Duke Energy Carolinas has filed a request with the NC Utilities Commission to increase electric rates Oct. 24, 2011: NC Utilities Commission must not let itself be caught unawares of the larger implications of a merger request and a rate hike request occurring in close proximity. The people of North Carolina would bear the brunt of this 1000-pound gorilla, a beast with the financial clout to have the North Carolina Legislature wreak havoc with electric rates, environmental regulations, financial oversight and whatever else the opportunists want without regard for basic principles or eventual consequences.

Read BREDL Comments
Upcoming Public Hearings: BREDL Flyer on Public Hearings

League responds to industry supporters regarding proposed Biomass Gasification Plant in Lithonia, GA

June 2011: BREDL Analysis in response to industry supporters who criticized our BREDL fact sheet on Green Energy Partners proposed biomass gasification plant.

League Urges EPA to Hold the Line Against Biomass Incineration

May 5, 2011: Today the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released its comments on the Environmental Protections Agency’s proposed greenhouse gas emission rules. The League called for a halt in permitting of incinerators using biomass fuel until carbon dioxide reductions are required. Also, the League challenged EPA’s earlier decision that biomass fuel itself constitutes adequate pollution control. The organization challenged the EPA to protect Southern communities by preventing the current onslaught of incinerators burning everything from household garbage to whole trees.

BREDL Press Release | BREDL Comments: Lou's Comments , Therese's Comments

League Granted Permission to Intervene Against ReVenture
NC Utilities Commission Order Issued Today

April 7, 2011: Today the North Carolina Utilities Commission issued an order granting Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League’s petition to intervene in ReVenture Park Investment’s request for a declaratory ruling. The order is in response to the League’s petition to intervene filed on Monday. 

BREDL Press Release | Commission Chairman’s order 

BREDL fact sheet on Proposed Biomass Gasification Plant in Lithonia, GA

March 2011: BREDL fact sheet on Green Energy Partners proposed biomass gasification plant.

Proposed 20Mw Incinerator at ReVenture Park

March 8, 2011: A Charlotte company plans to build and operate a waste incinerator at the proposed ReVenture Park in the Catawba River District of Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. According to ReVenture project developers, the incinerator could burn wood scraps, garbage and sewage sludge in a 20 megawatt waste-to-energy plant.

BREDL Fact Sheet and Map

BREDL comments on DOE NEPA implementation for renewables and biomass

March 7, 2011: BREDL comments on U.S. Dept. of Energy implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act regarding categorical exclusions of renewable energy and biomass.

BREDL comments 

Campaign to Change Energy Policy in the Southeast
Biomass is a False Solution

Jan. 27, 2011: Today at a press conference the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League launched a campaign to halt biomass energy incinerators in the Southeast. Based on its new report on biomass energy, Smoke and Mirrors, the League will press for local, state and national policy changes to reduce global warming. The message is: Biomass is a False Solution.

Read BREDL Press Release | Press Conference Slides | Report: "Smoke and Mirrors"

Energy Policy Recommendations

January 2011: The Clean Energy Policy Recommendations reflect both the League’s past campaigns and our current work in the communities we serve. Energy policies, like energy habits, are difficult to change. Politics and private corporate interests often override science, ethics and common sense. These recommendations provide our members and others with a reference point to continue this challenging but essential discussion about our energy future.

Read the BREDL Clean Energy Policy Recommendations 

Loopholes, Exemptions and Omissions in the Wiregrass Biomass-fired Power Plant Permit

Jan. 13, 2011: The air pollution permit issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for the Wiregrass Biomass-Fired Power Plant grants the company many ways to emit excess levels of pollution. A close examination of the permit, the permit application and other documents indicate that biomass power plants are not clean sources of power and that the first priority of their owner-operators is neither public health nor environmental quality.

Read the BREDL Report

Economic Development with Clean Energy Programs

Dec. 31, 2010: Healthy economic growth and clean energy development in small cities and rural areas need not be centered on high-tech enterprises or new facilities. Rather, they can employ locally available resources such as private contractors and trained volunteers to reduce energy consumption in existing housing units and commercial spaces or to install solar and wind powered energy units.

Download Economic Development with Clean Energy Programs

Surry County Rejects Fibrowatt Incinerator

May 18, 2010

CACHE wins major victory! Surry County Commissioners voted Monday night to break off all negotiations with Fibrowatt and to immediately recruit another company for the site near Elkin, North Carolina. See the story below from the Mount Airy News.

