Air and water permits are legally binding agreements. To learn about things you or your organization can do to reduce air pollution and improve air quality contact us at air.awareness@ncdenr.gov or click on the navigation bar on the right to learn more about NC Air Awareness projects. The Charlotte region is right on the line for meeting the federal standard for ground-level ozone pollution which is formed when heat and sunlight interact with pollution from traffic and power plants. A pair of bills introduced by Democratic lawmakers in the House this session that would explicitly require DEQ to consider cumulative impacts have languished in that chamber. In 2022, Cooper signed Executive Order 246 requiring state agencies to appoint a point person for environmental justice efforts, to provide more information to the public about ways they have contributed to disproportionate impacts and how they could reduce them. Two miles east is Interstate 85, where 100,000 vehicles a day whiz along eight lanes of traffic, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Many of the air permits active there have histories that date back decades. and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnatis Educational Studies Research Methods program, where she focused on Educational and Community-Based Action Research. The strategy, she said, has three parts: First, the state is working to identify and alert residents with PFAS chemicals in their drinking water and a system of statewide reporting. As more people move to the area, pollution increasesand ecological services are strained. We will always be catching up. Invisible peril? Next month, Clean Air Carolina is hosting their STATE OF THE CLIMATE 2019 event, where they will be talking more about how to turn these efforts into outcomes. Research Publications & Reports The format is the same, just more info! As we struggle with the issue of equity, or rather inequity, in the areas of affordable housing, economic opportunitiesand healthy food for neighborhoods across our city, Charlotte must also prioritize resiliency and adaptation strategies for those most vulnerable to impacts of climate change. This is the water we use for drinking, washing, flushingand industry. Quality of Life Explorer In May, Emily Sutton of the Haw River Assembly took water samples to test the tributary for PFAS. Even with cleaner cars and other new technology, our air could get worse as our population grows, endangering our health and reducing our quality of life. The settlement resulted in a consent order that required Chemours to cease its discharges and add scrubbers to its smokestacks to prevent airborne PFAS pollution. Transportation Analysis (TIMS), Articles Archives Four years later, with some 60 rounds of chemotherapy under his belt, hes still going strong. The environmental justice board may endorse them. Staff City Walks You may be familiar with some of the long-standing and landmark environmental justice issues in North Carolina, including hog farmingin eastern North Carolina, waste disposal, and air and water quality mismanagement. Thats because they can shape whether an areas residents are more likely to suffer health effects from any added environmental pollution. But it works exactly the opposite way, she says. Transportation, Who We Are Transportation Analysis (TIMS), Articles Archives From left: Emily Donovan, head of Clean Cape Fear; donated water jugs fill the PTA supply closet at the school of Donovan's children. specifications, etc. By Adam Wagner and Gavin Off Updated May 27, 2023 8:00 AM This is "Tank Town." Located four miles north of. Last Saturday, concerned people and social justice groups from over 30 states gathered in Raleigh to demand government . Will Hendrick, the NC Conservation Networks environmental justice director, frequently speaks at public hearings and before DEQ advisory committee meetings, urging the agency to do more to curb exposure to pollution. It is worrying that the bills seemed to echo the Democratic Partys environment justice stance and that their passage could make it too easy for agencies like DEQ to deny permits, he said of the proposed legislation. It can be pretty overwhelming at times. In addition, our North Carolina facilities have undergone a full Environmental Justice review and assessment as part of the permitting process with NC DEQ, an Enviva spokesman said in an email. A half mile from a dozen tanks is Thrift Baptist Church, where Gene Lathan has been the pastor for more than two decades. Last summers extreme temperatures put outdoor workers, children, senior adults, the homeless and those without air conditioning at risk for heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. Invisible peril? As 2019 is winding down, it is time to reflect and be proactive in understanding the implications that environmental injustice has on our community. Anything those researchers find would need to be shared with the community, added Collins, who also co-chairs the board of the non-profit Southwest Renewal Foundation. But on a trip to Myrtle Beach in 2019, a worker was cleaning the roof of Lathans RV when he asked the pastor if he lived near an airport. Our mission is to provide community-based research services to local, regional, and state-level clients. Those bills are unlikely to become law this session, said Rep. Frank Iler, a Brunswick County Republican who co-chairs the House Environment Committee. That, to me, is all of the necessary reference to those federal obligations required in order for the agency to interpret its authority so as to enable action necessary to comply with federal nondiscrimination obligations, Hendrick said. By comparison, North Carolina regulators can consider limited types of nearby pollution in only some cases. DEQs water discharge permits, for example, must weigh whether a new discharge will cause pollution levels downstream to rise above state limits set to protect drinking water. NRDC works to safeguard the earthits people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Nor does it usually assess how adding a new pollution source could disproportionately burden people living in the area. (Not global issues; or if you say a global issue, its local impact) pic.twitter.com/KeEJHc3wFj. And facilities that want to emit at least 10 tons of a single chemical or 25 total tons of chemicals the EPA says are hazardous annually trigger an analysis of how they will impact nearby air quality only. These forever chemicals are used to make cookware, clothing, firefighting foam and other materials, and are detectable in the blood of virtually every American. Kayla Young is a Report for America corps member covering issues involving race, equity, and immigration for WFAE and La Noticia, an independent Spanish-language news organization based in Charlotte. These have cumulative impacts to human health and the environment.. If you get a bill from Charlotte Water or Duke Energy, you are using Catawba water. When you sign up, youll become a member of NRDCs Activist Network. 