Public News Service

Research shows global plastic production has surged from 15 million tons per year in 1964 to more than 450 million tons per year today. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Biodegradable plastics more marketing than environmentally friendly

As West Virginia opens its door to the plastics recycling or "advanced recycling" industry, a recent report found only a fraction of plastics are …

A zombie mine is shown in Clintwood, Kentucky. (Erin Savage)

Zombie mines continue to pose environmental, health threats to Appalachia

West Virginia and other Appalachian states are littered with hundreds of "zombie mines," abandoned mines neither producing coal nor undergoing reclama…

Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is leading more than two dozen states in a lawsuit aimed at overturning the Environmental Protection Agency's recently released power plant regulations. (Adobe Stock)

Scorecard: How WV lawmakers vote on clean air, water

As West Virginia leads a group of states in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency's new emissions rules for power plants, a recent …

The 17,371 acre Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, according to the U.S. Forest Service. (Adobe Stock)<br />

After Alaskan mining decision, other states may step up conservation efforts

The Biden administration has denied approval for a project to build more than 200 miles of road in the Alaskan wilderness. On this Earth Day…

According to the West Virginia Historical Society, the state had among the highest concentrations of chemical plants in the United States for nearly a century. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Experts: EPA chemical plant emissions rule a win for WV communities

Chemical plants in West Virginia and other states will be required to curb emissions of toxic, cancer causing pollutants - such as ethylene oxide…

A more diversified economy, including solar energy, is stopping the

putting people in West Virginia to work through paid on-the-job training. (Adobe Stock)">

Reimagining WV coal country by building on state’s legacy as an energy provider

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public New…

Federal data show millions of people live in counties lacking adequate air monitoring, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV bill threatens community air monitoring efforts

After West Virginia House lawmakers advanced a bill to ban residents from using citizen air monitoring data in lawsuits, community groups said they …

Virginia and West Virginia residents say they're worried about the safety of a natural-gas pipeline that, once built, will run for more than 300 miles through their communities. (Facebook/Appalachians Against Pipelines)

Communities concerned about MVP pipeline water pollution, explosion risk

After a federal appeals court this week denied a request from a group of Virginia landowners to stop construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline on t…

A new study reveals extent of the public health harms of U.S. oil and gas production, including more than $77 billion in human health damages nationwide. (Adobe Stock)

WV Among Top States for Public Health Harms from Fossil Fuels

Ozone, fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide from the oil and gas sector in 2016 caused more than $77 billion in human health damages …

Hundreds of environmental groups have voiced strong opposition to construction of the multi-billion-dollar natural gas Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would stretch more than 300 miles through Virginia and West Virginia. (Adobe Stock)

WV Enviro Groups Call MVP Greenlight a 'Terrible Precedent'

A 300-mile-long fracking pipeline project slated to cross numerous streams and rivers in West Virginia and Virginia got a major boost over the weekend…

Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control, and provide habitat for thousands of species, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.(Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Conservation Groups 'Troubled' by SCOTUS Wetlands Decision

Since the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with private property owners in a battle of over wetland protections and the Clean Water Act, West Virginia …

A bridge pier slide area in the Kerens-to-Parsons section of the under-construction Corridor H highway project near Moore, West Virginia. (Pamela Moe)<br />

Many WV Small Businesses Want Northern Route for Corridor H Highway

Small businesses in Thomas and Davis say they would prefer a planned four-lane highway to be rerouted north, instead of running through what they say …

Research shows just 5% of power plants are responsible for 73% of the planet's emissions of carbon dioxide. (Adobe stock)<br />

Experts: Incentives for Renewables Even More Critical

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey was at the center of the Supreme Court's recent decision to curb the ability of the Environmental Prot…

Use of solar and wind power has grown at a rapid rate over the past decade or so, but as of 2018 those sources still account for around 4% of all the energy used in the United States, according to research from the Pew Charitable Trusts. (Adobe Stock)

Experts: Ukraine Crisis a Reminder to Break Dependence on Fossil Fuels

As the crisis in Ukraine continues, experts argued investments in clean energy will lower costs for Americans and reduce dependence on foreign oil …

West Virginia mom Lucia Valentine wants lawmakers in Congress to support investments in clean energy infrastructure. (Photo courtesy of Valentine)

WV Moms Call on Manchin to Support Biden’s Climate Plan

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Some West Virginia families are calling on Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to support President Joe Biden's climate action plan…

Chemicals held in oil and gas storage tanks include radioactive substances, which experts say are harmful to human health. (Adobe Stock)

WV Bills to Relax Water Protections Seen as “Dangerous”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- With memories of the 2014 Elk River chemical spill still fresh, West Virginia environmental groups are pushing state lawmakers …

A new nature preserve in West Virginia represents an innovative approach to restoring land polluted by former coal mines. (Flickr)

