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Plugging Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells
By John McFerrin The problem Orphaned gas wells are everywhere. There are about 6,500 gas wells in West Virginia that are no longer producing and need to be plugged. West […]
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Bird Banding at Dolly Sods Resumes After Year-Long Hiatus
Brooks Bird Club, headquartered in Wheeling, has been supportive of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy since our beginnings. Chuck Conrad, administrator of Brooks Bird Club for decades, was one of […]
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Methane Leaks and ARCH2: A Problem Not Yet Solved
By John McFerrin If we don’t get methane leaks under control, the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) will be a failure. Introduction The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub is […]
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A West Virginia Native Species Lost
On Nov. 16, 2023, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the tubercled-blossom pearly mussel (Epioblasma torulosa torulosa)—a freshwater mussel once abundant in large eastern rivers from south […]
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Paean to West Virginia Backroads
By Bonnie Thurston Geography is our glory, butroad building’s a challenge.Always has been. Still is.This contributes to our tendency to isolate, to beby nature suspicious.Why not? Incomers haveraped our mountains,carried off […]
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Protecting Our Appalachian Legacy: The Fight to Save the Candy Darter
By Andrew Young South Fork Coal Company has an extensive track record of non-compliance with the water protection requirements of Surface Mine and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) across all of its […]
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Mining Matters
By Cindy Rank Together with co-plaintiffs and the support of public interest lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates and Public Justice, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy has successfully challenged any number of […]
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Hydro in the Highlands: Third Time the Charm?
By Hugh Rogers Seen from Snowy Point, Canaan Valley’s northern half is a wetland mosaic unbroken by human landmarks. Turn around, and they appear in every direction. To the northeast, […]
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Looking Forward to the 2024 West Virginia Legislature
By Luanne McGovern The regular session of the 87th Legislature will kick off on January 10, 2024, and will run for 60 days. There will undoubtedly be many twists and […]
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Department of Environmental Protection Proposes New Guidelines on Public Participation
By John McFerrin Many decisions by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection either require or allow public participation. Typically, the Department announces what it is considering or what it […]
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