|
NC Healthy Communities: Recent Postings
|
Feb. 2010: Phase-out
PERC Now - brochure highlighting adverse effects from the dry
cleaning solvent Perchloroethylene, emphasis on Durham County, NC
impacts
August 2009: Are Biosolids safe for our farmlands and food? BREDL Biosolids Factsheet
Aug. 12, 2009: League launches state-wide
campaign to involve communities in safe cleanup of dry cleaning
sites - 42 North Carolina Counties have contaminated soil and
groundwater: Today the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League launched a statewide community-centered campaign to ensure
the public is involved with cleanup of dry-cleaning contaminated
sites. The League’s goals include educating residents about
the dangers of toxic dry cleaning solvents, securing community
level influence on state decision making, and protecting water
quality and human health. The League is working with their
network of chapters and organizing new community groups located
near these contaminated dry cleaning sites. BREDL Press
Release
Community forum to look at
risks of sewage sludge spreading on farmlands: The
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), and the Center
for Health, and Environment and Justice (CHEJ) will host a
community forum concerning the risks to public health and the
environment from the spreading sewage sludge from wastewater
treatment plants on farmlands. The forum will specifically focus
on issues related to sewage sludge spreading on farmlands in
Orange, Alamance and Chatham Counties, NC. The forum will take place on Thursday, June 4 from 7-9 p.m., at the Cane Creek Baptist Church Activity Center, 6901 Orange Grove Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278. A press briefing will take place at the Center at 6 p.m. where the speakers will discuss with members of the media the risks associated with land application of sewage sludge on public health and the environment.
More info: BREDL Press Advisory
April 3, 2009: BREDL
comments on NC DENR Division of Waste Management proposed
Septage Management rules. BREDL comments that additional changes
to the rules would provide better protections to public health,
farmlands and surface waters in the State of North Carolina, and
provide further clarification in addressing specific rules and
procedures under the proposed septage rules.
BREDL comments on the EPA’s newly proposed
rules concerning emissions from medical waste incinerators. BREDL Jan. 15, 2009
comments by Sue Dayton | BREDL Jan. 15, 2009
comments by David Mickey | BREDL
Feb. 17, 2009 comments
Feb. 6, 2009: BREDL comments on NC Division Air
Quality’s Proposed Boundaries for Ozone Nonattainment Areas
in North Carolina. Read BREDL Comments.
As part of our comments, BREDL requests that the NC DAQ support
the following recommendations to its Proposed Nonattainment
Boundaries:
• Follow the EPA’s guidance in adopting a
regional approach in determining nonattainment boundaries
by including all NC counties in whole as cited in
EPA’s Presumptive Boundaries.
• Consider combined contributions of air toxics -
VOCs, carbonyl compounds and PM components - that
contribute to ozone pollution.
• Consider single sources of ozone pollution in
rural counties, such as incinerators and coal-fired power
plants, in nonattainment boundaries.
• Consider permits from significant ozone
contributing industries, such as Fibrowatt LLC, that plan
to build incinerators in rural counties.
• Consider combustion sources from industry that are
contributors to ozone pollution.
• Consider the impacts of multiple sources of
“ozone contributors” in rural counties and
adjacent counties.
• Purchase additional ozone air monitors to
accurately assess ozone levels in nonattainment areas. |
Dec. 31, 2008: Read BREDL comments on NC Combustion Source Exemption - BREDL Comments by Janet Marsh | BREDL Comments by Sue Dayton | BREDL Comments by David Mickey | BREDL Comments by Louis Zeller. Excerpt from comments:
| North Carolina's health-based air toxics rules and
the elusive federal MACT are neither duplicative nor
equivalent. The Clean Air Act's technology-based
standard is well and good, but a given pollution source
100 yards away from a community will have a vastly
greater impact than the same pollution source 200 yards,
500 yards or 1000 yards away. North Carolina's acceptable
ambient levels take into account the distance of
smokestacks from property lines and hence from people. In
fact, full implementation of the state toxics limits,
without exemptions, is the best such protection available
to the residents of this state. We urge the NC
Environmental Management Commission to eliminate
exemptions for industrial boilers. |
|
