Just in time for Valentine’s Day, come learn why you can eat chocolate guiltlessly, and why it’s a great idea to support our local chocolate factory. MountainTrue is hosting a FREE tour of the French Broad Chocolate Factory with a focus on their sustainability efforts. Of course, a tasting will be included!
When: Friday, Feb. 6, 10-11:30 a.m.
Where: French Broad Chocolate Factory & Tasting Room, 21 Buxton Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801
Registration for the French Broad Chocolates sustainability tour is now FULL. Thank you for your interest. You can check out our other upcoming events HERE.
Bat houses high in a tree./iStockphoto.com/Jerome Whittingham
Help build bat houses to donate to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to improve bat habitat in priority locations in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests!
Meet us at 10 a.m. on Jan. 31 at Warren Wilson College’s Fellowship Hall (701 Warren Wilson Road). We will be done by 2 p.m.
What to Bring: If you have a powerdrill and drill bits, please bring it along. Any extra hardware, primer, black paint, and latex caulk you may have is also useful. Materials are provided, but extra is always welcome! Be sure to also pack a lunch.
Everyone is invited to join us! Please register here.
Any questions? Please email Alexandra@MountainTrue.org
Time: 7 p.m. to about 9 p.m.
Location: Big Ivy Community Center, 540 Dillingham Road, Barnardsville
The Forest Service district ranger and his staff will provide a brief overview of the proposed forest plan followed by a discussion and questions from the audience. This is an important opportunity for the Forest Service to hear directly from the people who care about Big Ivy.
Mark your calendars for the 8th Annual Asheville Winter Warmer Beer Festival from 3-7 p.m. Jan. 24, brought to you by by co-hosts: ThreeSheets:Design and Brews Cruise, Inc.
This year’s Winter Warmer event will be held at the U.S. Cellular Center Asheville (Asheville Civic Center) again, in downtown Asheville. Thanks to all of you, each year’s festival is bigger and better than the year before – so hopefully, 2015’s Winter Warmer Festival will be the best yet!
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW ONLINE – CLICK HERE
We highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance, as the last five years’ events have sold out. This year’s venue allows for a few more to attend, but we have already received many inquiries about this year’s festival, so don’t miss out on this wonderful Winter Warmer!
Non-Profit Partner for 2015: Winter Warmer will once again support MountainTrue, partner since 2013.
To volunteer for this event and get free entry,
If you have questions, please email Volunteer Coordinator Cynthia Camilleri at Cynthia@WNCA.org.
MountainTrue, the WENOCA Chapter of the Sierra Club, and Asheville Green Drinks will present a program on the Wilderness Act celebrating 50 years while the current US Forest Service revision plan is proposing to open 700,000 acres in western North Carolina to logging.
Join us on Wednesday, January 7th at 7:00PM at the Asheville Unitarian Universalist Congregation when Brent Martin will speak on the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and its relevance to North Carolina. He will also speak about current opportunities for new Wilderness in North Carolina with the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest plan revision and how citizens and organizations can become involved in this process.
The Wilderness Act is considered one of America’s greatest conservation achievements. The act created our National Wilderness Preservation System which currently has 109 million acres. The act also provides the means for Americans to induct further unspoiled areas into the system. “Wilderness areas” represent the nation’s highest form of land protection. No roads, vehicles or permanent structures are allowed in designated wilderness, and a wilderness designation prohibits activities like logging or mining.
Next, Sam Evans of SELC, and Josh Kelly of the MountainTrue will present on the US Forest Service Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Revision Plan of 700,000 acres open to logging.
Location: Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 1 Edwin Pl, (Charlotte & Edwin)
Start Time: 7:00 PM
Contact: Judy Maddox; Judymattox@sbcglobal.net; 828-683-2176
Join MountainTrue Forest Keepers on Saturday, Jan. 17 for a tour of Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Otto, North Carolina. Step inside a world-renowned research facility and get the latest updates on their long-term Hemlock research project straight from the source! Please wear closed toed shoes and dress warmly. Tours go on rain or shine! Hard hats will be provided. Carpool is available at 9 a.m. at Earth Fare at 66 Westgate Parkway, Asheville.
FREE, but registration is required by clicking HERE.
For more information and to register, please email Alexandra@WNCA.org or call (828)-258-8737 ext. 206
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the first-ever federal standards for the storage and disposal of coal ash aimed at protecting thousands of communities from the 140 million tons of ash pollution produced annually by America’s coal plants.
Coal ash, the toxic by-product that is left over after coal is burned, contains toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, selenium and other health threatening substances. The public health hazards and environmental threats to nearby communities from unsafe coal ash storage have been documented for decades, including increased risk of cancer, learning disabilities, neurological disorders, birth defects, asthma, and other illnesses.
For years, environmental and public health organizations have called on the EPA and the Obama Administration to impose common-sense protections for retired and active coal ash sites that treat the disposal of this toxic waste stream with the same level of scrutiny as other dangerous substances.
In 2012, Western North Carolina Alliance joined several environmental organizations and an Indian tribe to obtain a court-ordered deadline for the coal ash rule.
“After coal ash disasters in Tennessee and North Carolina,” said WNCA’s French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson, “we welcome a coal ash rule that will start to take steps towards protecting the environment and our communities from toxic coal ash.”
However, WNCA and our Riverkeeper are disappointed that the standard allows utilities to continue disposing of coal ash in ponds and does not incorporate strong federal enforcement. The standard still leaves people to largely fend for themselves against powerful utility interests that have historically ignored public health in favor of delayed action.
