Mecklenburg Co. air again earns F in American Lung Association report
April 24, 2019
Mecklenburg County once again ranks at the bottom of North Carolina counties when it comes to air quality, according to an annual air quality report from the American Lung Association. The N.C. Sierra Club suggests that promoting electric vehicle...
Senate moves forward on two bad bills: EVs, electric rate increases
April 19, 2019
This week at the NC General Assembly we saw Senate committees move two bills that the Chapter is working against. One would raise registration fees for electric vehicles to the highest in the country and another would allow electric utilities to...
Equity Committee seeks to bring new views, voices to NC Chapter’s work
April 15, 2019
Sierrans are exploring ways to draw on the unique backgrounds of a variety of people - differences in age, gender, ethnic identity, political beliefs and religious faith - to improve our work to protect North Carolina’s environment. Read how the N.C...
New permit for hog facilities nods to water quality; more protections needed
April 12, 2019
After two rounds of public comment and stakeholder input, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has released the final version of the swine general permit, which regulates the primitive lagoon and spray system used to manage animal waste at...
Lawmakers mount attack on clean energy, trees
April 12, 2019
This week at the NC General Assembly we saw Senate committees consider bills that attack wind energy, electric and hybrid vehicles and trees, writes Cassie Gavin, the Chapter's senior director for government relations.
Mixed environmental bag at Senate bill-filing deadline
April 5, 2019
This week at the N.C. General Assembly, it was the Senate’s bill-filing deadline so many new environmental bills appeared - some harmful and some positive. In the House, members nearly unanimously passed two good bills to address electric vehicle...
Major milestone for Durham as city council commits to 100% renewable energy
April 1, 2019
Durham City Council members unanimously passed a resolution on Monday that commits the city to an equitable transition to 100% renewable energy and carbon neutrality by 2050.
This bold action puts Durham on a rapidly growing list of communities...
Cooper administration orders Duke Energy to dig up toxic coal ash and move it to lined storage
April 1, 2019
Gov. Roy Cooper’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today ordered Duke Energy to excavate all remaining coal ash impoundments in North Carolina and move the toxic waste to lined storage.
In a media release, DEQ said that “after conducting...
No wind? No way! Oppose 'military protection' act
March 29, 2019
Activity on environmental bills sped up at the NC General Assembly this week. Senators filed several environmentally harmful bills including a proposal to ban wind energy in much of eastern North Carolina and a bill to disallow local governments...
Anti-wind bill would stifle economic development in northeastern NC
March 27, 2019
Onshore wind energy development - and the economic boost it provides - would be banned across much of eastern North Carolina under legislation filed Wednesday by Sen. Harry Brown in the name of unnecessary “protection” for military readiness. Senate...