Coal and Water | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining

Learn more about the devastating impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on the people, water, and communities of Appalachia.

Clean Water Protection Act

Healthy streams mean healthy communities, and that's why Congress needs to pass the Clean Water Protection Act.

A healthy home for my grandchildren

Wanting a healthy future for his grandchildren, Stanley Sturgill spends his retirement working to protect Lynch's water and economic potential.

Message sent: EPA protect our water!

KFTC members speak out: the Clean Water Act protects our health and our future, and state and federal officials need to enforce it!

Send an Email

Deputy Organizing Director for Just Transition:

Lisa Abbott  |  Tel: 859-200-5159

Send an Email

New Energy and Transition Organizer:

Nikita Perumal  |  Tel: 502-554-6633

Coal and Water

As Kentuckians, we are intricately tied to the land for our health, economic well-being and identity. We know that what we do to the land, we do to ourselves.

For more than 100 years, the coal industry has polluted our land, water, air and democracy while disrespecting the workers who create its profits. The worst example is mountaintop removal coal mining – which brings utter destruction of our land, the poisoning of our water, the loss of jobs and the theft of hope for future generations. 

The mining and burning of coal drains millions of dollars from the state budget and billions of dollars from the people of Kentucky. This has gotten worse in recent years with the layoffs of thousands of miners and coal companies pulling out of the region, leaving behind permanent pollutionhealth problems and an eroding tax base. 

That's why an important part of KFTC's work supports a transition from an unhealthy economy to a more just and sustainable energy economy.

Since our founding in 1981, KFTC members have worked to protect our homeland, demanding that coal companies obey, and the responsible officials enforce, laws designed to protect the people who live in areas where coal is mined.

Our Work

Mountaintop Removal & Strip Mining

We're working to put an end to this assault on our land, water and people while we work for economic transition.

Enforcement

Coal companies should obey the law and public officials enforce the law to protect communities and workers; it takes citizens to help make this happen.

Communities Taking Action

People all over Kentucky are standing up to protect themselves, their communities and a way of life.

Coal Ash

Every year, about 9.1 million tons of toxic coal ash are produced in Kentucky. Should we be protected from exposure?

Community Science and Public Health

KFTC puts the power of science in the hands of eastern Kentuckians who are directly affected by coal mining pollution.

Appalachian Transition

A just and sustainable economic transition for coal workers and communities is possible, but we're not sitting back waiting for someone else to make it happen.

Mine Safety

Resources

The Green New Deal Coalition is calling on Congress to pass a Recovery bill that invests in...

Green New Deal Network

On February 23, 2021, a letter signed by 100 organizations - including KFTC - was sent to...

Rural Power Coalition

This is a slightly updated version, released in July 2019, of a report KFTC first published...

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

This statement was written by KFTC member Nina McCoy about the community health impacts of...

Nina McCoy

This statement was written by KFTC members Jeff and Sharman Chapman-Crane about a day in...

Jeff and Sharman Chapman-Crane

News

August 17, 2021 at 03:03pm

 It’s an...

March 31, 2021 at 12:00am

You’ve made an impact during the 2021 General Assembly. Some of these impacts have been on...

March 17, 2021 at 10:40am

The text below was updated on March 26, 2021.  (All previous weekly...

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