Showing posts in the “environment” category
Lisa Sorg ·
9 Mar 2010, 3:23 PM ·
Comment
Ahh, the first signs of spring as the snow melts away: Daffodils, crocuses—and trash.
According to a recent survey, Durham has fewer “extremely littered” streets than it used to, but more of its streets are “littered.”
The annual survey, known as the Litter Index (28kb, pdf) [litter-index-2009-graph] is sponsored by Keep Durham Beautiful.
Last month, volunteers surveyed select streets within a one-mile radius of City Hall and gauged the amount and type of trash on them.
The percentage of littered streets rose from roughly 7 percent last year to 20 percent this year. And the percentage of streets that had no litter dipped from 39 percent last year to just one-quarter in 2010.
Dorothea Pierce, executive director of Keep Durham Beautiful, said there could be several reasons for the increase in littered streets, including this year’s wet and windy winter weather.
“Bad weather that moves things around,” Pierce said. “Flooding and wind: Wind is a horrendous litter mover.”
The good news: There were virtually no “extremely littered” streets—the amount of litter that would require a truck to haul it away.
Updated March 14, 12:37 pm:
Pierce added this information in an e-mail to the Indy:
The Litter Index covers all of Durham, all of the City and all of the County – we obviously don’t survey each road but there is a representative sampling from all over and every type of street: industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, and a circle that includes an area that is centered on the city hall. These roads where chosen at random within those five parameters and we survey the same streets over a minimum of a three year span, so we have continuity. The Litter Index results portray for us a representative sampling of the overall litter picture. This same process is done by over 500 Keep America Beautiful affiliates from all around the country.
Durham, environment, news Keep Durham Beautiful, Litter Index
Samiha Khanna ·
22 Feb 2010, 8:29 PM ·
Comment
Michael Page, chairman of the Durham Board of County Commissioners, summarized the past year’s accomplishments in his State of the County address Monday night. In his 30-minute speech, Page focused on the progress the county has made on new buildings and other capital projects, such as the opening of the Holton Career and Resource Center and the construction of the county’s Human Services Complex downtown, which will include a new courthouse.
Page also lauded several county departments for winning recognition from professional organizations, and pointed to the county’s new efforts to improve information and communication to the public, including the use of social media platforms Twitter and Facebook.
Page mentioned only briefly some challenges the county has faced in the past year due reduced tax revenue and budget cuts, but pointed out that the county didn’t have to raise taxes or cut any jobs. He also touched on the budget gap the county will face when it begins considering the 2011-12 budget in the coming weeks.
“Until a full recovery is evident, we will do everything in our power to continue to deliver the services most critical to our residents,” Page said. “Know that we will tighten our belts, we will roll up our sleeves and we will work to provide the best service level possible for our citizens. … At the end of the day, I remain confident that we will stay true to the mission and to the values that keep Durham County a wonderful place to work and a wonderful place to live and a wonderful place to do business.”
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, economy, education, environment, labor, news, politics Durham Board of County Commissioners, Durham County Library, economy, jobs, Michael Page, social services
Joe Schwartz ·
11 Feb 2010, 3:53 PM ·
3 Comments
UNC burned 104,586.00 tons of coal at its cogeneration plan in 2009, public records show.
During the past five years, they’ve used 568.703 tons of coal purchased from eight mines all in Virginia or Kentucky.
You can access the data here. Next week’s Indy will feature an analysis of the mines and their practices.
Regina Stabile, director of institutional records and reporting compliance, filled our public records request Wednesday, the same day that our story on UNC coal use hit the stands. The request, which asked for the amount and cost of coal used each year since 2005 along with the name and location of the mines, was filed Jan. 29.
Continue reading »
Chapel Hill, Orange County, environment coal, Cogeneration Facility, Energy Task Force, Regina Stabile, UNC
Lisa Sorg ·
9 Feb 2010, 6:23 PM ·
Comment
Who knew what when: The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources wants answers from UNC-Chapel Hill about the 53-day gap between the time workers at the Bingham Facility suspected a leak in a treated-wastewater storage pond and when the university notified environmental officials that said leak did occur.
The treated wastewater did flow into nearby Collins Creek, a violation of UNC’s discharge permit.
A letter from DENR to UNC (160kb, pdf denrletter24) stated that the state regulators are considering “enforcement action,” and asked for a response from the university.
Mary Beth Koza, director of UNC environment, health and safety, said the university is preparing a response to DENR. “We try to do everything in compliance,” she said.
Because of the discharge DENR revoked UNC’s “deemed permit status,” a general permit classification, and is requiring the university to apply for an individual discharge permit. UNC has until early March to submit its application.
There have been several malfunctions or leaks at the facility’s wastewater treatment ponds, which have raised questions about the quality of the construction. Koza would not address that issue, but added “We’re working with the contractors to fix the problem.”
Orange County, environment Bingham Facility, discharge permit, N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, UNC
Joe Schwartz ·
2 Feb 2010, 4:47 PM ·
2 Comments
James Hansen, one of the nation’s leading experts on global warming, joined a group of UNC students today in calling for the university to become coal-free.
Standing in front of UNC’s Cogeneration Facility, which powers the campus, about 20 students held signs encouraging Chancellor Holden Thorp to “be a climate champ.”
They were joined by Professor Jose Rial, a UNC glaciologist, Patricia Leighten, a Westwood neighborhood resident who lives about a quarter-mile from the plant, a handful of Sierra Club members and Carrboro Alderman Sammy Slade.
The speakers praised Thorp’s creation of an Energy Task Force and said it provides an opportunity for UNC to become a national leader in renewable and clean energy.
