FREE AppalachianThe VOICE February/March 2015 On the Trail of the Past Appalachia’s Frontier History Revival Cleaning Up Coal Ash The Saga Continues Bristol: The Cradle of Country Music Lake Sturgeon Ancient Fish, Modern Recovery ss A TheAppalachianVOICE cro ppalachia A Note from Our Executive Director A Environmental News From Around the Region A publication of 2014 was a remarkable and exceptionally busy year for Appalachian Voices. We responded to a string of envi- AppalachianVoices ronmental crises, uncovered coal industry violations of unprecedented scale, and advanced groundbreaking energy Mountain lion shot in Bourbon savings projects — all while strengthening our organization to take our work to the next level. We’ve charted an ambi- An Early Warning for the Birds By the Numbers NC: 171 Grand Blvd., Boone, NC 28607 • 828-262-1500 By Kimber Ray 1 County, Ky., this December, mark- VA: 812 East High Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 • 434-293-6373 By W. Spencer King of northeast Tennessee for tracking re- tious course of action for 2015 to pursue our shared vision for Appalachia’s future: ing the first confirmed sighting since DC: 122 C St NW, Ste 240, Washington, DC 20001 • 202-266-0479 search. They incidentally noticed this • With just two years left in the Obama presidency, we’re escalating our pressure on the administration to crack Just before tornadoes devastated 10 million before the Civil War; the question of unusual out-of-season migration while Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains down on mountaintop removal coal mining. Recent court decisions affirm the EPA’s authority, and with abun- several central and southern states in whether it had wild or captive origins AppalachianVoices.org | [email protected] National Park last year, the most of any dant scientific evidence incriminating the practice, there’s no excuse not to. looking at data following the storms. remains under investigation EDITOR ..........................................................JAMIE GOODMAN April 2014, one group noticed the warn- national park in the country, followed by Streby told scientific journal Cur- MANAGING EDITOR ............................................ MOLLY MOORE • On Capitol Hill, we’ll leverage our strong relationships to defend against attacks on environmental protections. ing signs and fled to Florida. the Blue Ridge Parkway rent Biology that the birds were most ASSOCIATE EDITOR ................................................ KIMBER RAY • We’ll continue working with our partners in Kentucky and elsewhere in Appalachian communities to hold lax Golden-winged warblers left their 800 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ........................................BRIAN SEWELL likely alerted by the low-frequency Consecutive years that Virginia state Gallons of tree sap that spilled in south- officials and lawbreaking coal companies, such as Frasure Creek Mining, accountable in court. nests while the storms were more CONTRIBUTING EDITOR .......................................ELIZA LAUBACH 6 parks have achieved record attendance west Virginia this January and shut down • With new state and federal rules on coal ash disposal, 2015 is our chance to make sure Duke Energy and sounds that tornadoes produce. The DISTRIBUTION MANAGER .................................... LAUREN ESSICK than 250 miles away. The birds breed half of a gas station parking lot EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ........................................... DAC COLLINS sounds, which are below what humans North Carolina leaders keep their promises to stop coal ash pollution and permanently close the sites threat- throughout the Appalachian region and Number of states where the Ten- EDITORIAL ASSISTANT .......................................... LORELEI GOFF ening communities (see p. 10). can hear, travel hundreds of miles. 7 Rank of Ashe County, N.C., among top EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ........................................... CHRIS ROBEY migrate to South America for the winter. nessee Valley Authority has ended Earthquakes, avalanches and light- 1 Christmas-tree producing counties; MARKETING ASSISTANT .................................. W. SPENCER KING • As states work to comply with the EPA’s Clean Power Plan for cutting carbon pollution, Appalachian Henry Streby of University of its policy of removing all trees within the Ashe growers harvest about 12 percent of GRAPHIC DESIGN ASSISTANT .............................. KATIE JOHNSON Voices is engaging with citizens to demand robust clean energy initiatives, which would bring tremen- California Berkeley, along with Univer- ning also produce low-frequency sounds, utility’s right-of-way corridor that are, or could be, 15 feet high or taller the nation’s 17 million annual trees dous