The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League has campaigned since 2006 to stop Fibrowatt from locating in the Wilkes-Alexander-Surry County area. The Citizens Alliance for a Clean, Healthy Economy organized as a BREDL chapter in 2009 after Fibrowatt decided to build a 40-50 mega-watt incinerator near Elkin in Surry County.

Following the Commissioners’ unanimous vote, CACHE committed to follow through on their promise to find new economic opportunities for Surry County that will protect the community and preserve the County’s air and water. Members also vowed to assist communities in Sampson and Montgomery Counties where Fibrowatt has also announced intentions to locate.

Read Mt. Airy News May 17 article - County severs ties with Fibrowatt
Read Elkin Tribune May 19 article - Fibrowatt Finished Here

April 24, 2010: Questioning the delivery of next-stage electricity - Op-ed by David Mickey in the Winston-Salem Journal

Citizens Applaud Court’s Rejection Of Sampson County’s
Motion To Dismiss Fibrowatt Zoning Complaint

Feb. 17, 2010 (Clinton, NC) The members of Citizens for a Safe Environment, a chapter of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, will proceed with their lawsuit against Sampson County following a Superior Court decision on Monday. In ruling against Sampson County’s motion to dismiss the group’s complaint, the court said that Citizens for a Safe Environment has sufficient standing, has provided evidence of both unlawful “spot zoning” and contract zoning, and that allegations of capricious and arbitrary actions by the county are sufficient for the case to move forward. Read BREDL Press Release

CACHE releases response regarding poultry litter set-aside

Jan. 9, 2010: CACHE (Citizens’ Alliance for a Clean, Healthy Economy) today released their response to Surry County Commissioners Chairman Craig Hunter’s rebuttal testimony to the North Carolina Utilities Commission opposing a request by Duke Power and Progress Energy to delay the poultry litter set-aside in General Statute 62-133-8 (f). Read CACHE Press Release

Fibrowatt Flunks Major Tests In Minnesota
League Challenges North Carolina Regulators and Calls for Hearings

Dec. 22, 2009: Today in letters mailed to state officials the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League challenged North Carolina’s environmental and utilities regulators to consider major permit violations at a poultry litter incinerator in Minnesota before allowing similar projects to proceed. The plant’s operator, Fibrowatt LLC, wants to build three more incinerators in North Carolina to burn poultry waste. A settlement agreement between Fibrowatt and the state of Minnesota was released to the League December 17.

BREDL Press Release | Settlement Agreement between Fibrowatt and Minnesota |
Dec. 21, 2009 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Press Release | Fibrominn Violations FAQ

Dec. 3, 2009: Today at a press conference in Chester, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released a new report on toxic air pollution impacts from the Covanta incinerator proposed for Chester County. The study shows that poisonous air emissions would be deposited more than six miles away from the facility. Read BREDL Press Release | BREDL Technical Report: Toxic Air Pollution Impacts from the proposed Covanta Energy Chester County WTE Project

The League comments on new 60 MW unadulterated wood-fired boiler in Hertford County, NC
Nov. 30, 2009: BREDL comments on North Carolina Division of Air Quality’s preliminary determination that a construction and operation permit can be issued to Hertford Renewable Energy for a new 60 MW unadulterated wood-fired boiler in Hertford County. Read BREDL Comments

League comments on Duke Energy Request for Rate Increase
Sept. 15, 2009: BREDL opposes Duke Energy’s request for authority to increase the rates charged to the 1.8 million customers in their service area. Read BREDL comments

League Files Motion to Delay Poultry Litter Incinerators

Sept. 3, 2009: In papers filed Wednesday with the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and three of its community chapters moved to delay and modify a contentious provision of the state’s renewable energy law. Citizens for a Safe Environment (Duplin County), Citizens Alliance for a Clean Healthy Environment (Surry County), and Sampson County Citizens for a Safe Environment (Sampson County) joined the League in filing the motion. Their motion to intervene asks the Commission to indefinitely delay the use of poultry waste to generate electricity. The poultry waste requirement, or, “set-aside”, was included in the 2007 legislation adopting renewable energy standards for North Carolina.

BREDL Press Release
Community Groups Motion to Intervene | Community Groups Response

Deadline for these sign-on letters was Midnight September 16, 2009. They will be mailed on September 17, 2009. Thanks to all who signed.

