On this West Virginia Morning, Sue and Stan Jennings for 30 years have run Allegheny Treenware, a company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has more.
President Trump Signs Bill Dismantling Stream Protections
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While surrounded by coal-state lawmakers and coal miners, President Trump signed a bill this week that rolls back an environmental rule designed to protect streams from coal mining debris.
Miners wearing hard hats and overalls stood with politicians in suits during the bill signing at the Whitehouse. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, thanked the president for supporting the coal industry.
“The last eight years brought a depression to eastern Kentucky,” McConnell said. “And our folks are so excited to have a pro-coal president and we thank you so much for being on our side.”
West Virginia’s democratic senator Joe Manchin said coal miners there represent the economy and the environment, and a balance must be struck.
West Virginia’s republican senator Shelley Moore-Capito was also there. Afterwards in a release she said the President Trump “signaled an end to years of overregulation targeting the coal industry and vital jobs in West Virginia.”
The signed bill dismantles a Department of Interior regulation finalized just days before Trump took office.
On this West Virginia Morning, uncertainty about the future amidst a changing climate has given rise in recent years to a phenomenon known as "climate anxiety." Ahead of Earth Day Monday, Chris Schulz spoke with Amy Parsons-White, sustainability manager for Marshall University, to discuss this mental health issue and potential solutions.
Recycling is a major component of sustainability - and composting highlights recycling at the organic level. At Marshall University, West Virginia’s first commercial composting facility is spinning its wheels.
West Virginia geospatial officials are developing new technology to help visualize flood and landslide risk in the state. The project aims to create more accessible and updated community-level flood risk data.