From the conflicts of the Mine Wars-era, to the new fight to survive amid shifts in energy needs and deepening calls for environmental reform, West Virginians have long been searching for a way to make a life alongside — and beyond — coal.

In this series, “Coal and the Way Forward,” we talked to some of them.

Stories

Roxy Todd,Sep. 20, 2021

Lessons For W.Va. In West Germany's Transition From Coal

The Mountain State isn’t the only place to reckon with the difficulty of transitioning away from a coal economy into something different.West Germany emerged from World War II as one of the leading coal and steel producers in the world. Then, in the 1960s, oil emerged…

Eric Douglas,Sep. 17, 2021

Coal Production Drop Off Leaves Behind Unreclaimed Mine Lands

Coal has been “king” for most of the last century in West Virginia and central Appalachia, but in recent years, global market forces, governmental regulations and alternative energy sources like natural gas have reduced its dominance.That drop off has caused job los…

Curtis Tate,Sep. 16, 2021

Coal Keeps The Lights On, For Now, At The Mountaineer Power Plant

The first thing that strikes you about the Mountaineer power plant is its sheer size.Its stacks rise more than 1,000 feet over the Ohio River floodplain, almost as tall as the Empire State Building. Its massive cooling tower can hold 8.5 million gallons of water….

Trey Kay,Sep. 15, 2021

Remembering The Battle Of Blair Mountain And Its Significance To American History

We travel back in time 100 years, when West Virginia was home to our nation's most violent labor uprising — the Battle of Blair Mountain.

Dave Mistich,Sep. 14, 2021

UMWA Grapples With Coal’s Decline, An Uncertain Future

Miners at Warrior Met in Brookwood, Alabama have been on strike since the beginning of April. It’s a rare union action in the American South — especially these days when membership in the UMWA continues to decline.President Cecil Roberts, now in office for 26 years,…

Jessica Lilly,Sep. 13, 2021

Woman Underground — How One W.Va. Miner Found Family and Fatherly Connection In Coal

Anita Cecil McBride is a self-proclaimed country girl. She lives up a steep winding road, through a lush forest, and between a small field of corn and a chicken coop in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia.It’s a hot summer day when Cecil-McBride settles into a plast…

June Leffler,Sep. 10, 2021

Black Lung Movement Continues Through Clinics, Groups Across West Virginia

Cabin Creek, an unincorporated community in West Virginia, claims the legacy of the mine wars and labor struggles in the early 1900s. More than a century later, doctors, nurses, and social workers still fight for miners at the Cabin Creek Health Clinic, built in the 1970s as a…

Liz McCormick,Sep. 08, 2021

How Teaching Coal In W.Va. Schools Has Changed Over The Decades

Eighth graders in West Virginia are required to take West Virginia Studies, and coal has shaped many facets of our state’s economy and environment. But as employment in the industry continues to decline, how are teachers and students discussing coal in classrooms today?…

Catherine Venable Moore,Sep. 07, 2021

WVPB Reporters Tackle ‘Coal and the Way Forward’ in A New Radio Series

From the conflicts of the Mine Wars-era, to the new fight to survive amid shifts in energy needs and deepening calls for environmental reform, West Virginians have long been searching for a way to make a life alongside — and beyond — coal.Older residents can remember …