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.
The New Freeport Fracking Incident Timeline and Updates
It has been almost a year since an EQT shale gas well interacted, or “communicated”, with a shallow abandoned well in New Freeport, PA. This resulted in fracking fluid spilling out and potentially getting into the water supply of residents in the area. This occurred on June 19, 2022, and it did not take long…
Opioid Settlement Update: Funds Coming into the State
Last year, Governor Shapiro and his team were hard at work claiming opioid settlement money for the state and the rest of the country in his role as Attorney General. Today, settlement funds total out nationally to about $54.07 billion. Out of that, Pennsylvania will receive $2.2 billion over a period ranging from 10-18 years….
Washington County is Getting Ready for Phase 3 of the Broadband Initiative
The Washington County Board of Commissioners have approved the first 3 projects in the third phase of the broadband initiative. Phase three of the initiative will expand broadband service to 10 areas in the county, targeting 6,000 more locations and bringing 700 miles of new fiber optic construction to these areas for a total cost…
The Municipal Primary is May 16th!
Here is some important information to keep in mind. The 2023 Municipal Primary is coming up next month: May 16th is the date to cast your vote. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. If you are not sure where your polling place is, you can find that information here. If you have…
March 2023 Newsletter
March 2023 Coalfield Review Read our monthly e-newsletter, which will update you on our work, current action items, and upcoming events. Our Work in the Past Month Read more of our blogs here! Public Notices Read all of the latest relevant public notices from the past month for Washington and Greene Counties as of March…
Scattering Seeds of Community: CCJ’s 3rd Annual Seed Swap
We are pleased to announce that our 3rd Annual Seed Swap was a resounding success! We had over 100 community members attend our swap, handed out 60 grow your own potato bags, and gave out thousands of packets of free seeds! Our Seed Swap was even featured on the front page of the Observer Reporter…
The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency is Ending Soon. What Does that Mean for Medicaid and Healthcare?
The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency is officially ending on May 11th, and the federal government is winding down its various emergency funding streams tied to COVID, including emergency funding that went to increasing state Medicaid programs. As a result, states will begin reevaluating who is still eligible for Medicaid as budgets are cut. States can…
February 2023 Newsletter
February 2023 Coalfield Review Read our monthly e-newsletter, which will update you on our work, current action items, and upcoming events. Our Work in the Past Month Read more of our blogs here! Public Notices Read all of the latest relevant public notices from the past month for Washington and Greene Counties as of February…
From Abandoned Mine Land to Lavender Farm and Second-Chance Jobs in West Virginia
A Q&A blog by Jocelyn Sheppard, Founder & President at Appalachian Botanical Company, and CCJ’s Event Coordinator Allison Evans Allison: Jocelyn, it was so nice making your acquaintance at the Washington Farmers Market this past summer. Can you please tell us more about Appalachian Botanical Co.? Jocelyn: Appalachian Botanical Co. is growing lavender and raising…
Senator Muth Introduced Several Bills in the Pennsylvania Senate to Protect the People from the Oil and Gas Industry and Its Waste
Since her election in 2018, Senator Katie Muth has stood up to protect all Pennsylvanians’ constitutional right to clean water, air, and land by holding corporate polluters accountable. She has even made this commitment a primary pillar of her mission as a Senator. She introduced several bills at the end of January that would further…