Press Releases

  • 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 1 report details our findings and provides information on the facilities near the site, as well as activities that could impact air quality in the community. There is an accompanying report which gives additional technical information. “We are adamant about informing the public of hazardous toxins in their communities. Our Care 4 Air project is extremely important when it comes to the health and welfare of the communities we serve across the Southeast,” said Kathy Andrews, Executive Director of BREDL.

    Links to site reports can be found here.

    The BEAST has been moved to Site 2 where it is currently monitoring the air. The Care4Air project was made possible through a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

    BEAST video footage for media use can be found here. BEAST photos available upon request.

    View full press release

  • Community Empowerment Through Economic Resilience

    In December of 2023, Michael Savino and members of BREDL’s NoMEC chapter spoke out against rezoning more than 400 acres of land from “rural conservation”, to “general industrial”. Enbridge has proposed a 50 million gallon liquified natural gas storage facility at the site.

    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 to develop their own plan for economic development that serves residents and uplifts community strengths without jeopardizing health, safety, or the rural character of the area.

    The group defines economic resiliency as a community’s ability to cultivate good jobs, quality of life, and essential services, despite changing conditions, as well as to adapt to stressors and leverage new opportunities. In December, the group which includes community members, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League,  Appalachian Voices, North Carolina Black Alliance, and Down Home North Carolina, held a listening session to learn more about how Person County residents felt about the county’s economy. At that time citizens expressed frustrations about past local economic development efforts, particularly those that may have harmed the environment or neglected marginalized populations.

    On February 4th the group, now known as the Partnership for a Strong Rural Economy (PSRE), held a community listening session to hear what ideas residents have for solutions. Common themes of the meeting included bolstering the agricultural economy in the county, supporting small businesses, expanding recreation opportunities, and training community youth for their future endeavors.

    Savino, who also serves as one of the local organizers, said that he felt the session was productive. “What I saw there was a passionate group of people from many backgrounds and from many parts of the county coming together because they care so much about the county, and especially about our youth, wanting our young people to thrive right here in Person County.”

    “I see how important it is for us to come together to share our passions, our dreams, our ideas. We need each other. Together, we can create a vibrant, healthy, thriving community, and enjoy the rich friendships that develop as we work together,” said Savino.

    The group plans to hold more of these sessions throughout the year. Residents will have opportunities to learn about what other communities are doing and to take site visits to other successful projects. Brayndon Stafford, of North Carolina Black Alliance is hopeful that the meetings will leave the community more informed and feeling empowered.

    “We are at a pivotal time in history where it’s more important than ever for communities to have a direct hand in the shaping of its future. Fortunately, oftentimes the work of a few can garner the impact of many. PSRE has intentionally worked to provide insight and education to Person County residents in order to engage in positive community development. This group took the initiative to engage the community with informative sessions to help residents, in the light of the challenges they may face, to understand their power and agency in shaping what a future Roxboro would look like for them.”

    If your or your organization is interested in participating in these ongoing discussions, please contact Jason Torian at (336) 439-5660.

  • BREDL Announces Deployment of “The B.E.A.S.T.”

    THE BEAST UNLEASHED: The BREDL Environmental Air Sampling Trailer has been delivered to our first location and will be deployed to other sites in the Southeast over the next three years.

     

    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. The grant funded a mobile air monitoring trailer that will be taken to communities throughout the Southeast that are concerned about air pollution in their neighborhoods. Kathy Andrews, BREDL Executive Director: “This is a great opportunity to provide air pollution data to the general public and target areas where protection is needed due to bad air quality.  We’re grateful to the EPA for providing us funding for this important  project.”

    BREDL’s contractor Wilbur Technical Services outfitted the trailer with monitors for: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Nitrogen oxides, and Particulate Matter (PM). These pollutants can impact human health and the environment. The B.E.A.S.T. is also equipped with a weather station. Data from the monitors will be obtained online and subjected to EPA approved quality assurance and quality control checks. BREDL will provide the results of the air sampling and meet with impacted communities. We will employ various educational tools—for example Infographics and fact sheets— to inform the public about air sources in their neighborhoods, and to encourage engagement on environmental
    issues that they are concerned about.

