Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance

Coal for Steel Production is Not a “Critical Material” - Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) effort to designate metallurgical coal a “critical material” in the department’s 2026 Critical Materials Assessment relies on a flawed and insufficient process, a...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) effort to designate metallurgical coal a “critical material” in the department’s 2026 Critical Materials Assessment relies on a flawed and insufficient process, as detailed in a letter signed by a dozen groups.

Protect the Highlands: Comment on Fundamental Data's Air Quality Permit - West Virginia Highlands Conservancy

A gas plant is proposed near Davis and Thomas, WV—not for homes, but to power a massive data center complex. Sound familiar, Virginia? Data sprawl is spreading, and the public pays the price.

Comments due today by 5pm. Speak up: www.wvhighlands.org/2025/07/18/p...

Federal court clears path for legal challenges to coal-hauling in Monongahela National Forest A federal judge in Delaware ruled Tuesday in favor of two motions filed by conservation groups, allowing key legal and administrative actions to move forward to protect portions of the Monongahela Nat...

A federal judge has cleared the way for our coalition's legal and administrative efforts to move forward — despite South Fork Coal’s bankruptcy. This ruling allows us to keep fighting illegal coal hauling through the Monongahela National Forest and demand accountability from federal agencies.

Tell your senators and representatives to vote “No” on FOFA! Find them here: www.congress.gov/members/find...

FOFA seeks to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and judicial review to use timbering as a wildfire mitigation strategy, when it is actually likely to increase fire risk, especially in the eastern forests.

Last week, ABRA was on Capitol Hill with a nationwide group brought together by @sierraclub.org and @earthjustice.org to educate our lawmakers about the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA). It’s a giveaway to the timber industry under the guise of wildfire protection.

“Now, having just declared bankruptcy, South Fork Coal is asking regulators to retroactively validate this activity. It’s unacceptable. If they get away with it, I shudder to think what the next encroachment by the coal industry into our public land will be," Dodson continued.

West Virginia's Gauley River among the nation’s most endangered, conservation organization says  • West Virginia Watch West Virginia’s Gauley River has been named to a conservation organization’s list of the most endangered rivers in the country this year.

“For four years, this company has illegally operated within the Monongahela National Forest,” Willie Dodson, coal impacts program manager at @appvoices.org said in a news release.

American Rivers names Gauley River to America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025, due to toxic coal mining pollution FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 16, 2025 CONTACTHawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org   Andrew Young, staff

"We have a responsibility to protect the Gauley and the lands that sustain it, not just for ourselves, but for every generation that follows.” - Olivia Miller @wvhighlands.bsky.social

Read the press release: appvoices.org/2025/04/16/g...

Bankrupt coal company cited for releasing ‘sludge’ into West Virginia’s Gauley River watershed - West Virginia Highlands Conservancy The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued its latest notice of violation against South Fork Coal Company, the bankrupt mining firm operating a 3,600-acre surface mining complex i...

A bankrupt coal company with 113 violations was cited for dumping sludge into WV’s Gauley watershed. “We cannot let a handful of years of negligence threaten the future of this area,” said Tyler Cannon. Public lands aren’t coal waste sites.

Read more and take action ⤵️

Coal company with 80+ clean water violations files for bankruptcy South Fork Coal Company and its parent entities Xinergy and White Forest Resources, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. The move follows the company’s well-documented pattern of water polluti...

South Fork Coal Company and its parent entities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The move follows the company’s well-documented pattern of water pollution and mine clean-up violations, which have drawn mounting public scrutiny and legal actions.

@abralliance.bsky.social @wvhighlands.bsky.social.

"We compelled OSMRE to act—and then, behind closed doors, they apparently caved to industry pressure. We won’t let this stand,” Young added.

Federal regulators shut down illegal WV coal haul road—Interior quietly reopens it at company’s request - West Virginia Highlands Conservancy In a whirlwind of conflicting decisions, the U.S. Department of the Interior has quietly allowed South Fork Coal Company to resume hauling coal through the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia...

“This reversal is a textbook example of regulatory capture,” said Andrew Young, staff attorney for the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance. “The agency itself admitted that this road should not be used for unlawful coal hauling across the national forest." www.wvhighlands.org/2025/02/12/f...

New Layers Available: We've updated our Corridor H (Parsons to Davis) map with the latest Rusty Patched Bumble Bee High Probability Zone model. The current route for Corridor H bisects one of these crucial pollinator habitats. Check out the updated map. 🐝 bit.ly/CorridorHPar...

Be a Hero for Hellbenders After 15 years of delay, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed Endangered Species Act protection for eastern hellbenders. That's a critical step toward saving them — if action is taken quick...

After a 15 year delay, these #hellbenders are *so* close to getting the Endangered Species Act safeguards they desperately need.

Please, join us in urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to finalize hellbenders' federal protection now ⬇️⬇️

Capitalizing on our success in defeating the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020, ABRA’s Conservation Hub delivers mapping, data, and oversight to empower communities to protect the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Region. Follow us for updates—and let’s keep fighting to protect the environment.