BREDL Sign-on Letter Please sign on to our letter urging the North Carolina Utilities Commission to adopt a poultry waste " time-out " and make use of the opportunity to consider the implications of using poultry waste to generate electricity.

BREDL Sign-on Letter Please sign on to our letter urging NC GreenPower to remove the incineration of poultry litter and other types of litter from the green energy program.

BREDL staffer David Mickey poses with the BIOMASS MONSTER at the Southern Energy and Environment Expo in Asheville, NC.

Aug. 25, 2009: BREDL’s “BIOMASS MONSTER” - a hit at NC Energy Expo: An unexpected guest showed up at the Southern Energy & Environment Expo in Asheville, NC, last weekend. No, it wasn’t Roxy, Sue’s 10-year-old pit bull who went along for the ride. Instead, it was the BIOMASS MONSTER that attracted lots of stares – and smiles - from both the exhibitors, and those attending the Expo. Read Full Article

More info: BREDL Biomass Factsheet

Aug. 14, 2009: BREDL comments on TVA's Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement; Integrated Resource Plan - Most of the electric power in TVA’s service area is provided by coal and nuclear power: fossil-fuel about 60%; nuclear power about 30%. Methane gas burning is included under TVA’s Green Power Switch. These three are critically flawed forms of power generation with limited futures. TVA should adopt an energy plan which promotes clean, renewable energy sources including wind and solar, adopt a comprehensive program of energy conservation and efficiency, phase out its nuclear and coal plants and rule out burning of garbage, animal manure, and other waste materials. Read BREDL Comments

Two recent Op-ed pieces about Fibrowatt by BREDL staff:
June 13, 2009: Op-ed by Janet Marsh in the Mt. Airy News
June 26, 2009: Op-ed by David Mickey in The Sampson Independent

May 26, 2009: League Ups the Ante in Poultry Manure Incinerator Debate - Today in a letter to a powerful North Carolina legislator, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League called for full disclosure of the violations and enforcement actions against the Fibrominn poultry manure incinerator in Benson, Minnesota. BREDL Press Release | May 26 letter to Rep. Pricey Harrison

May 7, 2009: League Urges Duke Shareholders to Reject Poultry Litter Incineration - Today at Duke Energy’s annual meeting in Charlotte, members of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League asked shareholders to question the company about electricity from poultry waste. The group distributed a handout describing poultry litter as dirtier than coal, more expensive than wind, and litter incineration as an economic threat to farmers. BREDL Press Release | BREDL May 7 Handout at Duke Energy meeting

May 6, 2009: League Opens Fire on Fibrowatt - Today at a press conference in Elkin, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released a stunning report showing that the proposed Fibrowatt manure incinerator would deposit dangerous levels of poisons up to six miles from the plant site. The report concludes that the incinerator would contaminate the surrounding area with arsenic, chromium, mercury and other pollutants. More info: BREDL Press Release | BREDL Modeling Report | May 11 Forum Flyer

What would a Fibrowatt poultry litter incinerator in Surry County
mean for air quality and public health?
Community forum with nationally recognized expert Stephen Lester, Science Director,
Center for Health, Environment and Justice
Monday May 11, 2009
7:00-8:30 PM
First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall
340 Hawthorne Road, Elkin, North Carolina
Free and open to the public
View BREDL Event Flyer

What would a Fibrowatt poultry litter incinerator in Montgomery County
mean for air quality and public health?
Community forum with nationally recognized expert Stephen Lester, Science Director,
Center for Health, Environment and Justice
Tuesday May 12, 2009
7:00-8:30 PM
Montgomery County Library
215 West Main Street, Troy, North Carolina
Free and open to the public
View BREDL Event Flyer

April 2009: Fib-rowatt Facts- It's time to tell the truth: BREDL Factsheet on Fibrowatt's proposal to build three poultry waste incinerators in North Carolina.

BREDL Analysis: "Electric Power from Poultry Waste is Not Green...and Not Carbon Neutral" (posted April 2, 2009)

CSE Places Full Page Newspaper Ad Highlighting Problems With Burning Poultry Litter

March 18, 2009: Citizens for a Safe Environment of Eastern North Carolina (CSE), a BREDL chapter, placed a full-page ad in Sunday’s Sampson Independent. The group raised issues that have put their neighborhoods at risk.

Ad placed in March 15 Sampson Independent

Plans by a Pennsylvania company, Fibrowatt, to burn poultry litter to produce electricity, threatens the local agriculture economy, contributes to higher electricity rates, lowers property values, and has negative impacts on air quality.