    The $432,854 project includes $365,368 provided by the EPA grant and $67,486 in a BREDL cost-share commitment. We appreciate this opportunity provided by EPA’s “Enhanced air quality monitoring for communities” grant.

    “We are excited to be able to provide, at least for a few months, state of the art air monitoring for underserved communities. Communities that don’t have access to nearby government agency air monitoring,” said Mark Barker, Project Operations Manager.

    We are hopeful that all BREDL chapters dealing with air quality problems will consider taking advantage of this remarkable opportunity. If you are interested in having the B.E.A.S.T. deployed to your area, please contact Mark Barker at mebarker@cox.net.

     

    For more information:

    Therese Vick

    Mark Barker

  • 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 local citizen groups began organizing against I-73 – groups such as Citizens Concerned about I-73 and Friends of Franklin County (both based in Franklin County), the I-73 Regional Impact Network and Virginia Action for Sustainable Transportation (both in Roanoke County), Blue Ridge Concerned Citizens (Botetourt County), and Gainsboro Neighborhood Alliance, Riverland Alert Neighbors, and National Network for No New Highways (all in City of Roanoke).  These groups began communicating with local, state, and federal elected officials, learning about the process involved in approving I-73, investigating legal options, communicating with our neighbors, and taking first steps to develop a consensus about what we should be doing to stop I-73.  

    One of the major discoveries during this period was of a technique called access management (www.accessmanagement.info) being developed and promoted by Federal Highway Administration and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) as an effective tool for improving the safety and traffic carrying capacity of older roads like U.S. 220 without having to build new highways to replace them.  VAR was never able to get VDOT or FHWA to talk with us about putting access management on U.S. 220 as an alternative to building I-73 through our region’s mountains, forests, and farmland.  

    In 1999 VAR became a chapter of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), conferring 501(c)3 nonprofit status, so that all donations made to VAR would be fully tax deductible. The same year, I-73 was featured in Road to Ruin, a publication by Friends of the Earth and Taxpayers for Common sense, naming I-73 as one of the nation’s 20 most destructive highway projects. VAR also began working with a nationally-recognized historic preservation attorney named Andrea Ferster, who provided guidance on the legal significance of historic resources in the path of I-73.  Andrea coached us step by step, week by week, year by year, for over a decade, in how to have standing in the issues of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and in her area of expertise, the National Historic Preservation Act. For the first eight years or so, Andrea did not charge us a dime. It was not until we actually took Federal Highway Administration to court under NEPA that Andrea charged, and then it was a deeply discounted rate for the grassroots.

    In 2000, VAR fought for and won status as a Consulting Party, which gave us special rights in the federally-mandated identification of historic properties in the path of I-73.  The same year, VAR hired a historic preservation consultant, Harry Reem, who began coordinating the efforts of local historians in the City of Roanoke and Roanoke and Franklin Counties to research local history and identify historic resources in the path of I-73 that VDOT’s taxpayer-funded surveys did not find.  Mr. Reem’s surveying, mapping and analysis were summarized in several thick reports on the properties’ potential eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, a designation that would trigger an added layer of federal protection for these buildings and neighborhoods. The effort to seek Consulting Party status and the hiring of Harry Reem were both pursued by VAR through the guidance, education, and support of our attorney, Andrea Ferster.

    In October, 2002, the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places agreed with Harry Reem’s assessment of the historic eligibility of an urban historic district, Southeast Roanoke, which was built during Roanoke’s heyday as an industrial center and maintains much of the original housing and road patterns from its period of historic significance, the early 20th century.  

