Court to EPA: Get Moving on Coal Ash!

Last week, a federal judge agreed with environmental and public health groups that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency needs to set federal regulations for the safe and proper disposal of toxic coal ash. The court order is a step forward for Appalachian Voices and other environmental groups who went to court in 2012 regarding the…

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Federal Court Orders EPA to Move Forward on Coal Ash Regulations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. – A federal judge agreed with environmental and public health groups that the Environmental Protection Agency needs to set federal regulations for the safe and proper disposal of toxic coal ash. A copy of the judge’s order can be found here: http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/RCRA_NOI_Order.pdf The groups filed the lawsuit in April 2012…

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Highlights from the Southeast Coal Ash Summit

The power of the environmental justice movement is rooted in our ability to band together and engage a broad base of support. This past weekend, more than 80 citizens convened for the first ever Southeast Coal Ash Summit in Atlanta, Ga. Appalachian Voices, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and…

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Local Citizens Speak Up about Nation’s Top Source of Toxic Water Pollution: Coal-Burning Waste

Last month, more than 150,000 people across the country submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, encouraging the agency to adopt strong regulations for the toxic waste water produced by coal-burning power plants. The comments were submitted to the EPA after the agency proposed an update of the rules under the Clean Water Act…

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Duke Energy: Stop the Spin Cycle

Sara Behnke loves her home, Mountain Island Lake. But about 10 miles northwest of Charlotte, N.C., the lake, which supplies drinking water to more than 800,000 residents of the Charlotte metro area, is threatened by two coal ash ponds at Duke Energy’s recently shuttered Riverbend plant. We’re happy to share a recent post by Sara…

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Of Loincloths and Lean-Tos: The Fight To Protect NC’s Water

Out of the many things that were targeted in the North Carolina legislature, water quality took a huge hit. Not only did the state budget call for the consolidation of the Division of Water Quality and Division of Water Resources, it slashed the two agencies combined budget by more than 12 percent. And there is…

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Bringing A Renewed Sense of Community to our Citizens

In the latest issue of The Advocate, we feature our intrepid Red, White & Water team, which was on the road in North Carolina over the last couple months meeting with people living near toxic coal ash ponds. The response was tremendous. Led by our North Carolina campaign coordinator, Sandra Diaz, our team of interns…

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Join the Inaugural Southeast Coal Ash Summit

For folks interested in the topic of toxic coal ash and how it threatens our communities, here’s an opportunity to learn more and engage with others interested in the issue. On Sept. 27-28, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy will host an inaugural Southeast Coal Ash Summit in Atlanta, Ga. Advocates, national and regional experts,…

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North Carolina Sues Duke Energy Over Coal Ash Pollution, Again

In recent months, but only after prolonged pressure from concerned citizens and environmental groups, it seemed the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources was finally ready to take Duke Energy to task over coal ash pollution. But when DENR and Duke put forth a proposed settlement that came with a fine of just $99,000…

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