As Central Appalachian Field Coordinator for Appalachian Voices, Willie Dodson monitors the impacts of coal mining on communities and the environment across KY, VA, WV and TN. Using a combination of community organizing, technical expertise, journalism and other tools, Dodson and his team have helped pass legislation to fund abandoned coal mine cleanup and medical care for miners with black lung disease, and have brought numerous lawsuits against regulators and mining companies for skirting environmental protections. Currently, Dodson is working with coal miners to win stronger protections from toxic silica-dust exposure in the mines, suing the federal government for allowing the coal industry to ignore endangered species protections, and leading a citizen science air monitoring project in environmental justice communities throughout the region. Dodson was raised in central and southwestern Virginia. He is a graduate of Berea College.

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