    In a 60-page report dated July, 2003, VDOT requested that the Keeper of the National Register reverse her October, 2002 decision regarding Southeast Roanoke’s eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. VDOT’s report argued that a new, smaller historic district should replace the district that VAR identified through field surveys and research performed in 2002 by our historic preservation consultant, Harry Reem. VDOT’s proposal to “shrink” the Southeast Roanoke district would allow room for I-73 to be built along the Roanoke River between Riverland and Old Southeast communities in downtown Roanoke. 

    In Sept. 2003, Harry Reem submitted a detailed report to the Keeper of the National Register defending the eligibility of the Southeast Historic District. Federal law prohibits use of land from historic sites for construction of federally-funded highways such as I-73, and VAR’s identification of Southeast Roanoke as a historic district would force VDOT to reconsider their options for I-73’s routing through the City of Roanoke. So the stakes were very high.

    In 2004 VAR’s historic preservation work paid off. The Southeast Roanoke Historic District identified by Harry Reem four years earlier was named eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places by the Keeper of the National Register.  This historic designation forced FHWA to re-route I-73 to avoid Southeast Roanoke. The re-routing of I-73 onto the existing U.S. 220 corridor, combined with lack of funding for the project, undermined all momentum to build I-73. 

    A similar effort to identify historic significance for the Old German Baptist (“Dunkard”) dairy farming settlement in Franklin County fell through, however. The approved path for I-73 actually would have paved over the group’s outdoor baptismal site on the banks of Little Ellie Creek, where they’ve been baptizing since 1965.  FHWA refused to allow VAR’s analysis of the historic significance of the German Baptist settlement, as prepared by Harry Reem, to be submitted to the Keeper of the National Register. 

    In February, 2006, The Franklin County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in support of submitting a grant application to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Rural Transportation Planning Grant program to obtain funding for a study of implementing access management on the county’s portion of the U.S. 220 corridor and other highway corridors in the county. The board’s action followed the county’s receipt last November of 75 postcards sent by Franklin County residents requesting that the supervisors apply for the VDOT funds.

    VAR had formally requested that the County seek the access management study at the board’s December, 20, 2005 meeting, citing Franklin County’s “obligation to be a good steward of the 220 corridor, which is an important regional and multi-state transportation facility that should be maintained so that it continues to provide a reasonable level of service for Franklin and neighboring counties, even in the event that I-73 is built.”

    In November, 2006, in response to the issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for I-73, VAR provided comments of close to 400 pages which stated in precise detail what VAR considers omissions, errors, misstatements of fact and misleading information and arguments made in the FEIS. Comments focused on 13 major areas of concern which have been longstanding sources of contention with the I-73 project throughout its study history, including the impact on the Roanoke logperch (a federally listed endangered species), the threat to the German Baptist Oak Hill community, the failure to study a non-interstate option for building I-73, and the issues surrounding proposed Buck Mountain access to the Blue Ridge Parkway. In addition, comments addressed the manipulated public participation process, shortcomings of the economic impact analyses, the use of “Congressional intent” to prejudice the Purpose and Need, and the inadequacy of the project Re-Evaluation.  Careful review of the Biological Assessment for the Roanoke logperch contained in FEIS Appendix E revealed substantive editing changes to the original research document, changes that support pre-determined outcomes regarding potential impacts on logperch populations in favor of the Approved Location Corridor. Also noted was VDOT’s failure to consider new assessment tools for evaluating road impacts to aquatic habitats recommend by US Fish and Wildlife Service, a cooperating agency. 

    Among the most persistent deficiencies cited and discussed throughout VAR comments was VDOT’s failure to study a U.S. 220 upgrade. Via ongoing communication with VDOT and FHWA, VAR consistently promoted an awareness of reasonable alternatives to building I-73 as an interstate freeway on new alignment, specifically a principal arterial design that would include access management features. VDOT and FHWA contended and stated in the FEIS that such a design concept actually mimics an interstate freeway design option (Option 3) and so does not merit further study. VAR comments include extensive review of communication and report information, as well as VDOT design standards, which clearly contradict the FEIS conclusion. 

