Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 | Posted by Sandra Diaz | 2 Comments
Thursday, June 4th, 2015 | Posted by Sandra Diaz | No Comments
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 ]Thursday, February 26th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments
Duke Energy likes to use a tagline about how, for more than 100 years, it has provided affordable, reliable electricity to its customers "at the flip of a switch." But a year after the Dan River spill, Duke seems to accept that coal ash pollution has its own chapter in the company’s corporate story. Now, facing federal criminal charges, Duke will pay for its crimes.
[ Read More ]Friday, February 20th, 2015 | Posted by Brian Sewell | 8 Comments
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Duke Energy for violating the federal Clean Water Act at coal ash sites across North Carolina. The company announced today that it has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors to resolve the charges that includes $102.2 million for fines and mitigation. [ Read More ]Monday, February 9th, 2015 | Posted by Amy Adams | No Comments
In the wake of the Dan River coal ash spill, which spewed 39,000 tons of the toxic waste into the scenic river, much attention has been given to the problems of leaky, unlined coal ash pits across North Carolina. What hasn't received adequate attention is another menacing threat just upstream from the site of last year's spill. [ Read More ]Monday, February 2nd, 2015 | Posted by Guest Contributor | No Comments
Guest Contributor Caroline Rutledge Armijo: On Sunday, Residents for Coal Ash Clean Up met on Belews Lake, overlooking the smokestacks at Duke Energy's Belews Steam Station in Stokes County, N.C. Today marks the one year anniversary of the coal ash spill into the Dan River, the third largest coal ash spill in our nation’s history but likely a drop in the bucket of what would happen if there was a spill at Belews Creek. [ 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 ]Friday, June 20th, 2014 | Posted by Amy Adams | No Comments
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. [ Read More ]Tuesday, June 17th, 2014 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments
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. [ Read More ]Thursday, May 15th, 2014 | Posted by Sarah Kellogg | No Comments
Since the Dan River spill in February, Duke Energy has been under immense public pressure to clean up its toxic coal ash legacy without passing the cost on to their ratepayers. Rather than actually cleaning up its coal ash, however, the company is spending millions to clean up its image by launching a that claims, “We’ll do the right thing with our coal ash.” It's what the "right thing" is that remains contentious. [ Read More ]Tuesday, May 13th, 2014 | Posted by Kara Dodson | No Comments
This month residents and clean water advocates across North Carolina have stood together to demand that Duke Energy clean up its coal ash pollution. On May 1, Appalachian Voices joined hundreds to rally outside Duke's annual shareholder meeting and a little more than a week later we helped host a community paddle and picnic day on Belews Lake, where the the largest and dirtiest coal plant in North Carolina is located. [ Read More ]
