Posts Tagged ‘North Carolina’
Energy Savings Advances in Tennessee and North Carolina
This September in Tennessee, Appalachian Voices participated in an energy efficiency “retreat” that brought the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and six of its member cooperatives together with a number of state agencies and numerous experts in energy efficiency finance.
Read MoreNorth Carolinians React to Proposed Fracking Rules
The N.C. Mining and Energy Commission held public hearings in August and September on the proposed rules it has put forth to regulate fracking in the state. At each of the four hearings held across the state, North Carolinians overwhelmingly expressed concerns with the rules’ shortcomings and the state’s rush to begin fracking.
Read MoreLong-Awaited Coal Ash Bill Leaves Communities at Risk
This September, North Carolina’s first bill regulating the disposal of coal ash became law. Legislators praised the law as the strongest in the nation, but environmental groups and citizens living next to coal ash ponds say it is not strong enough.
Read MoreHealth 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 More