    VAR comments to the FEIS provided a comprehensive and detailed account of VAR’s work to assure the I-73 project complied with the laws and regulations that are in place to benefit citizens and communities. To view them in entirety, please see: https://app.box.com/shared/4gqq3y8450

    We also share VAR’s comments on I-73 impacts to the Blue Ridge Parkway: https://app.box.com/shared/hlbfeu3izr

    In 2007, FHWA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for I-73. The issuance of a ROD is FHWA’s statement that all the requirements have been met for environmental review for I-73 as stipulated in NEPA, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act. The ROD was FHWA’s way of saying that I-73 had met numerous legal hurdles and was eligible to receive federal funds for engineering studies, right-of-way acquisition, and construction.

    VAR sued in 2007 in the Western District of Virginia on the basis of FHWA’s failure to consider the reasonable alternative of upgrading the existing highway, U.S. 220, using access management techniques, and other subjects. We were unceremoniously shot down in the Western District courtroom by Judge James Turk. This was the anticipated outcome, i.e., no surprise whatsoever. We filed an appeal (in his decision, Judge Turk had actually cut and pasted an error of law from FHWA’s legal document). In the course of our appeal, we were offered an out-of-court settlement. By that time – eight years after the peak of the public’s interest and involvement in I-73 – VAR accepted the settlement, which gives VAR standing to sue again if FHWA ever produces a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the I-73 project.

    In 2008 VAR, working with Citizens Concerned about I-73, successfully sought Franklin County’s approval to develop the Franklin County Access Management Guidebook with a grant from VDOT.  This guidebook would prepare the county for the new paradigm that was about to descend upon local governments throughout Virginia with the General Assembly’s creation of new regulations requiring that access management be implemented on all primary and secondary roads statewide.

    In 2020, BREDL’s Executive Assistant, Mark Barker, composed a letter to the CTB. This letter, based on years of research of funding for I-73, asked the CTB to rescind plans to build I-73 in Virginia. BREDL obtained signatures on the letter from twenty I-73 activists, many of them active in the I-73 fight since the mid-1990s. The letter as submitted to the CTB documents in dramatic detail the long-term lack of funding to build I-73 in Virginia and the need to remove the project from the state’s plans. The signed letter is available for viewing at: https://app.box.com/s/cm7sdqwuqd4mjtifuz507rc7nl7dkq6l.

    A video of the Commonwealth Transportation Board vote on September 17 to rescind I-73, as well as a WDBJ-7 newsclip of BREDL staff and an I-73 activist providing comments on the CTB’s action can be viewed at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pFd5QHELfehzahPokzx3nDW_ByKKqEyP for 

    BREDL staff are planning a celebration event to which we will invite all the I-73 activists for whom we can find up-to-date contact information. Please let Ann Rogers know if you’d like to attend (email → amelvin3@verizon.net).

  • 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 gallon tank in the future. 

    When the hearing was announced in June, members of BREDL’s NoMEC chapter began to voice their displeasure with NCDEQ regarding the location of the hearing, which was two counties away from the location of the proposed facility. Numerous Person County residents and elected officials requested a change of venue, or an additional hearing, but those requests were ultimately denied.  In response to NCDEQ’s denial, BREDL held an online “People’s Hearing” to coincide with the in-person hearing. 

    The in-person hearing at Vance-Granville Community College featured 39 speakers, 38 of whom asked DAQ to deny the permit.  Speakers shared numerous concerns primarily focused on Dominion’s history of air quality violations and the need for onsite monitors.  

    More than 100 people attended the air permitting hearing for the proposed Moriah Energy Center. Several of those in attendance testified, requesting that the application be denied.

    Rev. Christopher Fair of Granville County, NC expressed concerns about safety and Dominion’s failure to notify nearby residents of their plans.  “I live a thousand yards east of the Person County line, however, I don’t think that gas and pollutants honor county lines. Yet, we were not even warned about this.  I had to have a fellow pastor tell me that this was happening 3 miles from my house.” 