20 low-wealth NC school districts could lose millions in state funding. Charlotte, NC location. The vast majority of green space is in older affordable or more modest areas, not just wealthy ones, and that will diminish as properties are redeveloped to new high-density standards the industry has been pushing for a very long time. In Sampson County, that analysis found a high proportion of Hispanic people live in the area immediately around the Enviva plant. The organization donates saplings and instructs residents how to plant and care for their new trees. And yet, North Carolina is currently reviewing its water quality standards, something it does every three years, but not one rule for PFAS pollution is even up for consideration. It just feels like extra information thats not being used.. The environmental issues provided is not a comprehensive list of all the environmental problems in North Carolina. Sargent, who is the executive director of Cape Fear River Watch, also shared a personal story. And residents in some urban areas, Mecklenburg County included, live with higher risks than others across the nation of developing cancer from the air they breathe, EPA data shows. This community outreach institute has been impactful in promoting engagement and awareness of environmental hazards affecting our communities. You may be familiar with some of the long-standing and landmark environmental justice issues in North Carolina, including hog farming in eastern North Carolina, waste disposal, and air and water quality mismanagement. PFAS are used, often superfluously, in everyday products like nonstick cookware, carpets, food packaging, stain repellents, and water-resistant clothing. Its also a major threat to public health and our economy. The federal law also says a recipient of funds can be in violation by failing to take actions that protect those communities. Watershed protection is super-important. As the years went on, the tank farm grew and other industries, such as a wood manufacturer and concrete supplier, got permits of their own. Sargent says shell always wonder if his PFAS exposure as a Chicago fireman and former Marine caused his cancer. Each year ruptures and clogs in the aging infrastructure send thousands of gallons of sewage into Catawba basin creeks (Please do not flush wet wipes). By Adam Wagner and Gavin Off Updated May 27, 2023 8:00 AM This is "Tank Town." Located four miles north of. Schul Forum Series Charlotte is growing super-fast and demands for healthy living conditions are bearing down on our fragile environment. Health & Well-being Terracon. Schul Forum Series Even healthy people can have trouble taking deep breaths on bad air days, and can experience damage to lung tissues. Need a Speaker? But what is environmental justice and what does it mean for public health? slide 1 of 3 Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1,365,297 for Three Community Air Pollution Monitoring Projects in North Carolina Release Date: 11/3/2022. Our key off-campus partners include local governments, non-profit organizations, and community groups. Not only has air pollution been one of the top public health priorities for Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the harmful implications of not addressing climate change will continue to complicate this issue. There are even pieces of land with very high conservationvalue in other counties that, if they are developed, will directly impact the drinking water for all 1 millionpeople in MecklenburgCounity. Terracon conducts ASTM-compliant Phase I ESAs with a diverse staff of Environmental Professionals and some of the most advanced technology available. The whole country knows PFAS are bad. It complies with current state rules limiting air pollution. The tree canopy is significantin cleaning the water andin filtering stormwater. In addition to those exposures, people in and near cities are more likely to live with non-permitted exposure hazards, such as potentially harmful particles emitted by tailpipes on busy highways, jet engines landing at nearby airports or heavy machinery at construction sites. In fact, the countys air quality has improved dramatically in recent decades, Green said, thanks in part to tougher standards on vehicle and smokestack emissions and the countys grant program to replace old diesel engines. Ideally, he said, researchers would be able to access more funding to figure out if anything is in the air residents are breathing and the water they are drinking. This is a place where Thomas Built has manufactured buses for more than a hundred years, where AkzoNobel makes wood coatings and where Kao Specialties Americas manufactures several chemicals including a concrete additive and toner binder. Heres why, Lake Norman mansion owner pleads guilty to swindling investors, feds say, North Carolina tool maker adding 400 jobs in $130 million expansion, state says, Five North Carolina doughnut shops rank among the nations best. Another 123 million gallons of water are withdrawn from the river for power generation. Why fans crave them, Plane crashes on Lake Norman, authorities say. After much pushback from school officialsincluding them even rejecting a $200,000 grant Donovan secured to install a water filtration systemthey finally relented. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PFAS can be detected in the blood of nearly every American. She earned her M.A. The Urban Institute is a part of the urbanCORE (formerly known as Metropolitan Studies and the Office of Urban Research & Community Engagement), which is a unit of Academic Affairs. Anyone with respiratory disease such as asthma or emphysema, and anyone with a heart condition such as coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure. Ryke Longest, the director of Duke Universitys Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, agrees with Hendrick. Indeed, scientists suspect there is a possible thyroid cancer cluster in the Wilmington area, about 90 miles downstream from Chemours Fayetteville plant. Funding for this project comes from Kozik Environmental Justice Reporting Grants funded by the National Press Foundation and the National Press Club Journalism Institute. Air pollution can harm you even if you can't see it or smell it. When youre smelling all of that stuff in the air and then realizing that theres some stuff you arent smelling thats harmful, too, it is very concerning, said White-Williamson, who also works as the N.C. Conservation Networks director of environmental justice strategy. He spent decades working at different plants up and down Industry Drive. Support Us There are different sources of pollution, including air emissions, landfills and water discharges, among others. Air pollution can harm people's health and damage the environment. The company takes trees and other biomass, dries them and then turns them into pellets for use as fuel in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Many times, these are water or wastewater treatment plants. Everything is connected. As one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Charlotte is already struggling to keep pace with its infrastructure needs made worse by climate-related weather eventsincluding stormwater management, transportation improvements and stress on the power grid. We are experts in our field - licensed, certified, insured and ready to help you. The agency is responsible for approving permits that limit the release of pollution to levels that have been approved by state and federal regulators. I will forever be kicking and screaming about precautionary principle, says Emily Sutton, Haw riverkeeper for the nonprofit Haw River Assembly, which has partnered with local scientists studying PFAS while focusing on its own advocacy and education efforts. Responding to requests by community groups, the states Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology Division is creating a website to share how exposure to multiple pollutants is impacting health, Guidry said. Environmentalists say its time for state regulators to work harder to protect them. Mecklenburg is so close to build-out that what happens on some of these pieces of land with high conservation value isvery important. But also four years later, the Cape Fear River watershedwhich supplies drinking water for Kennedys family and around 350,000 other North Caroliniansremains contaminated with the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that DuPont, and its spin-off, Chemours, dumped into the river for more than four decades. About 18 percent of land in the city is considered "vacant," and that number is shrinking as development roars ahead. Some 4,000 largely urban sources of contamination, such as coal ash and Superfund sites, or industrial facilities that hold a permit to pollute, dot North Carolina, an analysis by the Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer found. On the southwestern corner of Oxford, Industry Drive offers close proximity to Interstate 85 for a cluster of low-slung factories. Heavier shading shows closer proximity to more sources of pollution. His work is produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. Today, the local community is suffering the health. As climate changes and populations become increasingly urban, it is of utmost importance that cities practice safe zoning, reduce emissions, and improve sustainability. In July 2018, Cape Fear River Watch, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), sued the NCDEQ to force Chemours to immediately stop polluting the Cape Fear River. NC locations: Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh. If theyve had problems with pollution or anything like that, I havent heard it, Ramsey said. (704) 331-1000 phone. Longest has concluded that a lack of financial resources at DEQ and fear of potential backlash from the General Assembly explains DEQs inaction in evaluating a full range of cumulative effects from pollution. . Some of the early whistle-blowers for environmental injustice called it environmental racism because African Americans are disproportionately affected by environmental injustice. Robinson, the CleanAIRE NC volunteer, lives among some of the densest clusters of potential air and water contamination in Mecklenburg County, according to the Charlotte Observer and News & Observer analysis. Addressing air pollution and climate change issues collectively can go hand-in-hand in promoting efforts to improve health. The tanks hold ethanol and petroleum and sit near hangers that pump fuel into trucks. Additionally, the volume and speed of this runoff cause flooding and stream erosion. Rachel Jackson-Gordon is a Research Associate at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, where she started in May 2022. 