Locating the plant near a minority community, and close to area schools and churches has raised issues of environmental justice and attracted the attention of the North Carolina NAACP and other groups. On Saturday NAACP President Rev. Dr. William Barber will address a rally against Fibrowatt in Clinton.

The Sampson newspaper ad highlights several of the problems associated with burning poultry litter:

More info: View full-page ad

Citizens Take Legal Action To Stop Fibrowatt Poultry Manure Incinerator
Oct. 02, 2008: (Clinton, NC) On Tuesday Citizens for a Safe Environment took legal steps in Sampson County to reverse the commissioners’ decision to re-zone land near Faison. That decision allowed a poultry manure incinerator project to move forward. Fibrowatt proposes to build a plant on the site that would burn poultry manure. The complaint cites negative impacts to the neighboring African-American community, air and water pollution, and detrimental impacts to nearby organic farmers and the area’s farm economy. The Superior Court filing charges that the re-zoning is improper and invalid.
Read BREDL Press Release | Read October 03, 2008 Fayetteville Observer article Power plant foes are suing to pull plug

Aug. 2008: FibroWHAT? cartoon

Sampson’s Incentives for Dirty - by BREDL's David Mickey
Read Letter-to-the-Editor published May 9, 2008 in the Opinion Section of the Fayetteville Observer.

May 2008: BREDL Factsheet - Farmers, Fertilizer & Fibrowatt

April 22, 2008: BREDL comments on Sampson County’s proposed tax incentives for Fibrowatt LLC.

April 1, 2008: Environmental Group Challenges State To Protect Communities From Dirty Renewable Energy Plants - The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), a long-time critic of exemptions and loopholes in North Carolina’s air quality program, yesterday called on the state to exercise leadership in the development of clean renewable energy. Legislation enacted by the General Assembly in 2007 mandated the use of swine waste and poultry litter to generate electricity and other biomass fuels are allowed under the program. Read BREDL Press Release

March 31, 2008: David Mickey's comments on the NC Environmental Management Commission’s development of environmental standards for renewable energy facilities in North Carolina. 

BUILDING A SAFE ENERGY FUTURE FOR THE CAROLINAS

Guest Speaker Series

Peter Bradford

Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Time: 6:30–8:30 PM
Place: Charlotte Public Library, Dalton Conference Room
Main Library 310 North Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28202

Peter Bradford has formerly served as a Commissioner to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Chair to the New York State Public Service Commission and Maine Public Utilities Commission. Currently, he advises and teaches on utility regulation, restructuring, nuclear power and energy policy in the U.S. and abroad. ... He is vice-chair of the Board of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

More Details: Agenda, Full Bio, Directions

August 30, 2007: Factsheet: Is Nuclear Power Right for Cherokee County? (Duke Power has selected a site in Cherokee County, near Gaffney, SC)

July 11, 2007 (revised March 2008): Poultry power is dirtier than coal. Poultry Litter versus Coal-fired Power Plants: An Air Pollution Comparison - The graph illustrates the negative air pollution impacts of power plants powered by poultry litter compared with boilers fired by coal. We compared emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and acid gases from a recently opened poultry waste power plant in Minnesota with the proposed expansion of Duke Energy’s Cliffside facility. The pollution data is taken from the state air permits for the two plants. We utilized heat input as a common denominator, the typical method for regulating electric generating plants in North Carolina, Minnesota and most other states.

October 17, 2006: Lou Zeller's comments before the VA State Corporation Commission regarding proposed coal-fired power plant in Wise County, Virginia.

August 31, 2006: Duke Power proposes to triple the electric power output of its Cliffside plant near Shelby, North Carolina. The company predicts that emissions of nitrogen oxides will double: from about 3,000 tons per year to nearly 6,000 tons/year. Nitrogen oxides are the primary source of ground level ozone, a pollutant which frequently exceeds National Ambient Air Quality Standards in many parts of North Carolina. Ozone is a regional problem; NOx emissions affect downwind counties and states.
Lou Zeller's comments before the NC Utilities Commission