    Fair, who holds a master’s degree in Weapons Systems Engineering said that he assessed the site as an equivalent to 54 tons of TNT. Said Fair, “I see no studies, no emergency response plans.  I see a lot of estimates of pollutants, but nothing reliable.  They have other plants, so why can’t they give us numbers from those?  I had to go through a massive groundwater study just to put in an 800-foot gravel driveway in Granville County because they were worried about the groundwater.  They’ve done nothing here.”  

    Jeff Hammerquist, who lives on property that sits directly adjacent to the site, said that he’s concerned about the future of his family’s farm and for his own health.  

    “I underwent open heart surgery for a genetic heart condition in October 2022 and I don’t have to call my cardiologist to know that I don’t need formaldehyde in my diet.  The detrimental impacts of these hazardous air pollutants is well documented and agreed upon by scientists.” He went on, “If the Department of Environmental Quality does not care to say no to energy conglomerates taking from the environment for financial gain, then what exactly does this department exist to do?”

    BREDL’s online hearing allowed 4 additional speakers to publicly voice their concerns to DAQ. BREDL Executive Director, Kathy Andrews questioned why the plant, which by Dominion’s own estimates will operate approximately 8 days per year, is being built in this location in the first place.  “Why build a dangerous gas facility where people don’t want it?  The only thing I can think of is greed.  There is no desperate need for this plant.” 

    Bob Brauer, who lives in Person County but could not attend the in-person hearing, also spoke during the online People’s Hearing.  He said, “Given the state of our climate situation, we really need to start to migrate away from fossil fuels.  Unfortunately, the Moriah Energy Center is just another step towards continuing our dependency on fossil fuels, when we need to be moving away from that.”  

    BREDL Strategic Advisor, Lou Zeller, spoke about the flawed permitting regulations employed by agencies such as DEQ. He said, “Air permit regulations contemplate so-called ‘major sources’ and ‘minor sources’ depending on the volume of pollution emitted. Synthetic minor permits are loopholes created to avoid certain regulatory requirements.  The permit, as drafted, cannot and does not protect air quality as it is required under the law.  It’s like crossing your fingers when you make a promise.”

    The majority of emissions at the facility would come from combustion sources including heaters, generators and flares.  Dominion has applied for a synthetic minor permit, rather than the more stringent Title V permit, even though their own projections suggest that the facility will emit more than 65,000 tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere each year.  The facility would also allow tanker truck loading and unloading of liquid natural gas.

    Person County resident Kris Clayton addresses DAQ staff during the August 1 air permitting hearing for the Moriah Energy Center.

    Residents of the communities surrounding the proposed site of the facility have been fighting the proposal since the project was publicly announced in late August, 2023. In February of this year, several residents living closest to the facility filed a lawsuit against the Person County Commissioners, opposing the rezoning of more than 450 acres of land from “rural conservation”, to “general industrial”.  As of now, the rezoning remains paused due to this litigation.  Even if the air permit application is approved, the company will not be able to build the facility until the zoning issue is resolved.

    Video of BREDL’s online hearing was submitted to the Division of Air Quality on August 2, as a part of the public comment process. For more information on NoMEC’s fight against Dominion Energy, please visit www.NoMEC.org.

  • 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 BREDL received from Center for Health Environment and Justice (CHEJ) last September. 

    The RPHP report finds that: 

    • The death rate in Burke County, GA, which was 19% above the U.S. death rate before Vogtle 1 and 2 nuclear reactors began operation in the late 1980s, has since increased to 35% above the U.S. death rate.
    • This change resulted in 1,223 excess deaths in Burke County from 1988 to 2020. 
    • Death rates increased for both Black and Caucasian residents of Burke County and were largest for young and old residents. For example, the mortality rate for infants under age 1 in Burke County rose from 34% to 79% above the U.S. rate during the 32-year period studied. 
    • The county death rate from all cancers shifted from 7% below to 13% above the U.S. rate after Vogtle startup; 303 of Burke County’s 1,223 excess deaths were due to cancer. 

