Feds petitioned to probe "bizarre" N.C. dealings with Duke Energy
Did Duke Energy get special -- and potentially illegal -- treatment from clean air regulators in North Carolina?read more
View ArticleUnknown senator blocks Obama's controversial nominee for mining regulatory post
President Obama's controversial choice to head the federal agency that regulates the environmental impact of coal mining has run into unexpected opposition in the Senate.read more
View ArticleSenate approves controversial choice for coal mining regulator
Environmental and public health watchdogs have vowed to increase their scrutiny of the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement in the wake of the Senate's approval...
View ArticleAging coal plants take a heavy environmental toll
A new report from Environment America finds that the nation's power plants are dirty as well as old -- and that those two characteristics tend to go hand in hand.read more
View ArticleEnd TVA's special treatment under law, enviros urge Obama
Representatives from 15 environmental advocacy groups have called on President Obama to end the Tennessee Valley Authority's immunity from federal prosecution for its Kingston coal ash disaster and...
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Industry lobbies White House hard on coal ash regulation
Environmental advocates were disappointed last month when Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that her agency would miss the promised end-of-the-year deadline to...
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POWER POLITICS
After years of inaction, federal officials are mulling new regulations to confront the growing problem of coal ash. But energy companies have fought off regulation before, and they're fighting the new...
View ArticleHouse votes to halt strict coal ash rules, but fight will continue in Senate
The House of Representatives approved an amendment to a federal spending bill over read more
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Public gets last chance to weigh in on Duke-Progress merger
The N.C. Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 20 about the proposed merger of Progress Energy and Duke Energy to form the nation's largest electric utility, which would...
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Oil pipeline fight roils unions
U.S. unions are bitterly split on whether an oil pipeline should be built between Canada and Texas. The conflict has hamstrung the Blue-Green Alliance, which unifies union and environmental efforts, as...
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From the oil disaster frontlines
As Keystone XL pipeline protesters savor their victory, a battle for justice rages in the Gulf.Image: Facing South Appreciate this post? Please donate & share below. Donate » Tweet » Share » Email...
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Life After BP (2011)
Purchase a PDF of "Life After BP"Image:Â <h4> When the BP Deepwater Horizon rig blew up off the Louisiana coast on April 20, 2010, it triggered what would turn out to be the worst oil spill in...
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EPA faces lawsuit over coal-ash rule delay
More than three years after a disaster at a Tennessee power plant, the Obama administration still has not issued promised protections from coal ash hazards. Environmental groups plan to sue to spur...
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North Carolina gathers public feedback on fracking
State regulators release a draft report for comment that says fracking for natural gas can be done safely -- but they also admit that there "is a lot of projecting going on."Image:Â Facing South...
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ALEC fights coal ash protections on polluters' behalf
Embroiled in controversy for its role in passing "Stand Your Ground", the American Legislative Exchange Council also worked to block federal regulation of toxic power plant waste that's contaminating...
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Toxics lobby pours money into North Carolina politics
Big industrial polluters have been investing millions in lobbying and campaign contributions while seeking to weaken North Carolina standards governing health-damaging pollution.Image:Â Facing South...
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INSTITUTE INDEX: The real obscenity of mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal activist Maria Gunnoe of West Virginia was questioned about child porn by U.S. Capitol Police after submitting a photo of a child bathing in mine-polluted water to a House committee...
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Will NC lawmakers let fracking industry fund its own regulators?
Responding to fracking opponents' concerns over how cash-strapped North Carolina can afford to regulate the industry, the legislature's Republican leadership is reportedly in talks with the American...
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INSTITUTE INDEX: Confronting a deepening climate crisis
With new data out showing that 2012 was the warmest year on record for the contiguous United States, and with costs mounting due to droughts and other climate-related disasters, will political leaders...
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NC lawmakers earn record low grades on the environment
Environmental advocates call North Carolina's 2013 legislative session one of "heartbreak," with an unprecedented number of lawmakers earning zeros on an annual scorecard. The governor also got graded...
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INSTITUTE INDEX: Just how cozy are Gov. McCrory and Duke Energy?
Following Duke Energy's massive coal ash spill into the Dan River, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) has come under scrutiny for his unusually close relationship with the utility giant. We take a...
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Coal ash polluting NC river was once Appalachian mountaintops
Before its coal-fired units were shuttered in 2012, Duke Energy's Dan River plant burned coal from mountaintop removal mines in Appalachia. The reality that the arsenic-laden ash now contaminating a...
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The money behind Big Oil's win on Atlantic drilling
Environmentalists and others have condemned the Obama administration's decision to open up the Atlantic to seismic testing for oil and gas reserves, blaming political pressure from deep-pocketed oil...
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Voter ire over handling of Duke Energy coal ash disaster transcends party...
Most North Carolinians think the state legislature has not done enough to address Duke Energy's recent coal ash spill into the Dan River. Their dissatisfaction crosses party lines -- and could affect...
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Earth Day: What are we fighting for?
The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation has launched a "Southern Voices" oral history project to capture the stories of Southern leaders working for social and economic justice. This special Earth Day...
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NC environmental officials: Too anti-regulation even for Duke Energy?
Duke Energy officials in recent weeks have suggested that the administration of North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory may be going too far in its efforts to undermine environmental regulations aimed at...
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