News
The League Line: Summer 2025
Cover: NCDEQ Finds PFAS in Landfill Groundwater; Director’s Report: BREDL Has Its Day in SC’S Highest Court; Essay: Data Centers on the Horizon; New Controversy Surrounding Mountain Valley Pipeline; How Does Pollution Impact Our Wildlife?
READ MORE >BREDL Releases Site 1 Air Monitoring Findings for EPA-funded Care4Air Project
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) has completed our air monitoring at a site in Hamlet, North Carolina, which is in Richmond County. The monitoring period was November 22, 2024, through April 7, 2025. The air monitoring trailer, known as the B.E.A.S.T. (BREDL Environmental Air Sampling Trailer) is equipped with state-of-the art equipment. Our Site…
READ MORE >The League Line: Spring 2025
Cover: Care-4-Air Launch Continues; Director’s Report: Pipeline Case Head to S.C. Supreme Court; Essay: Rare Earth Elements, Rare Opportunity for Change; The Quest for an Environmental Justice Bill in Georgia; Care-4-Air: Meeting the Challenges
READ MORE >Community Empowerment Through Economic Resilience
A newly formed group of community members and nonprofits is seeking to help Person County, NC create a more vibrant and resilient economy. The group originally formed after Person County resident Michael Savino spoke out at a public hearing on the rezoning for the proposed Moriah Energy Center. Savino identified the need for local residents…
READ MORE >The League Line: Winter 2025
Cover: BEAST Unit Deployed Director’s Report: The Preservation of Wild Spaces The Perilous Dust Story Visioning a Resilient Local Economy BREDL Introduces New Logos Read Issue
READ MORE >BREDL Announces Deployment of “The B.E.A.S.T.”
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) has officially launched our community air monitoring project featuring the B.E.A.S.T. utility trailer equipped with high-end air monitoring equipment. B.E.A.S.T is the acronym for BREDL Environmental Air Sampling Trailer. The Environmental Protection Agency EPA awarded a grant to BREDL on July 30, 2023, for the CARE-4-Air (C4A) project….
READ MORE >The League Line: Fall 2024
Cover: Victory in Virginia Director’s Report: How Bad Will Weather Related Catastrophes Become? Re-energize Your Campaign with Careful and Creative Planning How our Environment Impacts Mental Health BREDL Air Monitoring Update Read Issue
READ MORE >VICTORY IN VIRGINIA!: CTB Rescinds I-73 Approval
On September 17, the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board voted unanimously to rescind their May, 2001 approval of the I-73 corridor location. This vote is a victory for BREDL’s chapter, Virginians for Appropriate Roads, which was formed in 1999 and worked actively to prevent construction of I-73 for over a decade. In 1998, a number of…
READ MORE >BREDL Holds “People’s Hearing” During DAQ Proceeding
On August 1, 2024 North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality held a public hearing for Dominion Energy’s air permit application for the proposed Moriah Energy Center (MEC) in Person County, NC. The controversial MEC facility would initially be home to a 25 million liquified natural gas storage tank, with plans for a second 25 million…
READ MORE >MEC Air Permit Hearing Set for August 1
The North Carolina Division of Air Quality has scheduled a public hearing for Dominion Energy’s air permit application for the proposed Moriah Energy Center (MEC) in Person County, NC. The controversial MEC facility would initially be home to a 25 million liquified natural gas storage tank, with plans for a second 25 million gallon tank…
READ MORE >The League Line: Summer 2024
Cover: The Mountain Valley Pipeline Calamity Director’s Report: We Must Divest From Fossil Fuels Fool’s Gold – The False Promise of Nuclear Care-4-Air update N.C. Chamber Interferes with PFAS Standards Read Issue
READ MORE >The League Line: Spring 2024
Cover: Celebrating 40 Years of BREDL! Director’s Report: Protecting the Environmental Community Burke County, GA Death Rates Raise Concerns EPA Review Delays Start of Air Monitoring Project Dominion Proposes 45-Mile NC Pipeline State Agencies Make a Mockery of Public Records Laws The Heart of an Activist Read Issue
READ MORE >Public Meeting to be Held to Announce Burke County Study Findings
Please join BREDL for a public meeting March 28 at 4 p.m. at Burke County Library to discuss a new report on death rates in Burke County, GA following the startup of the Alvin Vogtle Nuclear Plant. The report was written by the Radiation and Public Health Project (RPHP) with funding from a grant which…
READ MORE >BREDL Air Monitoring Program Update
BREDL’s air monitoring trailer is scheduled to be collecting data in a Southeast community in early Spring. Our contract partner Wilbur Technical Services (Wilbur) is in the process of purchasing the equipment that they will install in the BEAST (BREDL Environmental Air Sampling Trailer). Wilbur expects to have all the equipment in their possession by…
READ MORE >The League Line: Winter 2024