6 How Clean Is NC Tap Water? Whos at risk? She reluctantly uses it to brush her teeth. A $49,999 award from the state Environmental Enhancement Grant program will support the efforts, which will begin in summer 2022. To learn more, view our full privacy policy. Invisible peril? History, experience and research tell us we thrive in green spaces full of life. She heads a volunteer watchdog group called Clean Cape Fear, which was founded in the wake of the StarNews investigation and after Donovans husband, David, discovered he had a brain tumor. I think we can do much more to cope long term if we give a lot more space for environmental buffers on all sites to do their natural thing. This was the agency's 500th agreement since the program's inception in 1998, when the first agreement was provided to Camden Square Associates for the Camden Square project in the Wilmore Community . Carpet cleaning is an essential aspect of maintaining a clean and healthy environment. Sign up for our newsletter to get Charlotte region policy analysis delivered straight to your inbox. Hotter summers also mean the likelihood of more air pollution. Its coming to your community, too.. But it does beg the question: What role does that EJ report serve if theres not going to be any sort of action, whether thats denying the permit or requiring additional monitoring? Woods continued. Lathan never questioned the air quality there, he said. One way this is being done is by monitoring air quality in Historic West End. with technical consultants and interfacing with environmental agencies offering our clients peace of mind that their environmental issues and liabilities are being comprehensively addressed. They can adapt to most situations, including an unhealthy environment. White-Williamson chairs the cumulative impacts subcommittee of the Department of Environmental Qualitys Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board. The New Jersey rule requires environmental regulators to deny a permit if it would worsen already disproportionate impacts from pollution when compared to the rest of the state. If we are prioritizing the health of our residents, then we need to be thinking about those burdens, said Virginia Guidry, head of the state Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology Division. Before that hearing, it makes documents available that describe whats in the permit and what actions the company must take to limit pollution. Nearly all of Charlottes environmental problems air pollution, climate pollution, water pollution, loss of tree canopy and loss of adjacent farmlands are due to low-density, auto-centricurban sprawl, so I think it's useful to think of that as our true environmental problem. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Since gaining control of the General Assembly more than a decade ago, Republicans have cut positions at DEQ and sought to decrease regulatory burdens. For more information,email:air.awareness@ncdenr.govor call 919-707-8400 (ask for a N.C. Air Awareness team member). The man said any time hes seen an RV with so much soot caked onto its roof, the owner kept the vehicle near an airport. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released just over a year ago, more frequent and intense extreme weather and climate-related events, as well as changes in average climate conditions, are expected to continue to damage infrastructure,ecosystems, and social systems that provide essential benefits to communities.. Congress and the EPA need to take serious action to prevent further harm to the publiclearn more: https://on.nrdc.org/2DHB23i. While NCDEQ is committed to EJ [environmental justice] and equity, there is no authority that either mandates or directs NCDEQ to perform the more expansive type of cumulative impact analysis envisioned by the commenters, wrote Melinda Wolanin, a DEQ engineer who was serving as the permits hearing officer. She earned her M.A. The subcommittee is in the midst of drafting recommendations that will urge DEQ to consider the combined effects of pollution and other burdens often carried by communities that have low incomes or high proportions of residents who are American Indian, Black or Hispanic. State Government websites value user privacy. Zippers are made at one, tread rubber for tires at another and roof shingles at yet another. I do believe local and state policies in the South are being influenced by industry, and even other cities elsewhere that may be overstressed. Before the years end and in preparation for Earth Days 50th anniversary in April 2020, The Department of Public Health Sciences will be hosting a speaker series to highlight the importance of environmental injustice as a key public health issue. These operate legally under state law. Some NC communities stuck with higher pollution exposure risks. This is Tank Town. Located four miles north of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, sit more than 100 petroleum tanks that supply the fuel to Charlotte and other cities. At the modest office suite where White-Williamsons Environmental Justice Community Action Network is headquartered, its easy to smell the nearby Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp. processing plant, a strong odor of cooking pig. Its never too late to get involved, and a new decade brings new opportunities to be part of the solution. Contact Us, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001704-687-8622, Transportation Information Management System (TIMS), Gambrell Faculty Fellows: Opportunity in Action, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. If we are to protect those most at risk, we can start by establishing cooling centers for the homeless, air conditioners for families in need and targeted public health messaging for families and seniors. A lock icon or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Researchers predict that by 2080, the climate in Charlotte will most closely resemble that of Northern Florida. Here's a question for you: What do you think is the biggest environmental challenge facing Charlotte right now? In an effort to maintain the tree canopy in Charlotte, the city offers financial incentives for commercial developers who keep trees instead of cutting them down. For years, he stored his RV nearby off Wilkinson Boulevard, under a common flight path for planes going in and out of Charlotte. This water carries whatever was on the asphalt:Trash, auto fluids, brake dust, and cigarettes are all washed unfiltered into the nearest stream. The pair of Superfund sites on Oxfords Industry Drive include Cristex Drum, a former textile mill where chemicals used to dye nylon yarns contaminated groundwater and soil, as well as a former antenna manufacturer where sludge that was used to treat metal was dumped into an on-site lagoon causing groundwater and soil