Posts Tagged ‘Health’
Gov. Cooper nominates new environmental secretary
Gov. Roy Cooper has appointed Michael Regan as the next secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. Regan pledged to develop greater transparency at the agency. That alone could signal a shift from the prior DEQ leadership’s approach to public engagement on environmental issues.
Read MoreFinal Stream Protection Rule released
On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Interior released the Stream Protection Rule, which aims to protect streams from the impacts of surface and longwall mining. The final rule offers only modest improvements to protections for public waterways, but it is well worth defending from congressional attack.
Read MoreSouthwest Virginians speak out against Doe Branch Mine
“God gave us the water so we can stay clean, and so we can drink it. I don’t want poison in the water.” Those are the words of 6-year-old Levi Marney, spoken to representatives of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy at a public meeting about the proposed Doe Branch mountaintop removal mine in Haysi.
Read MoreBoone community comes together to tackle energy waste
At the first-ever Boone Energy Stakeholder Meeting, Appalachian Voices and other stakeholders took an important first step toward identifying solutions that could help tackle the problem of energy waste for the Town of Boone.
Read MoreHurricane Matthew flooding elevates coal ash concerns
Earlier this month, North Carolina was devastated by the impacts of Hurricane Matthew. Flooding occurred across much of the state, with the hardest impacts felt in the east and among communities that are least able to bounce back from such a catastrophic event. While the flood waters are still receding, we are learning about the impacts left in their wake.
Read MoreAtlantic Coast Pipeline could face further delays
In a letter sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Sept. 1, the U.S. Forest Service voiced concerns that the proposed route for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline could threaten several streams in the George Washington National Forest.
Read MoreDo-It-Yourself tips for energy efficiency: Heating & Cooling
Education is a key part of our work, and one way we are helping residents lower their energy costs is by creating and sharing some short videos with Do-It-Yourself energy efficiency tip. This video features John Kidda, founder and President of reNew Homes, Inc., in Boone, N.C., discusses programmable thermostats as a way to save on heating and cooling.
Read MoreRebukes, a resignation and more reasons to worry about coal ash in NC
Where does the war of words over coal ash health advisories leave North Carolinians with contaminated drinking water? Exactly where they were before: as distrustful of DEQ and DHHS as they are of their water’s safety. But in the battle between state employees and the McCrory administration, residents are clear on who they trust.
Read MoreOSMRE announces review of mountaintop removal health research
Contact: Erin Savage, Central Appalachia Campaign Coordinator, 206-769-8286 The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announced today that it will fund a $1 million review by the National Academy of Sciences of current research on the links between surface coal mining and human health risks. It comes more than a year after…
Read MoreNew law puts coal ash progress in NC at risk
The rushed introduction, concurrence and signing of North Carolina House Bill 630 puts at risk many aspects of the progress that residents and environmental groups have made since the introduction of the Coal Ash Management Act in 2014.
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