At a Glance
ANOTHER NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT FOR VIRGINIA?
September 2007
In late July Dominion Virginia Power applied with the State Corporation Commission for permission to build a 585-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Southwest Virginia near the town of St. Paul in Wise County.
National Scenic Areas
May 2007
With the recent shift in Congress, 2007 looks to be the year of Wilderness. Half a dozen Wilderness bills have been introduced to Congress so far with more expected in the upcoming months. Of the six Wilderness bills to be introduced so far, only two contain language that would create new National Scenic Areas, a relatively new land designation that is seen as a compromise between the oft-maligned mountain bikers and Wilderness activists. Both bills come from Southeastern representatives.
Mercury Pollution
April 2006
Mercury is a toxic pollutant that causes permanent damage to the central nervous system. Adults exposed to even low amounts of mercury are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
Mountain Top Removal Mining
November 2005
Coal companies use dynamite to blast away entire mountaintops to access coal reserves beneath the surface. The companies then dump the debris into nearby valley streams. Mountain top removal mining has become the dominant form of coal mining in the Appalachian Mountains.
Commercial Logging in National Forests
October 2005
Every year, more than 700,000 acres of publicly-owned National Forests are logged by commercial companies. Over 95 percent of America’s forests have been logged, leaving only a few pockets of old-growth forests in the East.
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