contamination. While Charlotte is several hundred miles inland and doesnt have to contend with risingsea levels, yearly hurricanes, and coastal flooding, climate change is still the biggest environmental challenge to our city. And air pollution, largely driven by the regions auto-dependent development patterns, remains a concern. I encourage you to advise the consideration and response to cumulative impacts in communities hosting these operations, Hendrick said, adding: There is ample time for the agency to determine what is to do about cumulative impacts borne by communities hosting CAFOs because these permits dont expire until next September.. In an email response to questions about the push for considering all nearby exposures before granting permits, a spokesperson stressed that Colonial complies with all regulatory requirements, including cumulative impact reviews in some states. It can also run tests on tap water. DEQ's Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) administers the grant to help local governments, non-profits and businesses reduce the amount of food waste . To look at permits in isolation as if this is the only facility that is going to be impacting the community literally ignores all the impacts in that community that are already existing and the particularities of that community, Jasmine Washington, a Southern Environmental Law Center attorney, said. Air moves. Today, the local community is suffering the health consequencesand fighting back. Environmental Policy Administrator, Land Use and Environmental Services. We appreciate your support. Engagement helps grow the environment and create a personal relationship with it. Some people in North Carolina live with more pollution exposures than others. Thats done to make sure whats proposed wont increase pollution above national air quality standards, what the EPA calls a limited form of a cumulative impacts analysis.. And three miles south lies Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which Airports Council International ranks fifth in the world in air traffic, with 1,400 incoming and outgoing flights per day as of 2021. Researcher Spotlight Read More US Senate Stays Blue, and Could Still Get Greener Climate advocates will be watching GA runoff. That group is a focal point for much of the push by environmental advocates to push the regulatory agency to consider existing pollution in the vicinity when they evaluate environmental permit applications. Now that you have some basic information regarding your options for Phase I ESA providers, consider the services . Wagners previous work at The News & Observer included coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and North Carolinas recovery from recent hurricanes. What NC neighborhoods have the most permitted sources of pollution? Emily Donovan understands how all-consuming the fight can be, and how overwhelming it can feel when taking a giant chemical company to task. Its like a real stale smell, Johnny Horne said. These maps show some of the most dense concentrations of air and water pollution permits granted by environmental regulators in North Carolina. But their combined potential risks are, for the most part, invisible to regulators and people living nearby. The Institute is celebrating its 50th year of advancing UNC Charlottes engagement in economic, social and environmental issues and has made the most of mobilizing community outreach to achieve their missions. It contains demographic characteristics of people living near a proposed facility, including data on age, disability rates, income and ethnic and racial makeup. Some say yes. We appreciate your support. Environmental Information for North Carolina Air Water Land and Waste Cleanups Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals Air Real-time information about today's air quality forecast in North Carolina cities and counties on AirNow.gov MyAir shows many different kinds of air data for North Carolina. McClatchy maintains full editorial control of all philanthropy supported reporting. GenX, which DuPont began producing in 2009, is merely one of the many thousands of these forever chemicals that dont break down in the environment and, instead, can bioaccumulate in the bodies of humans and wildlife. Whether DEQ will ever do so isnt certain, however. I dont know if it can ever be proven, Kennedy says, but Im pretty certain that the PFAS contamination is what led to my cancer.. For the Catawba River, this problem manifests as increases in runoff, sewageand water use. Sign up for our newsletter to get Charlotte region policy analysis delivered straight to your inbox. Now, if I told you it would take 30 years to regrow those connections, you would move somewhere else. We have enough information to know that this pollution is bad, that it needs to stop being put into the environment, and that we need to clean up whats already there, says Bell. On February 27, 2023, the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and Town of Matthews shared findings from the 2022 Matthews Housing Needs Assessment. This story was originally published May 25, 2023, 6:00 AM. Chekesha Jones has lived on East Dale Drive for about 16 years. Loss of tree canopy, open space and green space all impact water quality. Data from two years ago will not give us the ability to affect change for sustainability. Sometimes this information includes whats called an environmental justice analysis. They specify required pollution control equipment at sites, the limited amounts of regulated pollution that can be released there and how emissions will be monitored. But every now and then, residents get reminded that this place is different. Children also have a higher rate of asthma. What we dont know is whether North Carolina is going to finally step up and protect its people. The Linden Mill is a one-story brick complex next to the Norfolk Southern. Housing & Homelessness Farther north in the watershed of the Haw River, a Cape Fear tributary, PFAS contamination is also a problem, particularly in the 4,200-person town of Pittsboro, a bedroom community for the Research Triangle that, due to a major development project, is