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Entries by Christian Thomas

Historic data provides the basis for new analysis of mining’s impact on Appalachia

February 7, 2024 in /by

SkyTruth is making large strides in understanding the ecological history of mountaintop mining. In the year to come, we plan to dive even deeper.

We have continued to expand our mining program area to better understand the complex legacy coal plays in Appalachia, and are setting up for a year of even more robust analysis to come. As long as mining mars the rivers and forests of Appalachia, we will continue to monitor it and work to create data that allows communities, regulators, and researchers to hold mine operators accountable for their recovery obligations.

SkyTruth Supports Associated Press Reporting on FPSOs

October 31, 2023 in , , , /by

SkyTruth is working to create the world’s first publicly accessible dataset of FSOs and FPSOs, to shed light on their behavior and monitor them for pollution events.

Over the last 19 months, SkyTruth has been working with investigative reporters from the Associated Press on a story that highlights the risks posed by aging vessels which are linked to offshore oil production.

New SkyTruth Research Reveals Tarnished Legacy of Mountaintop Mining—and the Policy Implications

February 16, 2023 in /by

New SkyTruth Research Reveals Tarnished Legacy of Mountaintop Mining—and the Policy Implications

Explosives and heavy equipment: the perfect combination for mine owners to extract coal from a pristine Appalachian landscape. Too bad this process, known as mountaintop removal mining (MTM), is terrible if you live near the mined mountain, or in a watershed downstream, or on a planet faced with the imminent threat of ever-increasing temperatures brought about by greenhouse-gas emissions.

Will the forest ever return?

May 26, 2021 in , , , /by

Working with our partners, including Appalachian Voices, SkyTruth has developed a tool to help activists, scientists, officials and others estimate whether mined sites have fully recovered.

Today, with our partners at Appalachian Voices, Downstream Strategies, 4E Analytics, and Green Forest Works, we are publishing the results of our Central Appalachian Mine Reforestation Assessment. Together we have developed an approach and dataset that assesses reforestation progress on formerly mined lands in the region.

The Latest Data on Mountaintop Mining in Central Appalachia

December 8, 2020 in , , , , /by

SkyTruth data shows that area of actively mined land in the region continues to decline. But is it recovering?

As 2020 comes to a close, SkyTruth is releasing our annual update to our Central Appalachian Surface Mining dataset, providing detailed information about the extent of mining operations from 1985 through 2019. The new data shows that trends we identified last year continue: namely, new areas have been cleared for mining, yet the total amount of land in the region being mined is declining.