WV Land Polluted by Coal Mines Transforms into Recreation Area

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - As a result of a lawsuit over water pollution from mining, a tract of land that once housed surface mines is being repurposed as …

A federal judge ruled that Bluestone Coal Corp. will have to pay penalties and cleanup costs for leaking selenium from mines into McDowell County streams. (Wikimedia Commons)

Judge Finds WV Governor’s Coal Company Liable for Pollution Violations

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - After a group of environmental activists filed a lawsuit last year, a federal judge ruled this week that a coal company owned by …

Environmental groups allege that West Virginia's Mine Reclamation Fund, which cleans up polluted land and water after coal mines close, is in jeopardy. (Wikimedia Commons)<br /><br />

WV Groups Sue DEP Over Feared Collapse of Mine Reclamation Fund

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A trio of environmental groups filed a suit in federal court late last week to force West Virginia's Department of Environmental …

Atlantic Coast Pipeline construction in Upshur County, West Virginia in 2018. (Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition)

Cancellation of Atlantic Coast Pipeline Called Victory for Environmentalists

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Climate-change activists celebrated the landmark decision to abandon the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline project Sunday…

The Supreme Court paved the way for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to cross the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. (Wikimedia Commons)

Environmentalists: Supreme Court Pipeline Ruling a “Disaster”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Just after the Supreme Court released its ruling on LGBTQ rights on Monday, the high court announced another decision that has …

Members of Appalachians Against Pipelines protest against the Mountain View Pipeline in West Virginia in 2018. (Appalachians Against Pipelines/Facebook)

WV Bill Would Criminalize Peaceful Environmental Protests

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Environmental groups spoke out this week against a West Virginia House of Delegates bill that would make peaceful protests …

An investigation by Rolling Stone magazine found the waste brine from Marcellus wells is radioactive enough to be seen as a threat to workers and the public. (Vivian Stockman/Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition)

Investigation: Marcellus Waste 'Too Hot' for Release by Nuke Plant

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- A federal loophole means millions of tons and billions of gallons of radioactive natural gas waste are being disposed of as if …

Two-thirds of West Virginia counties rank in the bottom third for their number of tap-water safety violations; even more are in the bottom third for the time it takes to fix these issues. (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Report Fits WV Tap-Water Safety Issues into National Pattern

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The latest report on unsafe tap water confirms some of West Virginia's drinking water problems - and puts them in a …

In most states, school districts where families are primarily poor or minority populations tend to have less money to spend on infrastructure. (Giovannacco/Pixabay)

UCLA Study: Climate Change Overheats Classrooms, Slowing Learning

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Climate change is overheating classrooms and in the process, hurting education, especially for poor and minority students…

The Ohio River watershed contains most of five states and parts of eight others. (USGS/Karl Musser/Wikipedia)

Ohio River Pollution Rules Watered Down

Charleston, WV - A multi-state group has loosened pollution-control limits on the Ohio River, although not as much as initially proposed. The Ohio …

Much of West Virginia's self image is defined by its connection to the state's wilderness. But a new voting scorecard shows record opposition to conservation legislation. (Chad Cordell)

Almost Half of Legislature Voted Against Every Conservation Proposal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A voting scorecard by the West Virginia Sierra Club shows record levels of opposition to conservation measures by state …

Black Lung is an incurable disease caused by breathing coal dust, which gets worse until a miner dies. (Yale Rosen/Fickr)

WV Miners Propose State Black Lung Program to Avoid Issues in Fed System

MATEWAN, W.Va. — A group of miners has put forward a plan for a state black lung program. It would solve problems in the federal system they …

Justice First organizer Rev. Leo Woodberry says their effort is timed to lead up to the People's Climate March 2018, and ahead of this fall's elections. (Vimeo/The People's Climate March)

Southern Campaign to Focus on Potential for Clean-Energy Justice

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A tour of 10 southern states focusing on clean energy and justice issues kicks off today in Raleigh, N.C. The Justice …

The Clean Power Plan has been projected to save thousands of lives a year by reducing asthma and other respiratory illnesses, but it's being scrapped by the Trump administration. (Pixibay)

Health Consequences from Carbon Pollution Rollback

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Doctors are warning that the Trump administration's intent to roll back the Clean Power Plan will mean more respiratory …

Reducing ozone will require new sources to use the best emissions-control technology. (Pixabay)

Ozone Rule Delay Brings Suit Against EPA

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A lawsuit filed last week in Washington, D.C., asks the federal courts to stop the Environmental Protection Agency's delay in …

The falling cost of solar and wind is changing the energy picture in the developing world. (World Resource Institute)

Renewables Cheap, Growing Fast in Developing World

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Renewable energy is growing fast in poor countries, and in a change from a few years ago, demand for coal is stalled or …

Critics say the agency that regulates natural-gas pipelines has a favorable bias toward the industry. (MarcellusPipeline.org)

Pipeline Regulator Accused of Bias, Being Too Close to Industry

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – A spate of proposed gas pipeline projects has drawn sharp criticism from environmental advocates, who say the federal …

One important decision awaiting President-elect Donald Trump is what to do with rules intended to reduce carbon pollution and slow climate change. (Sierra Club)

Will Trump Administration Ditch Climate-Change Regs?