    The report was authored by Joseph Mangano, who is an epidemiologist and Executive Director of the RPHP. Said Joe about the report’s findings, “Since the late 1980s, dramatic increases have occurred in Burke County death rates. Many factors can affect mortality, but adding two large nuclear reactors must be regarded as a major cause.” 

    Lou Zeller, Strategic Advisor and former Executive Director of BREDL, has developed the following recommendations in response to the findings of the RPHP study. Lou’s recommendations were developed in coordination with Charles Utley, Chair, BREDL chapter, Concerned Citizens of Shell Bluff: 

    1. Public leaders, especially health officials, should review this report and conduct further analysis of trends in Burke County health status. This analysis, along with others in this list, should be presented to the public for comment. 
    2. Further analyses should include assessments of environmental injustice and environmental racism in placing two nuclear power plants plus two more at Plant Vogtle. 
    3. Review the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to grant license extensions for Vogtle Units 1 and 2, which allow operation until 2047 and 2049, and revoke the extensions until it can be determined that Plant Vogtle emissions have not harmed the health of Burke County residents. 
    4. Assess the potential cumulative impacts posed by Plant Vogtle Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 and compare them with other sources of electricity now available, such as safe, economical solar and wind. 

    Please join Burke County residents for a public meeting to discuss the findings of RPHP’s study on March 28 at 4 p.m. at the Burke County Library, 130 Highway 24 South, Waynesboro, GA. A presentation on the RPHP findings will be given by BREDL’s Strategic Advisor, Lou Zeller, followed by a session during which public comments will be received. Members of the press and general public are encouraged to attend the meeting, which will be sponsored by BREDL. Light refreshments will be served.

  • 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 proposed facility would initially include one 25 million gallon liquified natural gas storage tank, but plans submitted by Dominion suggest that a second tank could be built there in the future.

    More than 100 people attended the Thursday evening meeting. Prior to the start of a public hearing on the matter, Planning Board Chairman, Barry Walker, announced that 25 people had signed up to speak.

    Of the 25 people who signed up to speak during the hearing, only two speakers spoke in support of approving the rezoning proposal. The overwhelming majority of those who spoke live within 2 miles of the proposed site. Eighty-four year old Lois Brown, who lives about 500 feet from the proposed site of the facility, was the first speaker of the night. Brown, who lives alone, said she was “terrified” when she learned of the project, noting the certainty of noise and light pollution, as well as the potential for accidents.

    Several speakers expressed concerns about the speed at which the process has moved, and the fact that many of those who live closest to the site of the proposed rezoning were only made aware of the project through word of mouth and the newspaper. “I live about 1.8 miles away from the proposed site” said Michael Savino. “I just want you to know that I learned about this by reading the paper, and it sounded like a done deal. I felt kind of stabbed in the back by whoever did these negotiations because they left us out of the process.” Don Ahrens, who lives less than 2 miles from the site, said “I read today in the paper that the Economic Development Commission had been in negotiations [with Dominion] for 18 months. I learned about this on October 30.”

    Others who spoke expressed concerns about safety, protecting the environment and endangered species, property values, and the uncertainty involved with rezoning a wooded rural residential area for heavy industrial use. Ronnie Reaves, said he recently purchased 30 acres of property that border the proposed rezoning area, where he had hoped to build a home. He now has concerns about whether his land will be suitable to build on or sell. “What’s this going to do to the property value, the air quality, the lights that will be on all the time, and so forth? You guys, put yourselves in the shoes of the people that surround this place. Would you want this in your backyard? This is going to kill the resale value of our property. If this goes in, are the commissioners going to lower our taxes to make up for that? We all know they won’t.”