Cover: Outraged Citizens Fight Back Against Proposed LNG Storage Facility Director’s Report: Sand Mining: Is it Coming to a Community Near You? Sailing the World for Ocean Research EPA Approves-Then Pauses-Importation of PFAS Laden Waste to N.C. BREDL Welcomes Scott Lineberger Our Politicians, Our Shattered Dreams Practical Radicals and the Movement Action Plan BREDL Air…
READ MORE >Person County Planning Board Recommends Rezoning for LNG Facility Amid Public Outrage
Residents of southeastern Person County, NC came to the Person County Office Building auditorium for the November 9 meeting of the Person County Planning Board to voice their concerns about Dominion Energy’s proposed Moriah Energy Center. Dominion came before the board seeking to rezone a 485 acre parcel of land from “rural”, to “industrial”. The…
READ MORE >The League Line: Fall 2023
Cover: BREDL Air Monitoring Program Nears Launch Director’s Report: Internet Safety – Best Practices for Environmentalists Fight Climate Change – Why Maui Matters Pollution is Affecting Our Children Protesting for Peace – Stories from the Netherlands BREDL Chapters Featured in UNC Study on Well-Testing Disparities Read Issue
READ MORE >New UNC study identifies disparities in testing and treating well water among low-income, BIPOC households in N.C.
BREDL chapters and staff participated in a University of North Carolina project examining the potential contamination of private wells. Our chapters Chatham Citizens Against Coal Ash Dump and Northampton County Citizens Against Coal Ash reached out to local residents about the free testing and held community meetings featuring the UNC scientists. BREDL appreciates the opportunity…
READ MORE >Fertilizer Plant Fires Serves as Catalyst for Wake Forest Institute
On June 27, 2023, BREDL Community Organizer Jason Torian, and Piney Grove League for Change member, Sabrina Webster attended day two of The Wake Forest University Environmental and Epistemic Justice Institute. During the week of June 26-30, the Institute welcomed early to mid-career journalists from across the country as the inaugural class of Wake Forest…
READ MORE >Duke First Amendment Clinic Assists Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League with Long-Delayed Public Records Request
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2023 Duke First Amendment Clinic Assists Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League with Long-Delayed Public Records Request Request was sent to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in September 2022 North Carolina— After an almost nine-month wait, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) finally provided public records requested…
READ MORE >BREDL Careers: Social Media and Content Manager
Digital/Social Media Marketing Position Qualifications Must be a United States citizen and located in the U.S. 2+ years of experience with social media creation and marketing tools like Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok Experience as a social media manager Able to share past social media content to highlight posting style. Strong communication, multitasking and analytical…
READ MORE >The League Line: Spring 2023
Cover: Winston-Salem residents seek legislative changes in wake of fertilizer plant fire Director’s Report: Understanding Climate Change and Global Warming means taking action! There is no away for PFAS… BREDL’s Renee Cail honored at International Women’s Day 4th Annual Recognition Breakfast BREDL seeks MVP compliance with Clean Water Act via LiDAR The Last Frontier PFAS…
READ MORE >BREDL Sends Letter to North Carolina Science Advisory Board (SAB) on PFAS
On April 7, 2023, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League sent a letter to the SAB requesting that they recommend that the Department of Environmental Quality take immediate action to notify the public about PFAS contamination in their drinking water. Read Full Letter
READ MORE >Natural Gas Pipeline – Property Value Devaluation
Property values plunged on parcels whose owners sought relief through the Atlantic Coast Pipeline reassessment hearing process, according to a property records search conducted in Highland and Nelson Counties by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. The construction of the proposed pipeline and resultant losses in property value are devastating for directly affected landowners. Pipelines…
READ MORE >The League Line: Winter 2023
Cover: BREDL Awarded Major EPA Grant Director’s Report: Corruption keeps fossil fuel industry strong One year after fertilizer plant fire, questions remain in Winston-Salem Who’s helping who? We have questions! Community campaign drives court battle Roanoke River GenX contamination source found Activist to activists Photos: National Pipeline Eminent Domain Conference Read Issue
READ MORE >Have Fun, Build Your Group and Raise Money!
You can have fun during your meetings and events AND you can build your group AND you can raise money, all at the same time! So, you might ask the question: Besides raising money, WHY should our group fundraise and WHEN should we fundraise?
