A wildfire on the Wayne National Forest this past week wasn’t part of the plan when the U.S. Forest Service announced that as many as 1,850 acres of the land would be subject to prescribed burns this month.
But with the wildfire in Lawrence County contained at this point, officials are saying that they are looking to go forward with some of the prescribed burns, though one planned for Athens County has been delayed at this point.
Small farmers drove county's holdout vote against livestock board
Written by Dilynn Roettker
Thursday, 12 November 2009 10:09
Athens was the only county in Ohio to vote against Issue 2 last Tuesday. According to a source with a close involvement with local agriculture, this is because Athens County citizens have a better understanding of agricultural issues, with a long history of family farms and local food production, as well as a 37-year-old farmers market.
Both county's congressmen vote for health-care reform legislation
Written by Athens NEWS Staff
Monday, 09 November 2009 10:00
Both congressmen who represent Athens County voted in favor of the historic health-care reform bill approved in the U.S. House Saturday night by a slender 220 to 215 vote.
Neither U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-St. Clairsville, nor Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, was among the 39 Democrats who voted against the House version of sweeping health-care reform.
Coal industry attacks Zack Space for cap-and-trade
Written by David DeWitt
Monday, 09 November 2009 09:55
The Ohio Coal Association is going after U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, for his vote in favor of House climate-change legislation passed earlier this year.
Space represents Ohio’s 18th Congressional District, which includes the northern portion of Athens County. He joined the majority of House Democrats in narrowly passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 with a vote of 219 to 212.
During the Appalachian Regional Commission conference in Athens this week, members of the energy industry met to talk about the controversial role of coal in clean-energy production.
Panelists discussed recent developments and future prospects for new technologies that reduce carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants, including co-firing with biomass, integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), and carbon capture and sequestration technologies.
Activists challenge 'clean coal' at confab in Athens
Written by Mike Ludwig
Thursday, 29 October 2009 09:38
Environmental activists staged a small protest and hung a banner from the Richland Avenue bridge early Tuesday morning to tell the state and regional leaders attending the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) conference at Ohio University that clean energy does not come from coal.
The theme of the conference at the OU Baker Center was “new energy, new jobs” and featured panel discussions on topics such as wind power, green enterprise, and developing a cleaner coal power industry.
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland on Monday announced a $100,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant for Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs to develop energy-efficiency and renewable energy-assistance services to Appalachian Ohio businesses, communities and residents.
Government representatives from communities in Athens, North Carolina and Alabama participated Tuesday in a panel discussion about community-based renewable-energy initiatives as a part of the Appalachian Regional Conference at Ohio University.
Steve Garrison, county manager in Madison County, N.C., was the first speaker, and he showed a short video about issues the area has dealt with over the last several decades. As the video explained, Madison County was a haven for vacation housing until the housing bubble burst and the unemployment level soared to 9.5 percent.
Sierra Club questions proposed AMP power plant's economic viability
Written by Mike Ludwig
Monday, 26 October 2009 09:23
In an effort to pull the plug on the American Municipal Power (AMP) coal-burning power plant under development in Meigs County, the Sierra Club has issued a report claiming that Columbus, Cleveland and 79 other municipalities made a bad financial “gamble” by investing in the plant. However, local officials say the project will only boost the southeast Ohio economy.
The city of Athens and municipalities in Meigs County are not members of the AMP utility network and will not buy power from the plant.
A Franklin County judge recently gave both industrialists and environmentalists something to cheer about by overturning state legislation that put strict deadlines and time limits on state appeals of decisions made the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), including appeals filed by activist groups against two permits for a proposed coal-burning power plant in Meigs County.
Strickland touts stimulus package during bypass groundbreaking
Written by David DeWitt
Thursday, 15 October 2009 09:20
Were it not for stimulus funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Ohio would be flat on its face right now. Or so said Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland Tuesday during the groundbreaking for Ohio’s largest single investment of stimulus funds – the U.S. Rt. 33 Nelsonville Bypass.
“We would not be here today if it were not for President Barack Obama’s acknowledgment that our economy was in trouble, and that our nation and the individual states needed help,” Strickland told the crowd filled with area politicians and officials. “Ohio would be flat on its face today without that stimulus bill.”
Air-pollution fight over proposed Meigs plant heating up in courts
Written by Mike Ludwig
Thursday, 08 October 2009 09:10
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week proposed a new federal rule aimed at reducing emissions from the nation's largest greenhouse-gas producers and requiring new polluters to use the "best available control technologies" to curb emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
Meanwhile, the debate over the Ohio EPA's embattled air-quality permit for a proposed coal-burning power plant in Meigs County heated up in state courts.
Report claims 'cap-and-trade' endangers thousands of Ohio jobs
Written by Emily Mullin
Thursday, 08 October 2009 09:07
Ohio could lose thousands of energy-intensive manufacturing jobs if Congress passes a climate change bill that doesn’t consider other countries’ policies, according to a new report.
“U.S. manufacturing has to be on a level playing field with its global competitors,” Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said during a conference call. “That’s why climate-change legislation has to ensure the strength and viability of U.S. manufacturing.”
Local rancher raises rare breed of llama-like critter that's gaining popularity in Buckeye State
Written by Alissa Paolella
Thursday, 24 September 2009 09:16
An eco-friendly type of livestock farming has made its way to Ohio and Athens County, and this weekend area residents will have an opportunity to see a rare breed of alpacas up close and personal during an open house at Phoenix Hill Farms in the countryside southeast of Athens
The farm is one of many that will take part in National Alpaca Farm Days.
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