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.
How Have Washington and Greene Counties Spent Opioid Settlement Funds so Far?
CCJ has been working closely with community members, service providers, and other local advocates to encourage the county to spend opioid settlement funds in a way that increases and expands the amount of harm reduction and recovery resources and services we have in our area. Annually on March 15th, counties must submit their reports for…
Press Release: Hundreds of Residents Warn Against “Living in Dystopia” to Cecil Board Hearing Wednesday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Lisa DePaoli, 412-229-7116, lisa@centerforcoalfieldjustice.orgArielle Cohen, 516-983-5440, arielle@acohen.llc HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS WARN AGAINST “LIVING IN A DYSTOPIA” TO CECIL BOARD HEARING WEDNESDAY Area residents and homeowners gather to support increase in fracking well setbacks to protect new housing developments and residents. CECIL TOWNSHIP, PA – MAY 8, 2024 – Hundreds of…
April 2024 Newsletter
Blogs & News This Month Washington County Did Not Allow Ballot Curing in the Primary Election, ACLU and PILC Poised to Sue We have been very concerned about the decision by the Washington County Elections Board and Commissioners to disallow ballot curing by a vote of 2-1. This deviates from past practice and could disenfranchise…
Want a MAD-FACTS yard sign? Let us know by signing up! We will deliver!
Fracking puts our Health at Risk- and we need your help to get the word out across the community! We are so excited to announce that we have MAD-FACTS yard signs in stock. The yard signs are FREE and we would be happy to bring one to you! Displaying a MAD-FACTS sign in your yard will…
Opioid Settlement Funds Update
Image: High Cost of Medicine (dollar), by Markus Mainka, Canva With many lawsuits already settled and others held up due to bankruptcy cases, money from the nationwide opioid settlements has been flowing to states and localities, including Washington and Greene Counties. Here are some of the latest updates: Drugmaker Mallinckrodt filed for a second bankruptcy that…
Important Information for Voters! Washington County will not allow Ballot Curing; ACLU and PILC Poised to Sue
As voters, our collective voice shapes the future. Voting by mail is safe, secure, and the most accessible option for many of us. However, Washington County has recently decided not to allow voters to fix unintentional errors on their absentee/mail-in ballots. This is shameful – knowing that people’s votes will be thrown out over technicalities…
Our Seed Swap is Growing “like a Zucchini Plant in the Summer”
As Karen Mansfield of the Observer Reporter remarked in her March 26th article, “The Center for Coalfield Justice Seed Swap is growing like a zucchini plant in the summer.” We got a chuckle out of that because it was a brilliant analogy and oh so true! Our 4th Annual Seed Swap broke attendance records this…
March 2024 Newsletter
Read our monthly e-newsletter, which will update you on our work, current action items, and upcoming events. Our Work in the Past Month Our 4th Annual Seed Swap Was Bigger Than Ever! Our 4th Annual Seed Swap Was Bigger Than Ever! We had nearly 200 visitors, volunteers, and staff on hand for our Seed Swap…
Three PA Senators to Co-Sponsor Legislation Encouraging Solar for PA Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact: Lisa DePaoli, lisa@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org, 412-229-7116 Three PA Senators to Co-Sponsor Legislation Encouraging Solar for PA Schools Washington, PA – Pennsylvania Senators Bartolotta, Comitta, and Hughes plan to introduce legislation to encourage the use of solar at Pennsylvania schools. The Solar for Schools Grant Program for public schools and universities will reduce energy…
On the Move: Senate Bills 832 and 1058
The Senate has several bills on the verge of passing and heading to the House. A few could affect the future of energy development and a just transition for fossil fuel workers in Pennsylvania. One of these bills, SB 832, would establish an Independent Energy Office in our state. This office would analyze laws, regulations,…