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.
Union Township Residents Delay Vote on Sarah Well Pad to Demand More Public Health Protections
On March 9th, Union Township residents organized together to pressure their Board of Supervisors to delay a vote to approve the conditions for the Sarah Well Pad. They won an extension. Community members made it clear that they needed the Board of Supervisors to postpone their planned vote to approve EQT’s application for the Sarah…
CCJ Fellowship Program Application Open
A core focus of our work is to invest in community leaders because we believe people who live the daily impacts of fossil extraction are experts in their lived experiences and should be leading the transition to a healthier environment and thriving economy. We are excited to announce our 2022 Fellowship Program to invest in…
Why Saving Seeds is a Radical Act
Growing your own food and saving your own seeds is a radical act of self-sufficiency. In our modern, fast-paced world, many people would say food comes from “the supermarket” and couldn’t recognize the plants that grow their food. That isn’t the fault of most people who are busy working two jobs just to survive. Our…
Anti-RGGI House Bill 637 Is a Bad Deal for Pennsylvania
This piece was written by Veronica Coptis in response to a proposed amendment to House Bill 637. For context, see this article in the Indiana Gazette and this one in the PA Environment Digest blog. I’m from coal country. Like other coal communities, we have been neglected by the rest of the country. I grew…
A Recap of our February Community Meeting: Examining Climate
At our February Community Meeting on Tuesday night, we launched our Examining Climate blog series by discussing two critical topics related to climate change: a Just Transition and renewable energy. CCJ Campaign Manager Sarah Martik kicked off the meeting by explaining that the climate crisis is real, human-induced, and that it’s impacting communities right now….
CCJ Applauds Funding to Reclaim Abandoned Mine Lands and Close and Clean Up Orphaned Gas Wells and Sites
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lisa DePaoli, lisa@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org, 724-229-3550, ext. 5 WASHINGTON, PA — In response to the Department of the Interior announcing almost $245 million for the state of Pennsylvania for reclaiming abandoned mine lands (AML), along with a potential for $330 million for the proper closure and cleanup of orphaned gas wells and well…
You Can’t Solve the Climate Crisis without a Just Transition
The Center for Coalfield Justice is excited to announce a new blog series written by our staff: Examining Climate. This year, CCJ staff members will be sharing their favorite (or least favorite) climate solution, looking at the benefits and the costs in the hope of sparking an honest conversation about how we address the climate crisis and…
Pennsylvania to receive $1.07 billion from the $26 billion opioid settlement
As of January 26th, all 67 Pennsylvania counties have joined the $26 billion settlement agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – Cardinal, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Johnson & Johnson – over the companies’ role in creating and fueling the nationwide opioid crisis. This settlement will allocate funding to the states and local communities that…
Updates on Redistricting in PA
Congressional Redistricting Map Update The state of Pennsylvania has been undergoing the process of determining new district boundaries for the state’s federal congressional districts. After a census, districts are redrawn to ensure that each citizen’s vote carries the same weight in the ballot box. On December 15th, the GOP released the final copy of their…
Canonsburg Borough includes community in discussions of how to use over $900,000 in ARPA funds
On Monday, January 31st, the Canonsburg Borough Council held a public workshop to discuss the use of over $900,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. Community members were encouraged to bring their ideas for the use of the funds to the table. Due to Covid risk, we decided not to attend. As you can…