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.
What the ‘We Choose Now’ Community Assembly Was Like
This year, I have been participating in the Building A Movement, or BAM, facilitation training cohort. It is a nine month training program for community leaders working on environmental and economic justice issues to sharpen their skills as a facilitator. This program is led by the folks at Taproot Earth and Project South, who have…
Voting Rights Groups Respond to Decision In Washington County Court Over Disenfranchised Mail Voters
On Friday afternoon, the Washington County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the county board of elections to inform mail-in voters of any disqualifying errors on their mail-ballot packets when those errors are detected by the board. The court found that the constitution requires the board to provide that notice before the voter irretrievably loses the right to vote.
Maggie Lynn Mine Update
The Maggie Lynn limestone mine is a surface mine found in Washington County. Neiswonger Construction, currently operating the Maggie Lynn limestone quarry, aims to undermine the surface site. Neiswonger has applied to move operations from simple surface mining to ‘underground’ highwall mining of limestone. Highwall mining is a combination of surface and sub-surface mining. A…
Review of Beaver Land
Reading Suggestion: The Naturalist Series This is the 25th installment in our What’s on your mind? blog series and was written by CCJ Community Advocate Jason Capello. Have something on your mind? Write about it! Please read this blog for more information. Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip explores the profound impact of beavers on…
DRYerson 2024 was a hot one!
On June 22, CCJ staff, members, supporters, and Ryerson Station State Park visitors gathered at pavilion 2 for the 18th Annual DRYerson Festival and braved the extreme heat wave that occurred throughout the region. Why “DRYerson?” Ryerson Station State Park used to be home to Duke Lake, an artificial lake created by a dam built…
Brave Station: The Early History of Oil and Gas in Southwestern Pennsylvania
The history of the natural gas industry in southwestern Pennsylvania runs as deep as the Marcellus Shale layer. When we look at the region, and understand how intimately woven the ties of industry and cultural identity are, and how they have shaped not only the region but the people within it, it is vital we…
As Washington County distributes grant money to combat substance use disorder, additional funds are making progress at the state level
In May of this year, Washington County opened up a new grant application for the use of the funds. By the time the application closed on June 11th, there were 18 grant applications. The Washington County Department of Human Services is currently reviewing the applications, and awardees are to be announced on July 18th at…
Advocate Effectively to Make Change
In a democracy, citizens’ most important duties are to express what they want and need and to elect into government those who demonstrate the willingness to stand up for those wants and needs. To truly create change, your expression of these ideas needs to be directed towards the right person and with the right message….
Arden Seeks Renewal of Air Pollution Permit – Make Your Voice Heard
Per the Air Pollution Control Act, operations that emit major sources of air pollution are required to obtain, and operate in compliance with an operating permit. In Pennsylvania, these permits are known as Title V Permits. Each permit lays out what kind of pollution is being emitted, how much, and what steps the operator is taking to reduce air pollution. When an operator applies for a new or renewed application, the DEP allows for a 30-day public comment period.
The History of Road Dumping and Why Pennsylvania Should Ban It
Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance, 2015. There is a long history of regulating “road dumping” which, essentially, is the disposal of oil and gas wastewater onto public roads. Due to some legislative loopholes, the by-product from conventional and unconventional drilling was legally allowed to be released on public roads, despite the number and concentration of harmful…