"Boone County claims to be the birthplace of America’s coal industry, the rich and abundant black rock discovered in these verdant hills almost three centuries ago. Coal gives name to nearly everything in these parts — the Big and Little Coal rivers, the weekly Coal Valley News, the wondrous Bituminous Coal Heritage Foundation Museum and the West Virginia Coal Festival, celebrating, as we arrive in town, its 24th year."

"Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said last week that he is against gas drilling off Maryland’s coast, and as President Trump’s administration considers seismic testing to search for energy reserves, state officials are asking the federal government to more closely study its impact."

"John Tyler's family name can be traced through this Chesapeake Bay community back at least 300 years, and as many as a dozen generations. But a few years ago, he feared his generation might be the island's last."

"SUFFOLK, Va. — People here in coastal Virginia are beginning to see changes: Tides are a little higher, storms bring water into the streets and basements sometimes flood."

"Although the 'No Pipeline' signs speak for themselves, don’t call it a protest. According to organizers, Walking the Line: Into the Heart of Virginia, is a moving celebration of what’s on the line — literally and figuratively — of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline route that bisects Virginia on a northwest to southeast diagonal."

"The $19 billion bid to clean the Chesapeake Bay and restore its health rests on a simple plan: cut the amount of nutrient waste — involving nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment — that causes most of the bay’s pollution."

"Breakneck construction has unearthed a toxic legacy, coating playgrounds and backyards with dangerous levels of lead dust".

"It’s the kind of choice that climate change will be forcing over and over."

"Ships arriving in Chesapeake Bay ports bring more than just cargo — in 2013 they also inadvertently released an estimated 10 billion live zooplankton from other parts of the world, a finding that surprised the researchers who recently reported the results."