READ MORE >The League Line: Fall 2022
Cover: A Victory for the People! Director’s Report: An environmental nightmare called eminent domain. “Forever chemical” GenX found in Roanoke River and local drinking water supply reservoir North and South Forks of the Roanoke River focus of GenX investigation Firefighters are exposed to toxic PFAS in their personal protective equipment Chapel Hill signs and bus…
READ MORE >BREDL sends letter to NC DEQ Secretary regarding notification of water customers regarding PFAS in drinking water
BREDL has found that some water systems are not notifying their customers when PFAS is found in drinking water – even when concentrations are above the EPA health advisory limits. The excuse of not having statutory authority to require that water systems notify their customers is not acceptable.
READ MORE >BREDL To Host Urgent Community Meeting on Dominion Energy Gas Pipeline Proposal (prnewswire.com)
Dominion Energy, one of the nation’s top polluters, has immediate plans to condemn the land of several African-American heirs and working class citizens as part of their proposed pipeline project, which would run along the Great Pee Dee River and through several communities, including Pamplico. To address these urgent issues and build continued community support, Blue…
READ MORE >Winston-Salem Weaver fire air quality worse than reported by agencies
The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League has released a report which shows that hazardous air quality during the Weaver Fertilizer Plant fire was downplayed. The report Winston-Salem Weaver Fertilizer Plant Fire – Analysis of Publicly Disseminated Air Quality Information During Facility Fire Incident highlights instances when local officials told the public that the air quality…
READ MORE >BREDL requests FERC to deny MVP an extension of time
(1) Requests that FERC deny request from Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (MVP, LLC) for an extension of time until October 13, 2026 to complete construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) (2) In the event that MVP, LLC is granted an extension of time to complete construction of the MVP, BREDL requests that…
READ MORE >At What Cost? Chapel Hill’s plan to house residents on coal ash dump
Concerned community members in partnership with ACT Against Coal Ash, Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy (CHOCE), Friends of Bolin Creek, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) and Climate Action NC called a public information meeting to address the coal ash hazards in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Forum video courtesy of…
READ MORE >SC woman concerned over new gas pipeline in front of home, officials say it’s legal (WPDE.com)
A woman living in Atlantic Beach reached out to ABC15 with concerns after she said a gas pipeline was installed in front of her home — without notice. Kathy Andrews said the home she’s lived in for nearly two decades on 32nd Avenue in Atlantic Beach was disrupted a couple of weeks ago. Andrews said…
READ MORE >BREDL Requests that FERC officially acknowledge Green Hollow Drive as a contributing resource inside the Bent Mountain Orchard Rural Historic District
FERC’s claim that Green Hollow Drive (incorrectly called “Green Hollow Road” in the Order) is not a contributing resource in the Bent Mountain Orchard Rural Historic District contradicts the findings of The Evaluation Committee of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources
READ MORE >BREDL expresses our concern in a letter to NC DEQ Secretary Biser regarding the Chemours Total Organic Fluorine (TOF) method report
Transferring a pollutant from one medium to another is a virtual shell game! The Chemours facility has caused massive pollution in the Cape Fear region and the pollution is ongoing. Thousands of people have been impacted.
READ MORE >The League Line: Summer 2022
Cover: Seeking protection for our local communities is something that we must continue to pursue by Charles Utley BREDL sending representative to Germany for peace delegation by Jenn Galler Director’s Report: Citizens’ responsibility when it comes to pollution by Kathy Andrews EPA takes action on PFAS by Therese Vick Disenfranchisement and its impact on environmental…
READ MORE >Citizens Urged to Attend the People’s Hearing at Hannah Pamplico High (prnewswire.com)
A public forum will be held at Hannah Pamplico High School, 2055 S Pamplico Highway, on Saturday, May 21 at 1pm to discuss the proposed Dominion Energy pipeline. Environmentalists say the pipeline will cause harm to residents’ health and to wildlife in an area with an abundance of natural beauty and historical value. Read Press Release
READ MORE >The League Line: Spring 2022
Cover: Fire at Winston-Salem fertilizer operation exposes weaknesses and loopholes in state and federal regulations by Therese Vick Georgia state House of Representatives honor Renee Cail with the 2022 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leader Award Rev. Charles Utley spoke as part of U.S. Department of State’s Leadership Program Director’s Report: Fundraising during tough…
READ MORE >BREDL Welcomes Jason Torian As Community Organizer
Jason Torian has joined Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League as our newest community organizer. Jason will be working closely with our Chapel Hill chapter, as well as assisting various other chapters within BREDL’s footprint.
READ MORE >BREDL comments on DOE’s consent-based siting and federal interim storage
Mar. 07, 2022: Working in communities in the Southeast since 1984, we are well aware of radioactive waste initiatives going out to potential waste dump communities. The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League was founded because of one such program, the DOE’s Crystalline Repository Project and interim Monitored Retrievable Storage Site. We have continually opposed such…
READ MORE >BREDL letter to President Biden regarding U.S. Nuclear Posture Review and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
BREDL requests President Biden to take action to have the U.S. adopt the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to make the treaty a core element of his administration’s upcoming Nuclear Posture Review.
READ MORE >Why do I need to be concerned with sustainable economic development?
In the Bruntland Commission report, sustainable economic development is defined as “[development that]…meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
READ MORE >The League Line: Winter 2022
Cover: Virginia air board denies permit for MVP Southgate compressor station – MVP appeals decision by Mark Barker Director’s Report: The people of Pamplico, South Carolina must rise up and fight Dominion Energy by Kathy Andrews Unity and support makes a difference for the needs of our communities by Charles Utley, BREDL Associate Director The…
READ MORE >The League Line: Fall 2021
Cover: BREDL welcomes Kathy Andrews as new executive director TVA retains ownership of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant site – Agency will not request any new licensing by Sandy Kurtz, BREDL Co-President The 1,4 Dioxane Dilemma by Therese Vick Roanoke County Supervisor takes action on MVP by Ann Rogers BREDL welcomes new chapter Coalition for a…
READ MORE >Introduction to Strategic Planning by Bill Moyer
There is nothing mysterious or complicated about strategic planning. It is based on common sense. In its simplest form it can be summarized by four basic questions: What is our organization’s purpose? Where are we now, in relation to our purpose? Where do we want to be (at some point down the road)? And how…
READ MORE >BREDL sends letter to NC DEQ Secretary regarding June 30, 2021 discharge of 1,4 dioxane
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League urges the Department to consider the enactment of emergency, temporary, or permanent rules that require the following: Testing and analysis be performed after a spill has been reported/detected, including the recommended time frame for such testing. That water providers notify their users of discharges/spills immediately. Additionally, that water providers notify…
READ MORE >Riverneck-Kingsburg Pipeline Project, Public Notice No. SAC 2019-01427
Dear Mr. Wenerick: On behalf of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and its members in South Carolina, I write to provide comments on Dominion Energy’s proposed Riverneck- Kingsburg pipeline project, PN # SAC-2019-01427. These remarks will supplement the comments filed today on our behalf by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project (“SCELP”). In sum,…
READ MORE >Small pipeline, large worries for some S. Carolina residents – ABC27
PAMPLICO, S.C. (AP) — The land agent who arrived at Reatha Jefferson’s door in May, unannounced and unmasked in the middle of the pandemic, told her he was giving her one more chance. The agent was there on behalf of Virginia-based utility giant Dominion Energy. He wanted to see if Jefferson would let Dominion run…
READ MORE >BREDL Report: Union Hill: Real Property, Racism and Environmental Justice
Today Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and its Buckingham Chapter, Concern for the New Generation, released a new report: “Union Hill: Real Property, Racism and Environmental Justice,” which reveals a history of subversive policies, in Virginia and nationwide, which severely limit the ability for African Americans to build wealth.
READ MORE >BREDL submits comments to EPA regarding Draft PFAS recommendations
The EPA interim recommendations for addressing groundwater contaminated with PFOA and PFOS needs to be expanded to include all PFAS as a class. Any talk of cleanup needs to examine previous industrial sites that probably emitted/discharged PFAS chemicals. All areas of PFAS contamination – soil, surface and ground water, air and food – need to…
READ MORE >BREDL Comments to NC Utilities Commission
BREDL calls upon the NC Utilities Commission to reject the Integrated Resource Plan submitted by Dominion Energy North Carolina and require a cleaner, smarter plan. And we support similar calls directed towards Duke Energy’s plan. Read Comments
READ MORE >Small Nuclear Reactors
Clinch River Nuclear Site is located in Roane County, Tennessee, about 25 miles from Knoxville. In 2016 Tennessee Valley Authority submitted an application asking for approval of its Clinch River site near Oak Ridge National Laboratory. They want early permission in order to place so-called small modular reactors (SMRs) on the site whenever and if…
READ MORE >Waiting In A Cesspool
In 1969 the Richmond County Health Department advised residents of Hyde Park their well water was unsafe because of industrial pollution. Four decades later, relocation of the community was finally approved.
READ MORE >Ten Commandments of Radioactive Waste
Radioactive Waste policy statement approved by the BREDL Board of Directors at its 9/18/99 meeting
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