“The best way for the Energy Task Force to address energy use on campus is to get UNC off of coal as quickly as possible,” said Stewart Boss, a freshman and media outreach coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Coal-Free UNC Campaign. “Coal is the dirtiest possible energy source we could be using today.”
Continue reading »
Chapel Hill, Orange County, environment Coal-Free UNC Campaign, Cogeneration Facility, Holden Thorp, James Hansen, Jose Rial, Sammy Slade, Sierra Club, UNC
Lisa Sorg ·
28 Jan 2010, 1:57 PM ·
Comment
Polluters, take note: A new environmental crimes task force is launching in North Carolina, the U.S. Department of Justice announced today.
The press release (92kb, pdf) environmentalcrimesgroup sounds serious, but forgive Triangulator if she doesn’t start drinking straight from the Neuse River quite yet. Federal and state regulators are known for their light hand on all but the most egregious of polluters. And sometimes the fines and penalties take years to assess and collect because the polluters declare bankruptcy, tie up the case in the courts, etc.
But with that said, it will be worth tracking the effectiveness of this new initiative.
North Carolina, environment, news Eastern District of North Carolina, environmental crimes working group, U.S. Department of Justice
Lisa Sorg ·
22 Dec 2009, 1:48 PM ·
Comment
Duke Energy will spend $85 million to significantly reduce harmful air pollution at an Indiana power plant and pay a $1.75 million civil penalty, under a settlement to resolve violations of federal clean air laws, the Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today in a press release. The settlement also requires Duke to spend $6.25 million on environmental mitigation projects.
Last May, an Indianapolis jury found that Duke violated the Clean Air Act by failing to obtain required permits and pollution controls before making modifications to Units 1 and 3 at its New Albany, Ind., plant. Duke’s failure to implement these pollution controls resulted in significant increases in sulfur dioxide.
The settlement requires Duke to either repower Units 1 and 3 with natural gas or shut them down to remove all sulfur dioxide pollution. Duke also must install new pollution controls for sulfur dioxide at the other two units at the plant, Units 2 and 4.
The environmental projects and expenditures include $250,000 for the U.S. Forest Service to address acid rain in downwind national forests, $5 million for one or more additional projects such as conversion to hydrogeneration or hybrid vehicle fleets, and $1 million for other initiatives to be allocated among the states that joined the federal government in the settlement: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Read the EPA’s entire statement here: epa-dukeenergy
North Carolina, environment, national civil penalty, Clean Air Act, Duke Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, New Albany Indiana
Samiha Khanna ·
16 Dec 2009, 5:50 PM ·
4 Comments
A superior court judge found in favor of Southern Durham Development on Wednesday in its major lawsuit against the county.
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning said that lines drawn in 2006 by a former planning director that outline the protective boundaries around Jordan Lake are binding and must stand.
This means that 146 of 165 acres on which Southern Durham Development was hoping to build a mixed-use community are no longer considered part of a protected zone that heavily restricts commercial and residential development, opening the door to broader development options.
In his ruling, Manning dismissed other arguments in the lawsuit against Durham County, including claims by Southern Durham Development that county officials were trying to undermine its development plans for the land (west of N.C. 751 in South Durham), and requests for $20,000 in damages.
Both parties seemed pleased with portions of the judge’s actions.
“We feel we’ve had the facts and the law on our side the entire time, and that’s what the court said,” said Alex Mitchell, president of Southern Durham Development.
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, environment, news 751 Assemblage, Alex Mitchell, development, Durham County Commissioners, Durham planning department, Durham politics, Howard Manning, jordan lake, Lowell Siler, protest petition, Southern Durham Development
Samiha Khanna ·
11 Dec 2009, 5:33 PM ·
Comment
Four property owners who signed a petition this fall to protest the rezoning of the protective boundary around the portion of Jordan Lake in Durham County filed a lawsuit late Friday against Durham County officials.
Attorney Jim Conner of the Ragsdale Liggett firm in Raleigh filed the complaint just after 4 p.m. Friday on behalf of Milagros Napoli and Jeffrey Napoli, the Kendrick Estates Investment Corporation, as well as Kristen Corbell. All own property in the area around Jordan Lake to be rezoned.
The parties filed a complaint for a declaratory judgment and injunction, asking a judge to look at the evidence surrounding the petition and rule that the 3-2 vote Durham County Commissioners took in October meant that the rezoning didn’t pass, as the petition was valid, Conner said. A valid petition would have required a “supermajority,” or 4-1 vote to pass, instead of the simple majority vote of 3-2.
“We think the protest petition is clearly valid,” Conner said. “The courts have already said in other cases that if there’s a valid petition and there’s a vote that’s not a three-quarters vote, then the rezoning doesn’t pass.”
The county has 30 days to file an answer to the lawsuit, which named Durham County and the Durham County Commissioners as defendants. Although the Southern Environmental Law Center and Haw River Assembly worked to file the initial protest petition, neither is party to the lawsuit.
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, environment, news 751 Assemblage, Durham County, Durham County Commissioners, environment, haw river assembly, jordan lake, Kendrick Estates, protest petition, Southern Durham Development, Southern Environmental Law Center
Joe Schwartz ·
8 Dec 2009, 5:08 PM ·
Comment
Community members in the Bingham Township and the Rogers Road neighborhood celebrated Monday night as the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 last night to send its trash to Durham.
The vote brought to an end a two-year process in which residents of both communities had to stave off pushes to build a waste transfer station in their backyards. Durham’s waste transfer station has enough capacity to include Orange, though a final agreement is yet to be hammered out.
Continue reading »
Durham County, Orange County, environment, politics Durham, Orange County Board of Commissioners, Preserve Rural Orange, Rogers Road, waste transfer station
Ahh, the first signs of spring as the snow melts away: Daffodils, crocuses—and trash.
