of only 11 states that…
Sustainable Forestry is a Great Climate Solution
Pennsylvania is not called Penn’s Woods for nothing! Our state is rich in natural resources with dense hardwood forests, in addition to our fossil fuels below the ground. According to Penn State data, Pennsylvania is the nation’s top hardwood producer. Additionally, forest-based recreation and tourism is the state’s second-largest industry.
Meet the New CCJ Team Members
This summer, CCJ will be hosting community meetings, educational events, festivals, and tabling around the community. Joining our team to help with our summer blitz are four fellows and a community organizer. Read more about each of them below: Allison Evans (she/her) is our new organizer working primarily in Washington County, where she was born…
Takeaways for Washington and Greene Counties from “Climate Solutions from the Frontlines of Environmental Justice”
It’s not often that environmental justice communities are centered in discussions about the solutions we need in order to address climate change. This is unfortunate for one critical reason: people who are most impacted by the climate crisis are the ones who know what has to happen to bring about real solutions.
$51.5 million coming to southwestern PA for infrastructure improvements
On March 10th, Congress cleared the first major federal spending legislation of President Biden’s administration. The $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill will bring roughly $51.5 million to Southwestern PA. The funds will be distributed across the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland. The incoming funds are for initiatives including the construction of…
Our Annual Seed Swap is Growing!
On Sunday, April 3rd, 2022, we hosted our second annual “seed swap” in our new office at 30 East Beau St. It was a huge success, with over 70 people attending! We were hoping to have the seed swap in the exciting new Firefly Garden space near our office in downtown Washington; however, the cold,…
How Did Coal Get Mixed Up with Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is just about everywhere these days. The two most well known and currently used are Bitcoin and Ethereum, but there are numerous others out there as well.
May Primary Reminder
Are you registered to vote? If not, we encourage you to do so. There are four ways to register to vote in Pennsylvania. Here is some important information for you to remember for the May 17th primary election: The last day to register to vote is May 2nd, and the last day to request a…