expecting to welcome up to 60,000 new residents in the coming years. Read More State of the Union is Cleaner We mapped them. Some people in North Carolina live with more pollution exposures than others. A quiet neighborhood sits less than half a mile away from Industry Drive, a collection of ranch and split-level homes are set back on large lots. Housing & Homelessness North on I-85, a High Point neighborhood hosts 13 facilities permitted to pollute the air, with seven allowed to release limited amounts of toxic chemicals, according to the EPAs Toxic Release Inventory. Why should we continue to overburden communities that already have the pollution and poor health outcomes? asked Kirsten Minor, health manager at CleanAire NC. Were not asking them to do anything but their job, she says. We continue to hear that DEQs hands are tied, they dont have any grounds for denying the permit, said Courtney Woods, a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill environmental engineer. On top of that, the states largest landfill had grown there and a wood pellet plant had opened just off of Interstate 40. LaMeshia Whittington of the NC Black Alliance and Advance Carolina notes that low-income people of color face greater risks of exposure, since theyre not only more likely to live near polluting facilities but also more likely to eat fast food meals that come in PFAS packaging, live in rental units with PFAS-laden carpeting, or drink from contaminated water supplies. Meritas Global Annual Meeting 2024 to be Held in Charlotte, NC; News April 27, 2023. Asked why, Jones said: All the factories.. Clean Cape Fears fight extends from Big Chemical and the state all the way down to the local public education system, including the school Donovans twins attend. About 75 census tracts, areas the size of neighborhoods, have at least two polluters per square mile, the newspapers analysis found. Something turned my roof black, Lathan said. DEQ has the power to consider these impacts, but frequently lacks the will to do so, even when required by statute, Longest wrote. One permit holder in Tank Town is Colonial Pipeline. Just west of Wilmingtons Hanover County sits Brunswick County, which a 2019 Environmental Working Group study found to have by far the highest PFAS levels in its tap water out of the 44 places it analyzed across the country. Along the highway are industrial neighborhoods packed with sites permitted to release contaminants into the air and water. Its one of the only sources of fresh vegetables in the Southside neighborhood, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture officially designates a food desert. Health & Well-being Mary Katherine Stukes is head of the firm's Environmental practice. If it can do that to your roof, certainly theres a concern about breathing it., Data: The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer analysis; EPA; NC DEQ; Mecklenburg, Forsyth and Bumcombe counties | Maps: OpenStreetMap; Google Earth, Video production by Sohail Al-Jamea of McClatchy | Data visualization by Susan Merriam of McClatchy | Development by David Newcomb of McClatchy. 5 Is North Carolina a Clean State? Whittington says, Its the historical legacy and atrocity of cumulative impact that weve had to deal with., Just a few miles from Wilmington, in Leland, Kara Kenan of Going Beyond the Pink works with the local breast cancer community and has been battling the disease herself since 2013. Having enough time to develop a healthy environment is essential. It will provide more of a lens on issues of inequity within specific communities that may have been underserved up to this point, said Joe Bowman, an emergency preparedness and environmental health nurse consultant. This is the problem with regulatory systems that prioritize private profit over public safety. Researchers also found elevated levels of mercury in five homes and lead in two houses. Larry Ramsey moved to the Oxford neighborhood about 50 years ago. As 2020 starts, we talked to six people with varying perspectives who all closely follow the regions environmental challenges. The synthetic compounds are also commonly found in firefighting foam and gear, which has led to the contamination of most military bases and airports. Gambrell Faculty Fellows Their answers (edited for brevity and clarity) are below. Environmental justice is the point where social justice, environmental science and public health all meet. Prevention through protections like these are key. Invisible peril? Support Us How do we make our environment something thats as important as the smartphones we tweet with? An official website of the State of North Carolina, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Assistance and Customer Service, Environmental Education and Public Affairs, Distance Learning - Environmental Education. Many of these laws provide DEQ with very little latitude. It has also released updated guidance about how it and states that grant permits could consider the multiple exposures to pollution. Wake County has 29. The agency complies with civil rights laws despite the departments stance that it is unable to deny most permits on the basis of cumulative impact analyses, DEQ spokeswoman Sharon Martin wrote in an email response to questions. In the few miles between the airport and Tank Town, are more than 20 sites with a permit to discharge pollutants into the air or water or sites that the federal government has labeled as contaminated. The Chemours Company discharges waste into the Cape Fear River, polluting the water supply downstream. DHHS officials hope users will be able to zoom in on their address and see what sources of pollution are nearby. Yet mature trees are being removed at a brisk pace. Our mission is to provide community-based research services to local, regional, and state-level clients. Its already difficult to get permitted in some cases which is not a bad thing, which can be good but this would add more layers of bureaucracy and difficulty on the lines of trying to develop different areas, Iler said. Neighborhoods without green spaces will feel the effects of extreme temperatures even more severely, since trees help to reduce summer heat and mitigate air pollution. Government & Civic Engagement In rural areas, there are another 2,500 permits for animal operations and 4,700 industrial-scale poultry farms that arent inspected but are deemed permitted. 