    Chris Clayton, who lives directly across from the proposed site, asked board members, “Would y’all want this in your front yard? Would y’all want to come home to this every day? I have everything that I own right here in my back pocket, in this place. I’ve worked hard for it, and I would hate to see it go away.”

    Andrea Childers, who lives a half mile from the proposed site, questioned why the board would choose to create an “industrial island” in the middle of a rural area. “When the commissioners adopted the current land use agreement, this is clearly not what they had in mind.” She continued, “Economic growth is about attracting jobs and people who will stay in Person County. Not 300 construction jobs that won’t go to Personians.” Following her comments, Childers delivered a petition to the board signed by members of the community.

    Planning Director Chris Bowley and Dominion representatives repeatedly referenced “Guiding Principle 2” of the Roxboro/Person County Joint Comprehensive Land Use Plan as the basis for approving the rezoning application. Guiding Principle 2 is a series of 8 measures geared toward facilitating sustainable economic growth in Roxboro and Person County. A number of speakers, however, questioned the applicant’s failure to adhere to Guiding Principle 1. Guiding Principle One of the Roxboro/Person County Joint Comprehensive Land Use Plan reads as follows:

    Guiding Principle 1: Celebrating Our Rural Character and Lifestyle 

    • Implement growth management policies that direct development to growth areas, helping preserve prime agricultural and sensitive natural areas.
    • Develop tools and identify funding to support partner organization efforts to preserve farmland and forests.
    • Adopt context sensitive development standards (such as “conservation subdivisions”) in prime agricultural / sensitive natural areas.
    • Support the diversification of agricultural related activity to strengthen the financial position and viability of farming.
    • Provide enhanced services for rural communities.

    Vonda Frantz, and other speakers shared a future land use map, which was a part of the county’s land use plan. Based on the maps, the proposed site is well within a dark green area which is designated for “single family and agricultural uses”. The site is several miles away from the light green portions of the map which are designated as “growth areas”.

    The plan’s failure to adhere to the first guiding principle of the agreement, was not addressed in detail by the planning board or Dominion Energy.

    Following the public hearing, planning board member Cynthia Lynch asked numerous questions of Dominion Energy, which focused on how the plant would benefit the people of Person County. The project is expected to create no more than 12 permanent jobs. It remains unclear, however, whether those jobs would ultimately be filled by Person County residents. Multiple speakers noted that the small farms and businesses that they own near the proposed site are far more impactful to the local economy as job creators.

    During Lynch’s questioning, Dominion representatives repeatedly declined to respond when asked approximately how many Person County residents would receive gas from the new facility. Lynch’s motion to reject Dominion’s application, ultimately failed due to not receiving a second. Planning Board member Zakiya James then made a motion to approve Dominion’s application, which passed 5-1.

    The planning board is an advisory committee to the Person County Board of Commissioners. Dominion’s rezoning application will now move on to the Commissioners for approval. A public hearing before the Person County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for December 4th at the Person County Office Building.

     

  • 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 Mellon Environmental Justice Journalism Fellows. 

    Wake Forest Humanities professor and interim Divinity School Dean, Dr. Corey Walker, oversees the project.  Walker invited Torian and Webster to speak to Institute fellows about their work following the 2022 Weaver Fertilizer plant fire in Winston-Salem. Since the fire, Piney Grove League for Change has urged the City of Winston-Salem and the State of North Carolina to make changes on multiple fronts.  The group would like to see additional testing of soil and water in the neighborhoods surrounding the former site of the plant.  They would also like to see the city or state maintain a publicly available list of high-risk facilities, so that neighbors are aware of the potential for catastrophic events.  Webster and Torian have also urged state legislators to increase insurance requirements for buildings housing hazardous materials, and to increase fines for facilities that have been found to have violated legal statutes and OSHA standards.

    During day two of the institute, the journalists participated in workshops and heard from Winston-Salem activists and organizers. Torian and Webster, along with other community activists, addressed the journalists during a lunch session led by Dr. Walker. Walker shared his aspirations for the program, and explained how it connects to the mission of the university.

    “This Institute marks the beginning of a critical journey of radical hope in the wake of a deep and complex history. It is part of a multi-prong effort that seeks to bring together the best of our thinking and catalyze new knowledge capable of contributing to the realization of a new way of life and a new mode of being human in the world.” Dr. Walker continued, “In all, this is an audacious effort to embody the very essence and spirit of Wake Forest University’s motto Pro Humanitate.”

    Webster described her experience following the fire, including how she had to clean her entire house because of the ash left behind on her furniture and other items.  “Even though it’s been over a year I still experience a lump in my throat, pain, and tears reliving that devastating nightmare,” said Webster.  “I still don’t feel completely safe.”  Webster continued, “My neighbors and I on Tobacco Street would like to plant gardens and know that what we’re planting is safe to eat. We are very concerned about dying fruit trees, and overgrowth of other trees and weeds.  We need a reliable resource that can provide assistance with these concerns. At times, no one seems to care, especially the city officials. Who will be responsible for protecting our neighborhoods from industry’s greed and the blindness of government officials? Who will preserve and protect Mother Nature?”

    Following lunch Webster and Torian led the group on a tour of the Piney Grove neighborhood and a visit to the site of the fire.  The journalists asked several questions, including, “Which came first, the plant or the neighborhood?”  “The community was established a few years before the plant was built,” said Webster.  “In fact, this neighborhood was originally not even in the city; it was annexed.” Webster and Torian also discussed the dangerous hazards within the building, which included holes in the ceiling, faulty wiring, inadequate storage for ammonium nitrate, and no sprinkler systems.

    Webster said that she hopes the institute will inspire the journalists to bring more attention to the situation in Winston-Salem.  “Even though it’s a painful subject to discuss, I felt excited and somewhat relieved that I had the opportunity to share my experiences with environmental journalists and activists, listening to a real-life story, and hopefully they will be inspired to dive deeper into this story.

    For more information on the institute, visit  https://environmentaljustice.wfu.edu/institute/

  • 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 by Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League in September 2022. The records requested were regarding the agency’s efforts to communicate with the public on the health advisories issued in June 2022 for four PFAS—GenX, PFOA, PFOS, and PFBS. This is not the first instance that DEQ has taken an unreasonable amount of time to respond to public records requests. For example, BREDL finally received records in April of this year—after almost 11 months.

    The Duke First Amendment Clinic submitted a “demand letter” to the DEQ on May 30th, 2023, and the records were provided on May 31. Therese Vick, who requested the documents on behalf of BREDL said: “We are very appreciative for the Duke First Amendment Clinic’s assistance with our public records request. Organizations like ours often do not have resources to obtain legal assistance.” Vick continued, “BREDL works directly with impacted communities, and it is vital to be able to obtain public records in a reasonable amount of time. Almost nine months is not a reasonable amount of time. Access to public records is essential to a healthy democracy.”

    The First Amendment Clinic “was delighted to help BREDL with its document requests,” said Clinic Director Sarah Ludington. “We recently hired a staff attorney whose priority is helping citizens and journalists with public records requests. We hope to help many others.”

    About the Clinic: “The public mission of the First Amendment Clinic at Duke Law is to protect and advance the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and petition. The clinic advises and represents individuals and groups with First Amendment concerns or claims who cannot afford the assistance of lawyers with specialized First Amendment expertise.”  You can contact the Duke First Amendment Clinic at: firstamendmentclinic@law.duke.edu

    About BREDL: Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League is a grassroots environmental organization that works with communities across the Southeastern United States. www.BREDL.org

    #publicrecords #PFAS #FOIA #transparency #ncpol

  • 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 Ridge Environmental Defense League will host a meeting on Saturday, September 24 from 10:00am to 1:00pm at Pamplico Public Library, which is located at 100 Main Street in Pamplico.

    Read Press Release