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.
Mornings at Home
As part of our What’s on your mind? blog series, we will be posting mid-month entries by CCJ staff as a way for you to get to know us better. This third mid-month staff post is by our Operations and Data Manager Lovell Johnson:My morning routine: a second cup of coffee, a socially distant wave…
The House is Trying to Stop Environmental Regulations. Again.
Garth Everett (R-Lycoming) introduced House Bill (“HB”) 2416 on April 17. This bill would halt any rulemaking proposals from being finalized until at least 90 days after the Governor’s COVID-19 emergency declaration is terminated. Interestingly, House Republicans also inserted language from HB 2416 into Senate Bill (“SB”) 327. SB 327 is a bill that was…
April 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 Apr 24, 2020 Oil and gas companies want you to think that their financial struggles only began with COVID-19. They’re lying. Apr…
CCJ now has permit trackers for the Shell cracker plant and Falcon pipeline
Shell is building a cracker plant in Beaver County, PA due to the abundance of Marcellus shale gas found in the state. The Shell ethane cracker plant takes ethane, a component of natural gas, and creates ethylene with it. This is done by heating up the ethane until it breaks apart (or cracks) the molecular…
Oil and gas companies want you to think that their financial struggles only began with COVID-19. They’re lying.
The topic of corporate bailouts has held a dominant position in the news since early March 2020 when states began to respond seriously to the threats posed by COVID-19. While much attention was aimed at the cruise, airline, and hotel industries, the oil and gas industry has been lobbying to be included in those bailouts. …
My ‘Go-To’ Song for Right Now
As part of our What’s on your mind? blog series, we will be posting mid-month entries by CCJ staff as a way for you to get to know us better and to provide topical variety that is of interest to our members. This second mid-month staff post is by our Executive Director Veronica Coptis: All…
Demand that DEP Protect Vulnerable Coalfield Residents During COVID-19 Crisis
While our legislators are making efforts to help those in need during this COVID-19 pandemic, some areas of our health and safety are being overlooked. While most businesses in the Commonwealth have been ordered to shut down, others have been allowed to operate. We understand that coal mining operations have been deemed “essential” during this…
March 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 Apr 2, 2020 Emergency spending bills, bailouts, response acts, what do these all mean and how do they affect you? Apr 2,…
Someone We’re Staying Home For
This is the 11th installment in our What’s on your mind? series and was written by CCJ Community Organizer Heaven Sensky. I’ve been caring for my dad, alongside my mom, for 20 years (most of my life). Most caregivers these days are feeling immense grief, fear, and more distress than we have ever endured in…
Methane Pollution and Public Health Webinar
On March 31, 2020 Health First PA hosted a webinar that featured information about the impacts of methane pollution from natural gas production. Listeners learned from experts from the University of Pittsburgh about the risks of air pollution from living near oil and gas development. In addition, participants heard directly from residents of Marianna, Pennsylvania,…