20 low-wealth NC school districts could lose millions in state funding. The outcome is a critical step in preventing future PFAS pollution, but NCDEQ has had to fine the company for not complying with the order, and its past contamination, still lingering in the water, soil, and peoples bodies, remains unaddressed. Tackling environmental injustice is a community effort, meaning that those most affected should be involved in the improvement process for both government and non-profit projects. presented in the NCDENR North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural . Research Publications & Reports North Carolinas ALEC-influenced government is passing some of the worst policies in the country. Adam Wagner covers climate change and other environmental issues in North Carolina. If you value the work of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute as we analyze trends in the Charlotte region and the Carolinas, consider a tax-deductible gift to help sustain our operations. Perhaps thats why most of the people who live near Tank Town or under the rumbling engines of the airplanes who agreed to speak with a reporter said they dont mind the industries. This odor clings, which is why Denise Horne doesnt dry her laundry outside anymore. . and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnatis Educational Studies Research Methods program, where she focused on Educational and Community-Based Action Research. Adam Wagner covers climate change and other environmental issues in North Carolina. PFAS have been linked to cancer and other health problems and can be harmful at extremely low doses. Check out the current status of the project here. At the heart of Hendricks argument is Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that no agency that receives federal funding can discriminate against someone on the basis of that persons race, color or national origin. Facilities must decrease those burdens or risk not receiving permits. The good news is that by being mindful of our daily activities, we can make a few simple changes to help us all breathe easier. A neighborhood around Robinsons home, between Brookshire Boulevard and Freedom Drive, has seven facilities permitted to pollute the air and four that pollute the water. Denise and Johnny Hornes entire lives have unfurled around the Southside Recreation Center in High Point near that industrial cluster. Remember, replacing a mature tree takes years! Sources include Mecklenburg County LUESA, the City of Charlotte and the NC Lead Surveillance Program. Contributing Writers Southwest High Point has more toxic release permits than any other neighborhood in the state. Superfund sites are places that the EPA finds to have been contaminated with hazardous waste. This is a long-term public health problem which isnt going away in the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Sustain Charlotte and CleanAIRE NC held a presentation and discussion about the county's Environmental Justice Action Plan, which presents a framework for working toward racial equity and environmental justice among all communities, particularly unfair exposure of Black, Brown and other marginalized communities to environ. by Hanna Mitchell. Public Safety As Charlottes population grows, increasing the tree canopy will be even more challenging, and the neighborhoods most affected are those with the most development or commercial zoning. The only affordable housing we have is older housing throughout the city that happens to have more tree and natural spaces from older standards. The primary principal of environmental justice is to involve all groups, especially those historically marginalized, to make important decisions about the development and enforcement of environmental policy. Air pollution can make asthma worse, trigger asthma attacks, or cause the onset of asthma. Another dashboard the agency is developing allows people to see county-level information about health conditions like rates of asthma and cancer and environmental data like toxic releases or days with high ozone levels. Treating environmental health as a social determinant of health is one way to address disparities and assure action. What we know about 2 people on board, Man killed in hit-and-run on Blue Ridge Parkway in NC, park says. In 2021, the Governor signed House Bill 951, a bipartisan law requiring the North Carolina Utilities Commission to take the necessary steps for state utility providers to reduce carbon emissions by 70% from 2005 levels by the year 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. But the North Carolinians living downstream from the Chemours facility arent the only ones in harms way. Similar construction standards for high-density development are being applied universally everywhere. Rachel Jackson-Gordon is a Research Associate at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, where she started in May 2022. The study report includes findings about demographics, housing, land use, and key informant perspectives related to Matthews' housing. Environmental justice is equal protection from environmental harms and risks. Other permit holders sit just outside her community. This might add to the cost of doing business, but so do costs associated with missed workdays and increases in health care premiums. The continued increased costs to local government will impact the growth of our local economy in the coming years. But he also wants to know if they have any negative impacts. See their website for more information about how you can take home free trees. The state law also says that the environmental agency must qualify to accept federal funding, meaning it would need to meet the requirements of federal civil rights law. EVs will help cut pollution from transportation, the nation's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Take a few more steps and the source becomes clear: Innospec, a chemical manufacturer