BLOGGER INDEX
Monday, April 18th, 2016 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | No Comments
Wednesday, September 16th, 2015 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | No Comments
Amy Brown lives in Belmont, North Carolina, with her two children. Since spring, she's been living on bottled water. Her tap water, she's been told, is contaminated by Duke Energy's nearby coal ash pits. This is her story. [ Read More ]Friday, September 4th, 2015 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | 1 Comment
Wednesday, August 26th, 2015 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | No Comments
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | 3 Comments
As part of coal ash law enacted in North Carolina last year, Duke Energy is required to test the well water of residents living within 1000 feet of the massive coal ash ponds that dot the state. Now, the first round of water testing results are coming back, giving residents and regulators a clear picture of just how widespread the problem is.
[ Read More ]Friday, April 10th, 2015 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | 2 Comments
North Carolina Rep. Pricey Harrison introduced a bill today to phase out North Carolina’s use of mountaintop removal coal. The bill mirrors one that has been in the legislature before and that received bipartisan backing, with 75 legislators signing a letter of support. Rep. Harrison's bill also aims to help ratepayers during the economic recovery by placing a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants in the state.
[ Read More ]Monday, March 23rd, 2015 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | No Comments
March 17 marked the first day in history that North Carolina has been fully open to the oil and gas industry for the dangerous, environmentally destructive practice of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. Though the moratorium on fracking has been lifted, communities and environmental organizations across the state are prepared to continue fighting. [ Read More ]Friday, March 13th, 2015 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | No Comments
On Tuesday, DENR announced a historic $25.1 million fine for coal ash pollution at Duke Energy's Sutton power plant. The agency also recently released updated permit drafts for coal ash ponds at other sites, proposed to “better protect water quality near coal ash ponds until closure plans are approved.” Though permitting the pollution will lead to better monitoring, it does nothing to stop or even stymie the toxic discharges. [ Read More ]Friday, December 5th, 2014 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | 1 Comment
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency puts the final touches on the first-ever federal regulation of coal ash, North Carolina's response to the Dan River spill is still hotly contested and new controversies about the best ways to clean up coal ash are beginning to emerge. [ Read More ]Monday, November 17th, 2014 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | No Comments
The North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission issued their final vote on proposed changes to the rules regulating the process of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas last Friday, voting unanimously to approve the rule set. Despite the outpouring of public comments requesting stronger rules, almost all of the commission's changes fell short of what the public overwhelmingly asked for, and the few changes that strengthen the rules only minimally do so. [ Read More ]Wednesday, November 12th, 2014 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | 1 Comment
Appalachian Voices lost a dear friend in late September with the passing of Annie Fulp Brown. Annie was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. She was also a champion for her community and one of the first people in her neighborhood to speak publicly about her experience living next to the largest coal-fired power plant in North Carolina. [ Read More ]Monday, October 20th, 2014 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | 2 Comments
More than two dozen environmental and social justice groups came together in Raleigh last week to hand deliver 59,500 petition signatures to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, calling on elected officials to reinstate the ban on fracking in the state. Clearly, thousands of North Carolinians don't want to see fracking in North Carolina, the question is: are our elected officials listening to us? [ Read More ]