CHARLESTOWN, W.Va. – What will the Trump Administration do with Obama air-pollution limits designed to slow climate change? The U.S. Supreme …

Utilities in southern coastal states are cleaning up the coal ash left from decades of power generation. (Sierra Club)

As Congress Debates, Coal Ash Cleanup Happens in SE States

CHARLESTON, W.V. — As Congress debates the issue, utilities and communities in southeastern states are moving ahead with clean up of millions …

$Documents show nearly 50 containers of low-level radioactive West Virginia fracking waste was dumped into a Kentucky landfill, amid regulatory confusion and questionable business practices. (WV DHHR)$

TENORM in KY Landfills: Loopholes, Questionable Business Practices

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Behind the low-level radioactive waste dumped in a Kentucky landfill are regulatory loopholes and questionable business practices…

The disposal of low-level radioactive waste derived from Marcellus and Utica shale in Kentucky landfills is raising red flags. (U.S. Dept. of Energy)

Troubling Questions Arise About Radioactive Frack Waste Company

CHARLESTON W.Va. - The paper trail of a company that dumped West Virginia radioactive frack waste into Kentucky landfills is raising serious …

A new homesteading law for Appalachia could help bring agriculture and hope to the coalfields. (WV Division Of Tourism)

Appalachian Homestead Act Designed to Bring Hope to the Coalfields

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Could homesteading, giving people free land for agricultural and other uses, bring some hope to central Appalachia? Jim …

Critics say the federal agency with the power to allow pipeline like those proposed for the region is oriented not to take into account the concerns of people along the route. (Rick Webb - Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition)

FERC Called "Biased Against Local Concerns"

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The federal agency that approves or denies gas pipelines is oriented against the concerns of landowners and communities…

An environmental group will be in West Virginia this week with a thermal imaging camera to document normally invisible pollution. (Earthworks/Youtube)

Group Documenting Marcellus Gas Well Leaks

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Armed with a specialized thermal imaging camera, a group is traveling in the West Virginia Marcellus fields this week …

West Virginians say news of lead contamination in the drinking water of Flint, Mich., is painfully familiar. (Friends of Water)

WV Groups Send an Open Letter to Flint

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Nearly 40 West Virginia groups are sending an open letter to the people of Flint, Michigan saying they know what it's like to …

$A scorecard assembled by investor groups faults gas producers for secrecy about fracking risks. (Disclosing The Facts)$

Investor Groups: Fracking Companies Need More Public Disclosure

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Companies fracking for gas do a poor job of informing the public, according to investor groups. Their just-released scorecard …

A legal push is underway to force the EPA to close a sizable loophole in the regulation of hazardous waste from oil and gas drilling. Credit: Bill Hughes/Earthworks.

Legal Push to Get EPA to Finally Regulate Oil and Gas Waste

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The EPA has largely failed to regulate waste from oil and gas drilling, even though the agency admitted the hazardous …

West Virginians will get to voice their opinions tonight in Charleston on a federal rule designed to protect streams. Credit: Trout Unlimited

Hearing on Protecting Streams from Surface Mining Tonight

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginians get to have their say tonight on surface mining's impact on streams. The federal Office of Surface Mining…

Towns and counties in neighboring states are voicing support for a federal plan to help shift away from coal, although there is more opposition in West Virginia. Credit: Sierra Club.

Support and Opposition to Federal Money for Coal Transition

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Towns and counties in neighboring states are lining up behind a federal plan to fund the transition away from coal…

$A new fracking process is designed not to use any surface water at all, and to reduce the amount of waste that comes from the wells. Photo courtesy of the Sierra Club.$

New Waterless Fracking Process Could Work in Some WV Wells

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A new process that could be suitable for some West Virginia gas wells uses no water for hydraulic fracturing. One big …

The Obama administration plan to cut emissions at coal-fired power plants would affect 11 plants in West Virginia. Conservationists are hailing the move, while the coal industry and its allies are threatening legal challenges. Photo credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

Will Clean Power Plan Chart West Virginia's Energy Course?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – President Obama has finalized plans to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants by 32 percent by 2030. …

Monday's decision from the U.S. Supreme Court could delay air pollution rules that could save thousands of lives a year. Photo courtesy of the Sierra Club.

Air Pollution Decision May Delay "Saving Thousands of Lives"

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Supreme Court decision may have cast doubt on controls for mercury and other airborne toxins from power plants – …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - September 20, 2024

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WV: Environmental Justice