West Virginia

The new oil tank cars were supposed to be key to preventing the fiery explosions associated with oil-train derailments. However, four recent explosions since Feb. 14, with two occurring last Thursday and Saturday, all involved the new tankers.

March 10, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal's senior energy reporter, Russell Gold, is interviewed on NPR about the February 16 derailment and explosion in West Virginia of an oil-train hauling 109 tanker cars of Bakken crude from North Dakota.

March 6, 2015 - NPR

A 109-car oil train carrying crude from North Dakota derailed Monday afternoon, causing a fireball that was still burning Tuesday morning. Initial reports had at least one tanker leaking oil into a tributary of the Kanawha River, closing water plants

February 17, 2015 - The Charleston Gazette

Six chemical company employees have been charged, under the Clean Water Act, for an incident earlier this year that left 300,000 West Virginia residents without safe drinking water for more than a week.

December 18, 2014 - Associated Press

A trio of natural gas providers is planning to build a 550-mile pipeline from West Virginia to North Carolina. The companies are hoping to secure approval for the project from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by 2016.

September 4, 2014 - Pittsburgh Business Times

The most recent coverage of the Alliance for Biking and Walking’s 2014 Benchmark report compares each of the states for how much federal transportation funding they devote to active transportation.

April 21, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

NPR host Linda Wertheimer interviews Evan Osnos about his current New Yorker piece on the Jan. chemical spill into W. Va.'s Elk River. His focus is less on the spill and more on the influence of Big Coal in government and how it contributed to it.

April 4, 2014 - NPR Morning Edition

The largest ever fine for polluting waterways, $27.5 million plus $200 million in clean-up costs was assigned to a coal company. NewsHour co-anchor Gwen Ifill interviews Dina Cappiello of The Associated Press to discuss water pollution from coal.

March 8, 2014 - PBS NewsHour

Still reeling from a major chemical spill on Jan. 9 that contaminated the drinking water supply for 300,000 residents, word comes of a significant coal slurry spill. Unlike the earlier spill, the water supply is said not to be threatened.

February 13, 2014 - The Charleston Gazette

The coal ash spill, 82,000 tons as of Feb. 8 after being detected on Feb. 2, comes from a pond adjacent to a closed, coal-burning Duke Energy power plant. It is said not to pose a threat to drinking water, though the river has turned black and grey.

February 8, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S.

Three hundred thousand residents in nine counties in W.Va, including the state capital have gone without tap water since Thursday due to a massive chemical spill into the Elk River. All uses except flushing are off-limits. How much longer is unknown.

January 13, 2014 - The New York Times

Come November, 11 of Colorado's 64 counties, mostly in northeast, will vote to form a new state. Jack Healy explores what's behind the 51st State Initiative, what set it off, as well as other secession movements, mostly by rural areas in the U.S.

October 10, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

A new Reason Study advocates for the "third" revenue option (with gas tax and VMT fee being the first two) for fixing the soon-to-be insolvent Highway Trust Fund - interstate highway tolling, and allowing the states to pursue that option.

September 16, 2013 - Governing

It's the state transportation version of an hotel tax - increase a fee predominantly paid by outsiders. However, increasing and extending the toll on the West Virginia Turnpike won't be sufficient to meet all of the state's transportation needs.

September 10, 2013 - The Charleston Gazette

Gallup and Healthways have released their annual state-by-state assessment of America's well being. For the fourth consecutive year, Hawaii tops the list.

March 7, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Continuing our focus on the need to invest in transportation infrastructure and unwillingness to raise state gas taxes, the most recent proposal comes from Gov. Tom Corbett: Reducing the excise tax while increasing the wholesale gas dealer tax.

February 7, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S. News

In a 2-part series, NPR reports on the rapid downfall of coal as an energy source and its replacement by natural gas - each now produces about one-third of America's electricity. Fracking is key to increased NG supplies - but it carries its own risks

July 17, 2012 - National Public Radio

The only true PRT in the United States, the system serves 15,000 students of West Virginia University each day when school is in session. Some even credit the school's growth to the effectiveness of the PRT.

July 5, 2011 - Governing Magazine

The Atlantic's James Fallows and Alexis Madrigal fly over Virginia & Kentucky to see first hand how mining effects the land, both in the U.S. and more importantly in China, where they're developing greener techniques for mining.

November 27, 2010 - The Atlantic Magazine

A major mountaintop mining permit is likely to be rejected after an environmental review found "unacceptable" impacts on water quality and wildlife. This would be the first major rebuke to the mining practice, and could foreshadow its end.

November 2, 2010 - Nature