Federal court clears path for legal challenges to coal-hauling in Monongahela National Forest

Federal court clears path for legal challenges to coal-hauling in Monongahela National Forest

A federal judge in Delaware ruled Tuesday in favor of two motions filed by conservation groups, allowing key legal and administrative actions to move forward to protect portions of the Monongahela National Forest from mining activities by South Fork Coal Company, despite the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. South Fork Coal Co. filed for bankruptcy in February 2025.

American Rivers names Gauley River to America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025, due to toxic coal mining pollution

American Rivers names Gauley River to America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025, due to toxic coal mining pollution

The threat of toxic pollution from coal strip mining in the headwaters of one of the Gauley’s primary tributaries — the Cherry River — has made it one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025. In Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties in West Virginia, South Fork Coal Company operates a network of strip mines, haul roads and a coal preparation plant spanning over 3,600 acres.