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.
Letter from the Department of the Interior Threatens Funding to Plug Orphaned and Abandoned Gas Wells
In July, Pennsylvania House Bill 2644 (“HB 2644”) passed in the legislature. The bill allocates the money Pennsylvania is set to receive from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”) to plug abandoned and orphaned gas wells in the state. To learn more about HB 2644, check out this blog. Last month, a few weeks…
Pitt School of Public Health, PA Dept of Health abruptly pull out of public meeting they helped convene
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Virginia Alvino Young, virginia@sequalconsulting.com, 714-267-1623 Pitt School of Public Health, PA Dept of Health abruptly pull out of public meeting they helped convene — At the last minute, the institutions backed out of a public meeting about their own studies on the link between natural gas development and childhood cancer…
Community Power Stopped the Dirty Deal!
For the past month, the Center for Coalfield Justice (“CCJ”) and other environmental justice organizations have been fighting against a deal made between Senator Joe Manchin and the Democratic Leadership. The deal was made to sway Manchin’s deciding vote in passing the Inflation Reduction Act and required his bill, The Energy Independence and Security Act,…
IPCs Held for Three Coal Mine Expansions
Three virtual Informal Public Conferences (IPCs) were held by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) in the past month for Consol Mining’s latest three expansions. The Bailey, Enlow, and Harvey Mines all applied for development mining permits to set up for future longwall panels. In total, roughly 7,000 acres of land within Greene…
Brief update on the status of RGGI in Pennsylvania
As of July 1, 2022, Pennsylvania became the 12th state to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade program that requires coal-fired power plants to buy an allowance for every ton of carbon dioxide they emit. The allowances are sold at quarterly auctions, and the revenue generated is distributed to the states in…
CCJ Rallied with Hundreds of Activists Against the Backroom Permitting Reform Deal. Add your Voice to the Opposition!
Click Here to Tell Congress “NO” to the Dirty Deal (this action has passed) On Thursday, September 8th, the Center for Coalfield Justice (“CCJ”) joined over 600 environmental and climate activists from across the nation in Washington, D.C. to protest what has become known as the “Dirty Deal” between Senator Joe Manchin and Democratic Leadership….
Voter Registration Access is Expanded, Thanks to Governor Wolf’s Executive Order
On September 7th, Governor Wolf signed Executive Order 2022-03. This order designates September as Voter Registration Month, and is also an expansion of voter registration opportunities. The order designates seven existing government entities as Voter Registration Distribution Agencies (VRDA). These agencies will be required to provide voter registration literature and services to eligible Pennsylvanians. Following…
So Long, But Not Goodbye
For those of you who were lucky enough to attend our wonderful “Party in the Park” fundraiser, you will already know this news. I am stepping down from my position at CCJ to attend graduate school this fall. At the end of a summer jam-packed full of fun CCJ community events, I am reflecting on…
False Climate Solution: Sensationalist Slogans
Climate change is a complex problem that requires complex and thoughtful solutions. Finding these solutions is contingent upon accurately framing the problem.
Legislative Consideration in PA: What Happens in Each Phase?
Pennsylvania’s Constitution requires that every bill be considered three different times in the House of Representatives and the Senate. PA. CONST. art. III, § 4. Every time that a bill is considered, it is given a different status. When introduced, the bill is under “first consideration,” next it is under “second consideration,” and finally it…