Posts Tagged ‘North Carolina’
Health Research Disregarded in Mountaintop Removal Mine Permitting
In both West Virginia and Kentucky this year, federal courts have ruled against groups that believe scientific research into the impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on health should be considered by the agencies in charge of issuing permits.
Read MoreHundreds of North Carolinians attend final fracking hearing
Earlier this month, concerned citizens gathered in Cullowhee, N.C., for the fourth and final hearing on rules drafted to regulate hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in the state. Throughout the series of hearings that began last month, it has been clear that North Carolinians overwhelmingly oppose the practice, and if the state’s rush to begin fracking can’t be completely stopped, the regulations must be stronger.
About gray matter: One artist’s experience with the health impacts of coal ash
Residents of the Belews Creek community of Stokes County, N.C., have been speaking out about the serious health threat from the nearby massive coal ash pit, which is the largest in the state. Artist Caroline Armijo, who has seen too many of her friends and neighbors die from cancer, is one of them.
After last-minute compromise, N.C. legislature passes coal ash bill
However dysfunctional, the North Carolina General Assembly always seems to come together in the end — often in literally the final hours of the legislative session. After a last-minute compromise, the North Carolina legislature passed the coal ash bill on Wednesday, but fell short of promises to protect communities in the wake of the Dan River spill.
Exploring Mountain Bogs
Although mountain bogs represent less than one percent of the southern Appalachian landscape, they are pockets of immense ecological and practical importance and provide a haven for many rare plants and animals.
Read MoreFull Disclosure?
As North Carolina considers its first natural gas drilling rules, a survey of the region shows how states are — and aren’t — regulating fracking.
Read MoreNew Moth Named to Honor Cherokee
The Cherokeea attakullakulla now boasts a name of high distinction. A researcher first described the moth in the 1950s, but it was not until this summer that a team of scientists published a report recognizing it as an unidentified species native to North Carolina and Tennessee. Once a nameless moth drifting through Appalachia, its name…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Coal Ash Bill Pending
By Brian Sewell On July 14, the N.C. Senate voted unanimously to reject the state House’s revised version of the Coal Ash Management Plan, which weakened the cleanup requirements in the Senate’s original bill. Now, a committee with members of both chambers must craft a compromise bill. Sen. Tom Apodaca, who sponsored the Senate bill,…
Read MoreN.C. Circumvents Supreme Court Ruling On Groundwater Contamination
By Kimber Ray Lawsuits filed by citizens exposed to toxic tap water in Asheville, N.C., and Camp Lejeune Marine Corp Base, N.C., will now be able to move forward, thanks to legislation signed into law this July by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory. The bill clarifies that the state’s deadline for filing personal injury claims…
Read MoreWhat do Duke Energy and a messy teenager have in common?
Duke Energy has spent six months cleaning up its Dan River coal spill, the third worst in U.S. history, and got a whopping six percent removed. And now it says the job is done. North Carolinians should not accept this — no less than most parents accept their teenagers’ excuses to clean up their rooms.