Guide to the Wyona S. Coleman Papers, 1971-2005 AIS.2000.21

Arrangement

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Wyona S. Coleman Papers
Creator
Coleman, Wyona S.
Collection Number
AIS.2000.21
Extent
21.25 Linear Feet (17 boxes)
Date
1971-2005
Abstract
The Papers of Wyona Coleman document a period of escalating environmental activism. A dedicated environmentalist, Coleman has campaigned on the local, state, and federal levels of government for effective means to protect and to mitigate harm to the environment caused by the acquisition of natural resources and refuse disposal. The bulk of Coleman's papers relate to coal mining and detail her position as a representative of the Sierra Club of Pennsylvania on various committees of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), formerly known as the Department of Environmental Resources (DER). These committees addressed such issues as the impact of coal mining (especially longwall mining), solid waste disposal, and oil and natural gas drilling on the environment. Materials include committee meeting minutes and notes, correspondence, drafts of legislation, evidence of lawsuits resulting from changes in legislation, educational publications, and newspaper clippings.
Language
English .
Author
Mike Oliveira. Carrie Smith and Jessica Mirasol in March 2006. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in March 2006.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Biography

Coleman began life as Wyona Smith on March 23, 1932 in Steeleville, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois. Coleman joined The Courier of Urbana, Illinois in 1956 and after four years left the paper for a public relations position with the Illinois Geological Survey.

In 1967, Coleman relocated to western Pennsylvania, where she became increasingly involved in the environmental movement. She campaigned to expand the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in western Pennsylvania. She also participated in the first national Earth Day, April 22, 1970 on the campus of California State College, California, Pennsylvania. During the same year Coleman joined the Brownsville Telegraph as a freelance reporter and editor. In 1972, she contributed to the formation of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club. Coleman became more active on the state level representing the Sierra Club on a number of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (DER) committees. She participated on various committees including the Mining Legislative Task Force, Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board, Coal Work Group, and the Bonding Advisory Board. The purpose of the committees was to formulate legislation and regulations in response to the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), which allowed states greater regulatory control over surface mining.

In 1980, the Pennsylvania DER created the Solid Waste Advisory Committee in response to the growing issue of solid waste disposal. Coleman participated in this committee and played a significant role in the creation of Getting Involved, a DER publication on public participation in the siting of waste facilities. Coleman also participated in a number of supplementary committees such as the Hazardous Waste Facilities Planning Advisory Committee, Hazardous Waste Siting Committee and the Recycling Fund Advisory Committee. In 1981, Governor Thornburgh recognized her participation among others in a "Decade of Service" to the DER proclamation with a ceremony and luncheon.

While serving on the DER committees, Coleman also chaired the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club from 1981 to1983 and again from 1985 to 1986. During her terms she established a full-time lobbyist position in Harrisburg for the Pennsylvania Chapter.

As coal companies turned to long-wall mining, the removal of large panels of coal that cause subsidence affecting natural features and man-made structures, Coleman sought to protect citizens' rights in the coalfields of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. She contributed to the organization of the Tri-State Citizens Mining Network in 1994 to create awareness and advocate for the protection of citizens, their rights and the environment. The Network has protested long-wall mining activities, such as those that have undermined Interstate 70, and advocates for victims of subsidence and water loss. In 2000, the Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation awarded her the Gail Rockwood Public Service Award. On the state level, Coleman coordinated Sierra Club Training to develop the next generation of leaders for the environmental movement. From 2000 to 2005 she served as the Mining, Oil, Gas Conservation Issue Chair. Coleman continued to work for environmental rights until her death in 2005.

Scope and Content Notes

The papers of Wyona S. Coleman document the impact of the environmental movement, primarily in western Pennsylvania, on state and federal regulations. Much of the material concerns mitigating the harmful effects of procuring natural resources. In an effort to minimize damage caused by coal mining, groups, such as the Sierra Club, participated with the DER in the drafting and amendment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMRCA) of 1977. Since Pennsylvania had an established version of this federal mandate (SMCRA, 1945), Coleman and other members lobbied for stricter regulations on the federal SMCRA, especially during the drafting of the "State Window" legislation that allowed states the opportunity to relax their existing rules as long as they were no less strict than the federal legislation.

As the demand for coal increased in the 1990s, Coleman worked with activist groups that focused on longwall mining, which had become the method of choice for mining companies. The collection also includes information on safety regulations imposed on solid waste disposal in Pennsylvania, as well as studies, research materials, and articles on many other environmental topics. The collection is rich in information about how environmental degradation affected the safety of homes and property value, water, and wildlife.

Arrangement

The Coleman papers have been arranged into the following series. Extensive scope notes on each topic are available in the container list.

  • Series I: Coal Mining
  • Series II: Solid Waste Disposal
  • Series III: Oil and Natural Gas Drilling, 1980-1998
  • Series IV: Longwall Mining
  • Series V: Research

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Wyona S. Coleman on December 20, 2000, and Phillip Coleman in 2005.

Previous Citation

Wyona S. Coleman Papers, 1971-2005, AIS.2000.21, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh.

Preferred Citation

Wyona S. Coleman Papers, 1971-2005, AIS.2000.21, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Mike Oliveira, Carrie Smith, and Jessica Mirasol in 2006.

Copyright

The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Environmental Law & Policy Center
    • Pennsylvania. Department of Environmental Protection
    • Pennsylvania. Department of Environmental Resources
    • Citizens Coal Council
    • Environmental Resources Management (ERM) Group
    • Tri-State Citizens Mining Network
    • Sierra Club. Pennsylvania Chapter
    • United States. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977
    • Sierra Club. Pennsylvania Chapter. Allegheny Group

    Personal Names

    • Coleman, Wyona S.

    Geographic Names

    • Appalachian Region
    • Pennsylvania
    • Greene County (Pa.)
    • Allegheny National Forest (Pa.)

    Other Subjects

    • Longwall mining -- Pennsylvania
    • Hazardous waste sites -- Pennsylvania
    • Environmental policy -- Pennsylvania
    • Waste disposal sites -- Pennsylvania
    • Personal papers
    • Environment
    • Women
    • Environmentalists -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • Women environmentalists -- Pennsylvania
    • Environmental protection -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny National Forest
    • Strip mining -- Appalachian Region
    • Coal mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- Pennsylvania
    • Coal mines and mining -- Law and legislation -- Pennsylvania
    • Coal mines and mining -- Waste disposal -- Pennsylvania
    • Gas wells -- Environmental aspects -- Pennsylvania
    • Oil wells -- Environmental aspects -- Pennsylvania

Container List