Air Pollution Standards Challenged in N.C.
by Eliza Laubach
The Federal District Court of Appeals rejected North Carolina’s attempt to bypass air pollution standards concerning fine particle pollution. The state waited too long to contest a standard set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 that limits increases in soot, largely emitted by coal-fired power plants or motor vehicles.
The Southeast’s First Utility-Scale Wind Farm Breaks Ground
by Eliza Laubach
When North Carolina’s first utility-scale wind farm begins operations on the coast by the end of 2016, it will be funded not by Duke Energy, but by Amazon.
The online retailer has two cloud-computing centers, in Virginia and Ohio, that will tap into Duke’s grid for power, but Amazon cannot sell the energy in North Carolina due to restrictions on third-party electricity sales.
Clean Water Act Clarified
by Cody Burchett
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers issued the final Clean Water Rule this past May, reducing the scope of waterways subject to the Clean Water Act and reinforcing exemptions that have legalized toxic water pollution since 2001. The majority of drainage ditches and artificial lakes used for livestock will no longer be regulated. Coal and agricultural industries retain permission to convert streams into waste impoundments. Eight states, including West Virginia and Kentucky, have criticized the new rule as overbearing and filed a federal lawsuit in June.
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
English Language Learning in Appalachia
Learning English is always difficult. But current aggressive approaches to immigration policy are creating more barriers for learners and the programs that serve them than ever before in Appalachia and beyond.
Landfill Drama
Many residents of Pike County, Kentucky, are breathing a sigh of relief since county commissioners finalized their decision to rescind a contract with an out-of-state waste management company.
Overdrive: Fossil Fuels in Appalachia
Electricity demand is on the rise. Here, we share snapshots of energy trends in the region and how methane gas, coal and data centers are affecting our communities — and how people are pushing back.
Less Support for Communities with Mine Problems
The Trump administration issued a regulation to weaken the Ten Day Notice process that helps community members call in federal enforcement when state regulators don’t do a good job policing environmental problems at coal mines
Chaos at the Tennessee Valley Authority, Cuts to Public Input
The past year has brought turmoil and uncertainty to the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power provider, and its more than 10 million customers across the Tennessee Valley.
Landmark Coal Ash Protections Under Attack
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is planning to eviscerate important, hard-won regulations on coal ash, a toxic waste left after burning coal for energy.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment