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.
10th Annual DRYerson Festival
The Center for Coalfield Justice held the 10th Annual DRYerson Festival on June 25th at Ryerson Station State Park. The theme of this year’s Festival was: Our Park, Our Streams, Our Future. We were joined by more than 60 long-time members and volunteers from around southwestern Pennsylvania. This year, we shared the loss of Duke…
Longwall Mining Damage to Polen Run Near Ryerson Station State Park
The video above shows subsidence from the Bailey Mine’s longwall mining which has dewatered a section of Polen Run just outside Ryerson Station State Park. There is also footage of the great disruption caused by the company’s attempts to mitigate the damage.
Welcome Legal Interns
Please join us in welcoming our two legal interns: Steve Kelly and Katharine Richter. Steve and Katharine are excited to meet everyone and begin working with our members and supporters, so please say hello when you see them in the community.
CCJ Hosts Extreme Energy Extraction Collaborative
A few weekends ago, the Center for Coalfield Justice hosted the Extreme Energy Extraction Collaborative Summit in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Frontline community members, indigenous folks, grassroots groups and big green groups fighting extreme energy extraction from around the US and Canada came together to share skills and strategize about working together across many extraction and social justice issues.
Update in Our Case For Ryerson Station State Park: EHB Denies Consol’s Motion
On Monday, May 16th, Consol filed a motion and memorandum of law asking the Environmental Hearing Board to remove and disregard portions of our Reply Brief, which was filed on May 9th. In event that the Board decided not to remove those portions of our Reply Brief, Consol’s motion requested permission to file a response to our Reply Brief and that the Environmental Hearing Board schedule oral argument before ruling on our motion for summary judgment.
Welcome Summer Interns: Chris and Sarah
We want to welcome our two summer organizing interns: Sarah Grguras and Christopher Thomas. Sarah and Christopher are excited to meet everyone and begin working with our members and supporters, so please say hello when you see them in the community!
DEP Has Responded to Our Letter about Environmental Justice
Earlier this spring, Executive Director Patrick Grenter joined other environmental attorneys from around Pennsylvania in condemning recent comments by a high-ranking Range Resources executive regarding that company’s apparent preference to locate shale gas wells away from big homes. Groups also sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection requesting that the state investigate Range Resource’s operations in light of their executive’s comments.
Reply Brief Filed in Our Ryerson Case
On Monday, May 9, our Staff Attorney, Sarah Winner, filed a reply brief in our case appealing the mining permit for the Lower East Expansion of the Bailey Mine. We filed a Motion for Summary Judgment at the end of March and since then, the other parties submitted their responses to our motion.
Update on 2016 Mining & Reclamation Issues
Last week, the Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board met in Harrisburg to discuss various issues and updates. Many of the discussions and materials presented at the meeting will affect abandoned mine lands and current mining in Washington & Greene counties.
Climate Expert Offers Solutions
Just a few days before climatologist, Dr. Michael E. Mann, came to speak at Washington and Jefferson College, forest fires in Westmoreland County flooded news reports throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. With a dry early spring and very little green vegetation, forest floors in Southwestern Pennsylvania were tinder boxes ready to ignite at any moment. In preparation for the statewide trout season opener, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources issued a warning for anglers to take precautions to prevent forest fires in the area. The next day, firefighters successfully extinguished two forest fires that spread across 30 acres in Westmoreland County.