tucked behind a nearby fence. NC DEQ has the power, even when they do not choose to use it, Longest wrote. You can stay updated with all events happening through the department on our website, publichealth.charlotte.edu. The department, along with the NC Environmental Justice Network and the NC Conservation Network, is working with as many as 10 counties to include a chapter on cumulative impacts in their community health assessments reports created every four years that investigate effects on residents health. And each is home to a higher percentage of Black residents and people with lower median household income than the state average, according to the census. Environment & Planning [1] Further, these issues can be caused by humans ( human impact on the environment) [2] or they can be natural. We have a warm climate and healthy natural resources here, including soil and water. Most were there to support two people who signed up to speak during the public comment . Others say it's time to look at how a mix of nearby pollution, including emissions from vehicles and a nearby airport, add up. But some environmental lawyers believe that authority already exists and the agency is simply unwilling to wield it. Interstate 85 connects North Carolinas two most populated urban centers the Charlotte area and the Triangle. Most every yard was well trimmed and children rode their bikes freely from house to house on a spring afternoon. But these sensitive groups can be affected at lower levels: All children. Even on the fringes of urban areas, families live near multiple sites granted permission to emit regulated pollutants into the air and water. Charlotte, NC 28223-0001 704-687-8622 Without the cooperation of a Republican-controlled General Assembly, Cooper administration officials argue, the governor cannot mandate that DEQ weigh the risk of cumulative impacts when making permitting decisions. DEQs hands are bound by the laws that are adopted by the General Assembly. What NC neighborhoods have the most permitted sources of pollution? Gavin Off has been the Charlotte Observers data reporter since 2011. The biggest threat, from what Ive seen lately, is being able to acquire areas of high conservation value and really making sure we protect our drinking water. Cooper pledged to identify and prioritize additional concerns about the uneven impacts of pollution, including cumulative impacts. Air doesnt stand still, said Sharrone Robinson, a nearby resident and CleanAire NC volunteer. From the west Charlotte street where Sharrone Robinson lives, its impossible to tell that the neighborhood is flanked on three sides four, when you consider the sky by some of the biggest concentrations of air pollution sources in Mecklenburg County. These issues are considered serious when the ecosystem cannot recover in the present situation, and catastrophic if the ecosystem is projected to certainly . If we stop designing our city with the goal of moving cars and instead design it for moving people as efficiently as possible, we would dramatically reduce our negative impacts on our air, our climate, our waterways, our forestsand our farmlands. Previously, he worked as a data reporter at the Tulsa World and at Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, D.C. Can NC regulators weigh existing pollution risks before allowing more? More people generate more waste and increase the chances of clogs. In the wake of the Climate Strike that took place in Charlotte and around the world on September 19th, the media areabuzz with the importance of environmental justice. Chemical companies can create these compounds, without any regard for impacts to human health or the environment, and discharge them until proven guilty.. Paying for a new treatment plant to increase capacity and allow for more growth, would likely mean another rate increase. Gambrell Faculty Fellows The new tools could help local residents and governments shape permitting and zoning decisions. The News & Observers climate and environment reporting is produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. Tank Town and the Charlotte airport have been there longer than some residents living around them can remember. Were almost built out. NRDCs Senior Director of Health and Food, Erik Olson, testified before the House of Representatives this week to urge officials to take action on widespread PFAS contamination and exposure. These are great sources of pollution, said Robinson, a CleanAIRE NC volunteer who has an air quality monitor hanging on the side of her house. But people are amazing adapters. The EPAs environmental justice screening tool shows residents in the west Charlotte area live with higher risks than others across the nation of developing cancer from the air they breathe, though that risk falls within levels the EPA deems acceptable. Kozik Environmental Justice Reporting Grants, supported by the National Press Foundation and the National Press Club Journalism Institute, helped fund this reporting. The Urban Institute is a part of the urbanCORE (formerly known as Metropolitan Studies and the Office of Urban Research & Community Engagement), which is a unit of Academic Affairs. He previously worked at the Wilmington StarNews. Anyone interested in seeking those services can call (704 . It was right around the same time that we started learning about what was in the water, but I hadnt connected the dots that they might be related yet.. Environmentalists say its time for state regulators to work harder to protect them. And yet we sit with no regulation on these companies.. Sometimes you have to wade through a lot of data to see the big picture, but NRDCs first chief science officer Kristi Pullen Fedinick sees beauty in the details. But they dont affect permit decisions, they say. She advises clients on environmental issues involved in all types of business transactions, as well as regulatory compliance issues and environmental litigation.. Read More. New construction is mostly luxury infill. February 12, 2014. Per capita income in that area was lower than Sampson and adjacent Duplin County averages. 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