July 12, 2006: BREDL Report on proposed Fibrowatt facility - Executive Director Janet Marsh Zeller's comments on the report: Fibrowatt's Thetford plant, in 2004, put out 234,430 kilograms (516,824 pounds) of carbon monoxide. I call these incinerators rather than power plants, because 50 megawatts is a tiny amount of power for what is lost. The amount of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide -- if this plant is similar to their Minnesota plant -- would be roughly similar to a coal plant. One disadvantage of burning poultry litter is the creation of air poisons not in the original materials. They are created in the smokestack itself. Fibrowatt's Thetford plant put out 30 milligrams of dioxins in 2004. We are going to see larger amounts if they build what they plan for North Carolina. If you dissect what they say -- hold on, here are details.
BREDL Report | Emissions Table | More Details on Fibrowatt

April 2006: The Safe Energy Campaign Factsheet - On March 16, 2006 Duke Power Co. and Southern Co. announced that they had picked a site in South Carolina for a new nuclear power plant. Also, the power companies announced plans to seek early site permits for additional nuclear reactors at Oconee, SC and at a new site near Winston-Salem, NC.

March 21, 2006: Fibrowatt LLC is considering locations in North Carolina for a 50 MW plant that burns poultry litter. Burning poultry litter creates unnecessary pollution and is inconsistent with NC GreenPower’s mission to promote renewable energy while protecting the environment. Please sign on to our letter urging NC GreenPower to remove the incineration of poultry litter and other types of litter from the green energy program. BREDL Sign-on Letter | Fibrowatt Factsheet

May 1, 2006: BREDL requests the NC Utilities Commission promote policies which accelerate the growth of wind and solar power and discourage further incentives for fossil-fuel and nuclear power.
Lou Zeller's testimony before the NC Utilities Commission

Oct. 19, 2005: BREDL comments on Green-e's proposal to certify municipal solid waste gasification as an eligible renewable energy resource. Green-e is the nation's leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy products. The Green-e Standard establishes the technical criteria that electricity products must meet to be eligible for Green-e certification. Read all comments submitted nationally | Find out more about Green-e

August 30, 2005: BREDL Report on 2005 Southern Energy & Environment Expo, which was held at the Western NC Agricultural Center in Fletcher on August 26-28. The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League participated with an information booth, two workshops, and a parking lot-sized educational display. The League’s focus this year was nuclear power and nuclear waste transportation.

Clickable maps with info about North Carolina's 14 coal-fired electric power plants , South Carolina's 12 coal-fired electric power plants , Virginia's 8 coal-fired electric power plants , Tennessee's 8 coal-fired electric power plants , and Georgia's 10 coal-fired electric power plants.

Nov. 16, 2004: Renewable Energy Factsheet: Total Cost-Benefit Accounting for Electric Energy - Support for coal and nuclear power retards the growth of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

Oct. 19, 2004: BREDL has endorsed the "Declaration of Independence from Dirty Energy" as outlined by Energy Action, a new North American Youth Clean Energy Coalition.

Aug. 24, 2003: North Carolina Ridge Law Fact Sheet: NC Ridge Law is no obstacle to wind power. (in .pdf)

Aug. 22, 2003: North Carolina Green Power Fact Sheet: NC Green Power Program - Don't Buy It! (in .pdf)

Aug 9, 2003: Triad Environmental Action outing with members of Community for Peace to visit Solar Village. Read about the trip and how one person is living life independent of the power grid.

July 9, 2002 - BREDL comments on Virginia DEQ and SCC agreement on power plant impacts

July 8, 2002 - BREDL comments on Special Consent Order for water permit for Clover coal-fired power plant, Halifax County, Virginia

June 22, 2201 - Virginia DEQ response to BREDL's comments on Glen Lyn power plant Acid Rain Permit Amendment. (.pdf format)

April 19, 2001 - Comments on Glen Lyn Power Plant Acid Rain Amendment

Feb 9, 2001 - Comments on Glen Lyn Power Plant Acid Rain Amendment

October 24, 2000 - Clean Energy for a Sustainable Future: Report on Wind Powering America technical workshop and Green Mountain Wind Farm by Louis Zeller (includes photos and video clips)

April 11, 2000 - BREDL's comments on CP & L's H.F. Lee and Cape Fear Title V power plant permits.

April 5, 2000 - BREDL's comments on Duke Energy's Riverbend and Dan River Title V power plant permits.

Jan 19, 2000 - BREDL's comments on Carolina Power & Light Integrated Resource Plan

Nov. 3, 1999 - U.S. Justice Department Press Release: U.S. Justice Dept. , on behalf of the EPA, sues electric utilities to enforce the Clean Air Act.

North Carolina citizens have the right to refuse herbicide applications on rights-of ways

BREDL Fact Sheet: GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDE