Appalachian Citizens Law Center Inc

Causes: Crime & Law, Legal Services

Mission: Aclc is a nonprofit law firm that engages in strategic litigation and policy work in the areas of mine safety and health, environmental protection, legacy costs of extractive industries on the people, land and economy of the central appalachian region, and sustainable energy.

Programs: Black lung representation. In 2016, aclc continued to represent many individual miners and widows on claims for benefits due to black lung disease. These cases are time-consuming and often involve questions of science and medical expert reports and depositions.

environmental protection. In 2016, we represented several central appalachian individuals and families who live very close to active mines and are regularly exposed to high levels of dust, whose water supply has been lost or polluted and whose homes have been broken from nearby blasting or mining directly underneath. Aclc also works with other environmental protection organizations to stop new large-scale surface mine permits in particularly sensitive areas.

unsafe mine conditions. In 2016, aclc represented several miners who were disciplined or terminated for reporting dangerous mine safety conditions.