As Earth Day nears, let’s talk plastic pollution

Picture this — your bottle of body wash, discarded and forgotten, now sits floating in the Pacific Ocean, mingling with millions of others in a toxic soup of waste. Like you, I toss containers into the trash without thinking twice.

Fueled up: Public opposition mounts over gas station project

A new gas station, T&C General Store, is planned for the corner of N.C. 107 and South River Road, where the old Jack the Dipper used to sit, right on the Tuckasegee River. 

While a project of this nature is permitted in the zoning district, the public has expressed concern over environmental, aesthetic and traffic safety concerns, especially in the wake of flooding from Hurricane Helene. 

Debris removal begins along Pigeon River

Equipment and personnel have arrived in Haywood County to begin removing debris at 22 sites along the Pigeon River. 

The initial focus of the debris removal will be on things like downed trees, appliances and vehicles that, if dislodged and sent downstream, could cause further catastrophic damage.

Damage from Helene: Hellbenders may get endangered species listing

By now, the story of Hurricane Helene is a tragically familiar one: the endless rain, the swollen rivers, the angry water indiscriminately destroying lives and homes. The storm killed more than 230 people across five states, including 104 confirmed dead in North Carolina and 18 in Tennessee

Canton paper mill environmental report released: Findings offer few surprises

Almost a year after its internal publication, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has made public a report detailing the results of comprehensive ground and surface water sampling required at and around the site on which the now shut-down Pactiv Evergreen papermill sits. 

Ah, Booyz, that’s good

Kind Hearts, this hurricane has made me think about water, and I can say with certainty that water once had a role in my grandparents’ life that was near to a religion. Several years ago, a friend sent me a warning that confused me. “An organization named Nestlé is coming for your water.” What the hell? I struggled to understand how anyone could steal my water.

How the sale of Canton’s mill site may impact EPA efforts

In the hours following the announcement that Pactiv Evergreen’s paper mill property in Canton may have a new owner in the coming months, news came and fast and furious.

Bringing in the feds: EPA agreement mandates elements of Canton mill cleanup

Pactiv Evergreen, owner of the shuttered papermill in Canton, has been working to clean up two separate seeps leaking toxic substances into the Pigeon River under an administrative order of consent (AOC) with the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Canton mill notches another violation

Pactiv Evergreen’s paper mill in Canton has been hit with its fifth-straight notice of an environmental violation following the failure of a quarterly discharge toxicity test. 

Soldiers for sustainability: Common fly could help address pollution, boost sustainability

They can eat just about anything and multiply like crazy. They live all over the world, in a variety of environments — wherever you go, they’re likely nearby. 

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