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 Must Unite Against Racism in Our Communities
It is disgusting and hateful that KKK flyers are being distributed throughout Greene County over the past few weeks, but it should not be surprising. White supremacists are everywhere, and white supremacy is embedded in many of our institutions. No community is immune from this hateful ideology, and a community that willfully ignores this hateful…
Remembering and Honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg
We all just heard the news that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away tonight. It is such a sad day when the passing of someone so important – someone whose life’s work affords women the right to do the work that they choose, and LGBTQ couples the right to marry as they choose – cannot…
Money Pit: Cumberland Closing Looms as Coal Companies Face Rapidly Diminishing Markets
In February, Contura Energy, the owners of the Cumberland Mining Complex near Waynesburg, contemplated its need for a $60-million coal-refuse impoundment in order to continue production, and the owners cited current finances and market conditions as being a major issue of concern. In June of 2020 Contura announced that it is actively marketing the mine…
A Win for Voters – PA Supreme Court Rules on Voting Issues
On June 2, 2020, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania held its first primary election since enacting Act 77, all during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the main changes that Act 77 gave to voters was the ability to request mail-in ballots with no particular reason. Before Act 77, Pennsylvania had a system for absentee voting, but…
House Bill 2626 Limits Our Voting Access
With less than two months to go until Election Day, the Pennsylvania Senate is taking up a bill that could affect how Pennsylvanians vote. House Bill (“HB”) 2626, sponsored by Dan Moul (R) serving Adams County and amended by Garth Everett (R) serving Lycoming County, has several provisions in it that change Act 77. Act…
Flags on the Mind
This essay is the 6th of our monthly staff posts and is written by Community Advocate Ethan Story. These posts by staff are intended to be a way for people to get to know us better and to provide topical variety that is of interest to our members. This is also the 19th installment in…
August 2020 Coalfield Review
READ OUR MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER, WHICH WILL UPDATE YOU ON OUR WORK, CURRENT ACTION ITEMS, AND UPCOMING EVENTS. IF THERE IS ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, PLEASE LET US KNOW. Featured Aug 20, 2020 Vote Safely, Vote Confidently – Vote by Mail Aug 20, 2020 Aug 20, 2020 Aug 20, 2020 Economic Solutions,…
Vote Safely, Vote Confidently – Vote by Mail
This is the 18th installment in our What’s on your mind? blog series and was written by Field Coordinator Paul Fedore. There has been a lot of rhetoric about the ability to trust the mail-in ballot process, but many states are already planning and preparing for a major influx of mail-in ballots this November. Local…
Economic Solutions, not Empty Soundbites
As the general election gets closer so do the campaign ads, endorsements, and conversations on who to vote for and why. In Greene and Washington counties, it means seeing and hearing big bold rhetoric about the importance of voting to save coal and gas jobs. These jobs are critical to our region. However, protecting our…