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FERC: Southgate pipeline would have ‘some adverse impacts’ that could be reduced
The proposed Southgate pipeline, which would link the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Virginia with North Carolina, “would result in some adverse impacts” that could be “reduced to less-than-significant levels,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in a draft environmental impact statement released Friday. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, an environmental impact statement must be […]
A new tick plus a new disease equals a double threat to Virginia cattle
The cause of the seven cows’ deaths wasn’t immediately clear. All of the animals died between late summer and fall of 2017 in Albemarle County, the prosperous, semi-agricultural county that surrounds the city of Charlottesville. Another cow on the property, sick but alive, was found with signs of anemia, weakness and respiratory distress. Fearing the […]
‘Unjustified and unreasonable’: Navy, Walmart, attorney general and legal aid workers oppose Dominion’s profit push
Federal and state agencies, Walmart and a group advocating on behalf of low-income Virginians have emerged as unlikely bedfellows in an effort to push back against a proposal by Dominion Energy Virginia to increase the profits that its shareholders can reap. The U.S. Navy, testifying on behalf of the federal executive agencies, called the proposal […]
Another permit overturned for beleaguered Atlantic Coast pipeline
A mussel, a bat, a bee and a blind crustacean are once again blocking the construction of the 600-mile-long Atlantic Coast Pipeline backed by Dominion Energy. On Friday morning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit for the second time overturned a key project permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service […]
Coal-dependent counties facing ‘fiscal tsunami,’ report finds
As U.S. coal production decreases, local governments in mining-dependent areas whose public services and debt rely on a robust coal industry are facing what one recent report called a “fiscal tsunami.” “A sharp decline in coal production jeopardizes the fiscal health of local governments, degrading their abilities to provide adequate public services and issue and […]
‘Can’t ignore reality’: Army Corps grapples with after-the-fact assessment of James River power lines
WILLIAMSBURG — On a map propped on an easel in a dimly lit conference room of the Hilton DoubleTree, the transmission line across the James River looks like one of a dozen alternatives for bringing power to northern Hampton Roads. But about six miles away, off the map and on the ground, the line takes […]
Summer of the spud: Virginia potato prices more than double
It’s the Summer of the Potato in Virginia, where ideal growing conditions at home and poor ones elsewhere have conspired to produce a bumper crop for farmers that is fetching unusually high prices on the market. “We had timely rains during planting and growing season, but it turned hot and dry just before harvest,” said […]
AGs call on federal officials to secure wage payments for Blackjewel miners
The attorneys general of Virginia and Kentucky today appealed to the federal Office of the U.S. Trustee to force the payment of clawed-back wages owed to hundreds of miners employed by Blackjewel, LLC, which declared bankruptcy July 1. The strongly worded July 16 letter from Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring and Kentucky Attorney General Andy […]
In Appalachia, a massive forest is conserved, but mining can still proceed beneath its roots
A massive land acquisition by the Nature Conservancy has created a block of forestland in the heart of the Central Appalachian coalfields that may be disturbed by an activity typical of the region but atypical of conservation sites: mining. Early Monday morning, the global environmental nonprofit announced it had added 153,000 acres in Virginia known […]
At reconvened Council on Environmental Justice, tensions linger
While most of the inaugural meeting of Gov. Ralph Northam’s newly reconstituted Council on Environmental Justice flowed smoothly, one moment during the day revealed that tensions still linger from the last iteration of the body. After more than half a dozen residents of Cumberland and Powhatan counties turned out to plead for help in their […]
Northam announces assistance for locked-out Blackjewel miners
Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday announced several relief efforts to assist hundreds of Virginia miners affected by the July 1 bankruptcy of major U.S. coal producer Blackjewel, LLC, which operates 10 mines in the southwestern portion of the state. Describing himself as “deeply concerned by the sudden closure of Blackjewel LLC and the significant impact […]
In Virginia, observers saw warning signs for Blackjewel collapse, but what comes next is unclear
NORTON — Despite its characterization of its Chapter 11 filing for bankruptcy as a surprise, major U.S. coal producer Blackjewel, LLC, showed signs of being in trouble for months prior, some Virginia miners and observers said. According to a July 5 update from the company to its employees, “unexpected disputes” between Blackjewel and investment firm […]