Way Down Ballot, A Little-Noticed Race With Lots Of Candidates
The ballot in Mecklenburg County this fall lists five pages of races, from president on down. At the very bottom is a race few know much about: Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor. It's...
View ArticleThis 'Supermoon' Is The Biggest In 68 Years
Look skyward overnight Sunday and early Monday and you're in for a treat: A brighter, larger full moon than usual. It's called a supermoon, and this one's especially super.
View ArticleWork To Begin At Davidson Asbestos Site; EPA Cleanups Still On Track
Updated Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 Despite the Trump administration's freeze on new Environmental Protection Agency contracts, a federal cleanup of asbestos found at homes in Davidson remains on track. In...
View ArticleWorkers Finish Covering Asbestos At Old Davidson Mill
Contractors have finished installing a plastic liner, fresh earth and a fiber mat over an asbestos site at the Metrolina Warehouse near downtown Davidson. Last fall, runoff was discovered flowing from...
View ArticleAging Trees And Development Threaten City's Tree Canopy Goal
Charlotte has a goal of having trees cover 50 percent of the city by 2050. But a report out this month says the city may have trouble hitting that goal, as trees disappear faster than they can be planted.
View ArticleMowing Lawns In White Suits, Gas Masks As Davidson Asbestos Cleanup Gets...
There was a strange sight in Davidson a few weeks ago – workers in white suits mowing lawns. It’s part of a $3 million asbestos cleanup by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at about 20 homes and...
View ArticleReport Says Laws Help Improve Region's Air Quality
An annual report out this week shows air quality in North Carolina and other southeastern states is continuing to improve. Federal and state laws have made the difference, but there's concern lawmakers...
View ArticleDuke Annual Meeting Is Online Only, But Expect Protesters At HQ
Duke Energy's annual meeting is Thursday, but don't try to go to uptown Charlotte and vote your shares. This year’s meeting will be at a secret location, beamed to shareholders via telephone and...
View ArticleClean Commute Challenge: Bike, Bus, Walk or Carpool In June
Do you drive to and from work in the Charlotte area? Several local groups are promoting a bit of a competition this month called the Clean Commute Challenge. Charlotte Area Transit System, Sustain...
View ArticleMaps Depict Worst-Case Coal Ash Spills Near Duke Plants
What if a dam holding back coal ash burst at one of Duke Energy's coal plants in the Carolinas or Midwest? Newly released maps from Duke show many properties would be inundated, including some homes...
View ArticleDuke Energy Removes 13M Tons Of Coal Ash, But There's Still Lots Left
Duke Energy has removed about 13 million tons of coal ash at five plants in North Carolina as it complies with federal and state cleanup requirements. But ten times that amount remains in the ground...
View ArticleWhy Did DEQ Put 2 Former Leaders On Leave?
After Democrat Roy Cooper defeated Republican Governor Pat McCrory a year ago, state environmental secretary Donald van der Vaart gave up his office. After all, he was a McCrory appointee. But he...
View ArticleDuke Plans To Return Riverbend Plant To 'Rolling Green Pastures'
A big transformation is happening at Duke Energy's retired Riverbend Steam Station on Mountain Island Lake northwest of Charlotte. The 1920s powerhouse is being demolished, wall-by-wall. And trains are...
View ArticleDeal Helps Valdese Preserve 302 Acres Along Lake Rhodhiss
The town of Valdese in Burke County has acquired 302 acres along Lake Rhodhiss and McGalliard Creek for a new public park. The $1.3 million purchase was funded by private donations and a grant from the...
View ArticleRadioactivity Found In Groundwater At 11 Duke Energy Plants
New data from federally mandated testing has found elevated levels of radiation in groundwater at 11 of 18 Duke Energy coal plants. Environmentalists and Duke disagree over what the numbers mean.
View ArticleReport Says Region's Air Is Cleaner, But Ozone Still A Problem
The American Lung Association's annual air quality report is out. It gives good grades overall for air quality in the Carolinas, though some cities saw slight increases in bad air days between 2014 and...
View ArticlePost-Hurricane Floods Renew Debate Over North Carolina Wood Pellet Industry
Production of wood pellets continues to expand in North Carolina and across the South. Millions of tons are sent every year to be burned in power plants in Europe, where they're considered a form of...
View ArticleAfter Hurricanes, Buzzing Chainsaws Mark The Loss Of Trees
Charlotte neighborhoods have been a cacophony of chainsaws for weeks — since Hurricane Florence and then Tropical Storm Michael blew down trees and limbs around the city.
View ArticleNew Program Encourages Green Practices At Charlotte Restaurants, Bars
Heirloom Restaurant in northwest Charlotte has beehives on the roof, grows its own herbs and uses energy-efficient lighting. Chef Clark Barlowe, who grew up on a North Carolina farm, buys meat and...
View ArticleAtlantic Coast Pipeline Work Halted After Court Stays Key Permit
The company building the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline says it has halted construction after a federal appeals court put on hold a key environmental permit.
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