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.
We Need Your Help to Strengthen Protections for EJ Communities
This blog shows a past action about submitting comments for the draft policy of the Office of Environmental Justice.
Solar Power is a Great Climate Solution. Here’s Why.
When I first joined team CCJ back in 2019, I was tasked with supporting local community members in holding a Solar Festival in Greene County, the heart of Coal Country. Residents wanted to introduce the efficacy of solar power to their communities.
The American Rescue Plan and Local Municipalities
The American Rescue Plan Act, also known as ARPA, has brought $98.9 million to Washington County and just over $7 million to Greene County. The Center for Coalfield Justice believes that the residents within these communities know what’s best when it comes to their needs and the needs of their communities. Therefore, community members should…
Hickory Telephone receives contract to expand broadband access in a pilot program
As an organization that serves the southwest corner of the state, we are familiar with the struggle that comes with not having a reliable internet connection. There is a strong need for improved internet services in Greene and Washington Counties as well as many other rural areas in the state. Luckily, there is a broadband…
How do we structure our organizing principles at CCJ?
At the Center for Coalfield Justice, we are rooted in our communities here in Washington and Greene Counties. We take a bottom-up approach to our work, meaning the Center for Coalfield Justice follows the direction of our members, not vice versa. There is no place quite like the lush rolling hills of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and…
Pennsylvania’s 2022 Redistricting Process is Complete
After months of a very long and confusing redistricting process, the state of Pennsylvania has now approved Congressional, House, and Senate district maps. The interactive maps can be explored at the Pennsylvania Redistricting site and at Redistricting & You: PA. On Wednesday, March 16th, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania entered an Order stating that the Final…
A Transition is Needed: Yet, We Might Want to Question What We Are Transitioning Into
Natural gas, once presented as an energy source to help the transition from coal, has transformed into a relatively inexpensive and reliable energy source worldwide. However, our reliance on fossil fuels has resulted in irreparable and immense destruction of land and lives. That is why there are many making the argument for a just transition. Part of this transition plan, very simply, is that we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and slowly start to transition that reliance to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
Oil and Gas Amid Invasion of Ukraine: Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste
Oil and gas prices are hitting families across the globe exceptionally hard in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Narratives around who’s to blame and what could/should/would be happening to lower prices are spreading rampantly across media of all forms. In the narrative painted by industry, there are some significant missing pieces to the…
Today is World Water Day, and coalfield residents need your help!
DONATE NOW Imagine waking up and starting to make your morning coffee only to find that your water has stopped flowing. Many of those who live in coal country, unfortunately, have experienced or at least know a neighbor whom this has happened to. The likely cause of the water loss is longwall coal mining. In…
Hundreds of Homes to be Undermined in Upcoming Mine Expansions: Donate Now to Support Coalfield Communities!
The effects of coal mining on communities and the environment is what originally led to the formation of a coalition of grassroots groups and individuals called the “Tri-State Citizens Mining Network” in 1994 – the organization that is now CCJ. The people involved recognized the need to work together to build a strong voice in…