economic benefit to our region. sity of Tennessee scientists, tagged the and scientists note that golden-winged DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS: Jacqueline Andrusky, Alison Auciello, Karen warblers are unlikely to be the only Austin-Clayton, Debbie Bahr, Heather Baker, Becky Barlow, Aaron Barr, Shawn • We’re working with residents and officials in Tennessee and North Carolina to encourage electric cooperatives warblers in the Cumberland Mountains Becker, Bob Belton, Blue Smoke Coffee, Maria Bolton-Joubert, Charlie Bowles, to set up programs offering financing for home energy efficiency improvements. species using them as an early warning. Funding Cuts for Hazardous Waste Management Lynn Brammer, Ben Bristoll, Steve Brooks, Teri Crawford Brown, Derek Burke, • We’re expanding our work in southwest Virginia to advocate for alternatives to the ill-conceived Coalfields Sarah Smith Caskey, Charlie Chakales, Kim and Shay Clanton, Patty Clemens, EPA Cannot Regulate Lead in Ammunition By W. Spencer King News that money being cut from the Expressway (see p. 23) and bring much-needed economic diversity to an area that has Darlene Cunningham, Sister Beth Davies, Deborah Deatherage, Finley Dula, By Chris Robey spent ammunition and lead poisoning Starting this year, Kentucky’s hazard- budget was set aside in case of an ex- Nels Erickson, Lara Foster, Frank Frey, Charles Garratt, Dave Gilliam, Scott suffered too long from over-dependence on the coal industry. ous waste management fund will have $1 pensive hazardous waste emergency. Goebel, Lisa Goodpaster, Bruce Gould, Gary Greer, Kelly Griffin, Bill Harris, in wildlife spurred the U.S. Fish and • In North Carolina and Virginia, we’re opposing expansion of infrastructure for the natural A recent federal court ruling deter- million less to work with annually. Officials say funding cuts will make Susan Hazlewood, Sandy Heim, Sharon Helt, Paige Higginson-Rollins, Wildlife Service to ban lead buckshot for Some contaminated sites, such as it difficult for the state to coordinate Michael Hughes, Tim Huntley, Pamela Johnston, Mary K., Denny Keeney, gas industry, which would endanger communities and delay clean energy expansion. mined that the U.S. Environmental Pro- waterfowl hunting in 1991, but lead is old fuel refineries, will be abandoned cleanups and monitor hazardous sites Rose Koontz, Frances Lamberts, Susan Lewis, Loy Lilley, Debra Locher, Joy Please join us in these efforts to protect our home. Visit AppalachianVoices.org to sign tection Agency cannot regulate use of still permitted for other types of hunting. due to the tight budget. Tim Hubbard, that are not considered a federal priority. Lourie, Diane Lucas, Gail Marney, Mast General Store, Kathy McClory, Kim up for action alerts and get involved. lead ammunition, which raises concerns Greene McClure, Rich McDonough, Mike McKinney, Ed and Pam McNally, Raptors, like waterbirds, are especially assistant director of Kentucky’s Divi- The state legislature will vote to over the effects of spent ammunition on sion of Waste Management, told WDRB reauthorize the fund in June 2016. Steve Moeller, Nick Mullins, Catherine Murray, Don O’Dell, Bob Partida, Dave For our future, vulnerable to lead in the environment; Patrick, Bronwyn Reece, Martin Richards, Carol Rollman, Kristin Rouse, raptors and other wildlife — especially exposure occurs when they eat con- Jenny Rytel, Debbie Samuels, Steve Scarborough, Gerry and Joe Scardo, as bald eagles rebound from dwindling Frank Schaller, Kathy Selvage, Brian Shults, Brenda Sigmon, Rachel Simon, taminated fish and carrion or directly populations during the 1960s. Lucy Spencer, Jennifer Stertzer, Zach Swick, Robert Thompson, Mike Wade, consume bullet fragments. Bill Wasserman, Dean Whitworth, Amy Wickham, Graham Williams, Barbara Tom Cormons, Executive Director The decision closely follows a gov- Some experts believe that promoting Williamson, Diana Withen, Zach Witt, Gabrielle Zeiger, Ray Zimmerman ernment spending bill that blocks the non-lead alternatives, such as copper Printed on 100% recycled newsprint, cover 40% recycled paper, all soy-based inks EPA from regulating lead in shot and bullets, would be more effective than fishing tackle. prohibition. Many hunters, however, environmental & cultural events See more at appvoices.org/calendar The well-documented link between GET INVOLVED remain skeptical of these alternatives. Come In and Appalachian Voices Webinar Series Virginia Native Plant niques and guide guests on the three mile delayed $8. The Purple Fiddle, 21 East Ave, Thomas, W. Join experts, impacted residents and Appala- Society Speaker Series harvest section of Big Snowbird Creek. Culinary Va. Visit mountainmusictrail.com/event WV Repeals Changes to Climate Science Standards ® chian Voices staff for an engaging conversation Feb. 22, 2-4 p.m.: At