Brent Denzin
Host: Midwest Environmental Advocates, Inc.
Sponsor: Sierra Club
Mike Becher
- Sponsored by Friends and Family of Philip M. Stern
- Service location Lewisburg, West Virginia
- Law school University of Cincinnati College of Law
- Issue area Environmental Justice
- Fellowship class year 2010
- Program AmeriCorps Fellows Program, Design-Your-Own Fellowship
The Project
My project addresses elements of surface coal production that perpetuate poverty in the coalfields of Appalachia. The effects on human health and safety make life difficult and dissuade alternative forms of development. Residents commonly endure fouled drinking water, property damage from blasting and a threat of coal dam failure. Threatening economic viability are reclamation rules, which allow mining operations to leave the land scarred and incapable of supporting future industry.
The Inspiration
Meet Other Fellows Like Mike
Jenny Culler
Host: Georgia Legal Watch
Sponsor: Equal Justice Works
Derek Teaney
Host: Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment
Sponsor: Friends and Family of Philip M. Stern
David Palmer
Host: New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Sponsor: Morgan Stanley