Posts Tagged ‘North Carolina’
Hey Duke Energy – Buy a Bigger Dump Truck!
Duke Energy and its army of lobbyists apparently have convinced N.C. lawmakers that it’s just too expensive to clean up all of its leaking coal ash dumps. The company’s argument is based on an assumption that it would take 30 years to remove the ash from JUST ONE SITE. “What??” I hear you ask incredulously. So let’s take a deeper look at that …
Environmental community calls for major changes to North Carolina House’s coal ash bill
Environmental community calls for major changes to North Carolina House’s coal ash bill
Read MoreAs the state falters, local governments support coal ash cleanup
North Carolinians who live near coal ash ponds and have seen local waterways polluted are bravely speaking up about their experiences. And as state government continues to fail to hold Duke accountable for its coal ash pollution, communities are taking a stand against coal ash pollution.
A “strict proposal” that should be stronger
The N.C. Senate’s coal ash bill would put into law what Duke Energy has already committed to: cleaning up the most high-profile coal ash sites in the state. But in its current form, the proposal gives too much sway to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and a coal ash commission that has yet to be created.
North Carolina “off the sidelines” to fast-track fracking
Four months after a massive coal ash spill devastated the Dan River, and before the state’s coal ash problem is remedied, North Carolina is poised to open a new can of worms. On Wednesday, Gov. Pat McCrory signed the Energy Modernization Act, lifting a moratorium on natural gas drilling in the state.
At What Cost?
Concerns about Duke’s toxic coal ash have prompted Annie Brown and dozens of other community members to meet regularly since July 2013 to discuss how to get it out of their neighborhood once and for all. The group, which calls itself “Residents for Coal Ash Cleanup,” has recently grown in size, becoming more outspoken and more certain of their demands.
Read MoreMore Than a Market
By Megan Northcote Shopping for fresh, locally grown foods at farmers markets is always a refreshing way to find healthy foods while supporting the community. But in recent years, some farmers markets have transformed from grocery store alternatives to tourist destinations, featuring cooking and artisan demonstrations, hands-on healthy living activities for children, and food and…
Read MoreN.C. General Assembly to Consider Coal Ash
By Brian Sewell In the first North Carolina legislative session since a Duke Energy coal ash pond spilled 39,000 tons of toxic ash into the Dan River, two lawmakers introduced a bill based on Gov. Pat McCrory’s coal ash cleanup proposal. The governor’s proposal mirrors previous recommendations made by the utility itself, and State Senator…
Read MoreDoubts Follow Elk River Contamination
By Kimber Ray Four months after a Freedom Industries chemical tank contaminated the water of approximately 300,000 West Virginia residents this past January, only 36 percent of those residents were drinking their tap water, according a survey released in May by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. The affected private utility, West Virginia American Water Company, is…
Read MoreCommunities Pursue Revitalization Plans
By Carvan Craft Convenient access to local food can be a rare commodity in rural communities. Thanks to the Appalachian Livable Communities grant program, founded in 2012, five Appalachian communities will receive a shared total of $375,000 to help make local food projects a reality. The grant will fund a new agricultural education facility for…
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