Moving forward, WNCA and our coalition partners will use every tool available to strengthen this EPA safeguard, pressure state governments to do more to help communities suffering from ash pollution, and work with local residents to stand up to the utilities responsible for poisoning their water and air with this toxic industrial waste.
From EPA:
Release Date: 12/19/2014
Contact Information: Press@epa.gov
Release Date: 12/19/2014
Common sense, pragmatic rules to protect against structural failure, water and air pollution
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the first national regulations to provide for the safe disposal of coal combustion residuals (coal ash) from coal-fired power plants. The final rule establishes safeguards to protect communities from coal ash impoundment failures, like the catastrophic Kingston, Tenn., spill in 2008, and establishes safeguards to prevent groundwater contamination and air emissions from coal ash disposal.
“EPA is taking action to protect our communities from the risk of mismanaged coal ash disposal units, and putting in place safeguards to help prevent the next catastrophic coal ash impoundment failure, which can cost millions for local businesses, communities and states,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “These strong safeguards will protect drinking water from contamination, air from coal ash dust, and our communities from structural failures, while providing facilities a practical approach for implementation.”
EPA has been studying the effects of coal ash disposal on the environment and public health for many years. In the wake of the failure of the TVA coal ash pond in Kingston, TN, EPA began a multi-year effort to help ensure the safety of the nation’s coal ash disposal facilities, including assessing more than 500 facilities across the country. Improperly constructed or managed coal ash disposal units have been linked to nearly 160 cases of harm to surface or ground water or to the air. EPA carefully evaluated more than 450,000 comments on the proposed rule, testimony from eight public hearings, and information gathered from three notices soliciting comment on new data and analyses.
Improperly constructed or managed coal ash disposal units have resulted in the catastrophic failure of surface impoundments, damages to surface water, groundwater and the air. The first federal requirements for impoundments and landfills to address these risks include:
·The closure of surface impoundments and landfills that fail to meet engineering and structural standards and will no longer receive coal ash;
· Reducing the risk of catastrophic failure by requiring regular inspections of the structural safety of surface impoundments;
· Restrictions on the location of new surface impoundments and landfills so that they cannot be built in sensitive areas such as wetlands and earthquake zones;
· Protecting groundwater by requiring monitoring, immediate cleanup of contamination, and closure of unlined surface impoundments that are polluting groundwater;
· Protecting communities using fugitive dust controls to reduce windblown coal ash dust;
· Requiring liner barriers for new units and proper closure of surface impoundments and landfills that will no longer receive CCRs.
In response to comments received on the proposal, the final rule makes a number of changes by providing greater clarity on technical requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the nation’s primary law for regulating solid waste.
Implementation of these technical requirements will be reported through comprehensive and regular disclosure to states, and communities to enable them to monitor and oversee these requirements. The rule requires that power plant owners and operators provide detailed information to citizens and states to fully understand how their communities may be impacted. The rule sets out new transparency requirements, including recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as well as the requirement for each facility to post specific information to a publicly-accessible website. This will provide the public with information such as annual groundwater monitoring results, and corrective action reports, coal ash fugitive dust control plans, and closure completion notifications.
This final rule also supports the responsible recycling of coal ash by distinguishing safe, beneficial use from disposal. In 2012, almost 40 percent of all coal ash produced was recycled (beneficially used), rather than disposed. Beneficial use of coal ash can produce positive environmental, economic and performance benefits such as reduced use of virgin resources, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced cost of coal ash disposal, and improved strength and durability of materials.
EPA is committed to working closely with our state partners on implementation of this rule. To ease implementation and harmonize the regulatory requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments, EPA encourages states to adopt the federal minimum criteria, revise their Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) and submit these revisions to EPA for approval. A revised and approved SMWP will signal EPA’s opinion that the state SWMP meets the federal criteria.
Join MountainTrue on Saturday, Jan. 31 for a tour of FLS Energy’s solar farm in Hendersonville!
Frank Marshall, of FLS Energy , will show off the grounds and give all his insight on NC’s solar energy industry. Come to get all your pressing solar questions answers!!
Where: FLS Energy’s solar farm at 67 Laycock Road, Hendersonville
When: Saturday, Jan. 31 from 10-11 a.m.
Carpool: 9:15 a.m., Earth Fare at 66 Westgate Parkway, Asheville
Wear: We will be outside, so please dress warmly, and wear walking shoes!
Bring: Water, camera, and your questions!
Registration for this event has been closed
NOTE: DUE TO WEBSITE CHALLENGES AFFECTING OUR REGISTRATION PROCESS, WE HAVE POSTPONED THE COURSE TWO WEEKS. The new registration due date is WED. JAN. 28, and the new dates for the course are THURS. FEB. 5 – MARCH 19.
It’s time for MountainTrue’s annual NWEI discussion course! Join us this winter for Seeing Systems: Peace, Justice & Sustainability to address the connections between three of society’s most pressing challenges, and become equipped to promote peace, justice and sustainability within our community.
Participants read each week’s material (which may include brief articles, book excerpts and/or links to online content) on their own. During each session, group members take turns facilitating by leading others through discussion questions provided in the course book.
PARTICIPANTS IN THIS SEVEN-SESSION DISCUSSION COURSE WILL:
• Be introduced to values, visions, and practical actions they can take toward a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
• Become aware of entrenched values and assumptions that reinforce destructive practices and unhealthy systems.
We will meet every Thursday for seven weeks, Feb. 5 – March 19, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar.
Registration cost is $45 for MountainTrue members, and $60 for non-members (includes one-year MountainTrue membership!). Your books are included, and will be distributed during the first meeting.
To view the full reading list, click here.
The registration deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Please Register & Pay HERE
When: Friday, Feb. 6, 10-11:30 a.m.
