"They could have a dramatic impact. They could evolve to the point where even furloughs of mining operations are considered, " West Virginia Coal Association president Chris Hamilton said.

A coal mine was the first to wreck the land ... and landholding companies have at times owned almost half of the land in 80 ...

A coal mine was the first to wreck the land. Now activists want to keep another extractive industry from taking root there: prisons.

State regulators pulled a permit for a surface mine tied to West Virginia Republican Sen. Jim Justice’s family, citing a string of ongoing, unaddressed violations. A coal mine in West Virginia ...