Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center
FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE IN THE COALFIELDS
FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE IN THE COALFIELDS
The Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center is a nonprofit law firm that fights for justice in the coalfields by representing coal miners and their families on issues of black lung and mine safety and by working with grassroots groups and individuals to protect the land and people from misuse and degradation caused by extractive industries.
PRESS RELEASE: $1 BILLION RECLAIM ACT GAINS MOMENTUM, IS RE-INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS AT COAL COMMUNITIES’ URGING
Media Contact: Eric Dixon at 865-202-8688 (eric@aclc.org) PDF of press release can be found here. April 9th, 2019 WHITESBURG, KY — After years of groundwork by coal-impacted communities and a positive hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee in March, the...
Full Text: Eric Dixon’s Oral Testimony before the House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Subcommittee
Below is the full oral testimony of ACLC's Senior Coordinator of Policy and Community Engagement, Eric Dixon, on March 28th, 2019 before the House of Representatives' Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing regarding abandoned mine lands and economic opportunity in...
U.S. Court of Appeals: ACLC Attorney Mary Cromer’s Oral Argument
ACLC Attorney Mary Cromer presented her oral argument on Tuesday, March 20th before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her case, M.L. Johnson Family Properties, LLC. v. Ryan Zinke, boils down to an argument regarding the...
APNewsBreak: Congress’ Inaction Endangers Black Lung Fund
ACLC client and Black Lung Association member Patty Amburgey explains that benefits will soon dry up if congress refuses to extend the Black Lung Excise Tax. Dr. Brandon Crum weighs in on the black lung epidemic on the rise in the region. “I just feel that Mitch...
Southerly Magazine: “As coal disappears, Appalachians lose access to basic services”
Southerly Magazine published an article yesterday outlining the difficulties facing coal communities today, and ACLC attorney Mary Cromer provided some insight into why this happens below. "You can have low-level corruption and bad management, and things go along fine...
Devil in the Dust: 2019 Black Lung Benefits Stuck at 2018 Rates
ACLC Attorney Raabia Wazir published an article on Tuesday on Devil in the Dust, a blog about black lung. The article outlines the adverse effects the recent government shutdown had on former coal miners receiving federal black lung benefits and explains the need for...
RFI Le Vois Du Monde: “Coal: A Devastating Global Addiction”
Recently, our Director Wes Addington was interviewed by French and Swiss public radio stations. If you are fluent in French or just curious, you can find the link to the radio story below. "Coal is still the second largest source of energy after oil: it produces 27%...
Press Release: Announcing ACLC’s New Executive Director
Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center appoints Wes Addington, long-time ACLC employee and Black Lung attorney, as Executive Director. Read more about this exciting transition in a letter from Wes below. For Immediate Release Dear Friends, After 14 years working at...
Herald-Leader: ‘Life and Death.’ Tax on coal companies for black lung victims slated to be slashed.
The Lexington Herald-Leader recently interviewed ACLC's Deputy Director, Wes Addington, about the Black Lung Excise Tax that will expire at the end of the year unless Congress takes action. “It’s the beginning of a scenario where you could see very sick miners having...