Tell DEQ to Stop Duke’s Water Pollution at Cliffside

Action Expired

For years the coal ash dumps at Cliffside have contaminated groundwater and waterways with toxic heavy metals and constituents like arsenic, chromium, cadmium and others, threatening nearby residents and who overwhelmingly spoke out demanding a full clean up of the site in March of this year.

Instead of responding to locals’ call with definitive action and requiring Duke to stop toxic discharges to public waters, DEQ has fallen short of its duty…again. The draft wastewater permit converts existing streams into Duke’s own wastewater channels, papers over illegal discharges by attempting to permit them, fails to define limits for how much toxic heavy metals can flow into the Broad River, purports to waive water quality standards in a 12-mile mixing zone for some discharges and misses other opportunities to require Duke to clean up their mess.

This is unacceptable. Our state should protect people, not polluters, and MountainTrue is encouraging all community members to speak out against DEQ’s proposed permit. Attend the public hearing on November 10 and submit your written comments online telling DEQ to withdraw the proposed permit and amend it to adequately protect water quality in the Broad River. Please don’t forget to share with your friends and family.

Take Action! Tell the State to clean up Duke Energy’s coal ash pollution at Cliffside by November 10!

The Department of Environmental Quality wants to give Duke Energy a free pass to pollute groundwater and the Broad River. Tell DEQ to fix the draft wastewater permit for this site and demand real remedies, not papering over the problem.

Election Day is November 8; Find Your Polling Place

Early Voting Has Started; Find Your Polling Place

Election Day is a little more than two weeks away, and early voting started on October 20th! The presidential race has gotten most of the attention, but North Carolina voters will be faced with a crowded ballot at the polls.

At the federal level, we’ll be choosing who represents us in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In Raleigh, Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Treasurer, various commissioners and members of the General Assembly, Supreme Court and Court of Appeals will all be up for reelection. And as if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also have the opportunity to vote for your County Commissioners and several local offices.

To help you make heads or tails of who’s running, what they stand for, and where to vote, here is a list of resources:

2016 NC Voter Guide – sponsored by Common Cause. You can see the candidates that will appear on your personalized ballot and there are useful links to find your early voting sites and election day polling place.

WNC Vote Tracker – a partnership project of Children First, Just Economics, MountainTrue, Pisgah Legal Services and Women for Women, A Giving Circle, this site provides information on important legislation passed in the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 on Economic Security, Education, Environment, Health & Safety, Government & Democracy, and Women’s Issues.

AVL Bonds Yes – Asheville residents will be voting on a package of three bonds that would generate $74 million in revenue for parks and recreation, affordable housing, and transportation network projects.

MountainTrue Volunteers Help Clean-up Section of Wash Creek

On Tuesday October 11, MountainTrue partnered with the Hendersonville Department of Public Works to clear a significant amount of garbage and debris from the section of Wash Creek behind Beacon Commons in Hendersonville.

On the scene getting their hands dirty and helping coordinate the efforts were MountainTrue Water Quality Administrator Jack Henderson and Volunteer Coordinator for Wash Creek Rick Burt.

“We’re always happy to work with residents who are ready and willing to get their hands dirty cleaning up their neighborhood rivers and streams.” says Jack Henderson, MountainTrue Water Quality Administrator. “It’s common to find a few bag loads of bottles and cans, but when you start finding construction materials and furniture, the evidence points to something more nefarious. We encourage residents to call the authorities if you see someone dumping trash.”

With the help of Beacon Commons residents Joy Richardson, Roger Richardson, Gary Graham, Susan Genevish, Bill Mittelmaier and Ken Genevish and a truck and cable, provided by Joshua Hoard of the City of Hendersonville, we were able to remove a water-logged mattress, box spring, a large metal canister, rolls of cable wire, aluminum siding, a metal pole sunk in concrete, a volley ball, several large pieces of metal and 11 bags of cans, bottles, broken glass, old clothing and other trash from the river.

After the trash was collected, they took the time to remove some invasive plant species that were choking our native creekside trees. MountainTrue also has a non-native invasive species program. Residents interested in getting involved in our water quality programs or invasive species removal programs should visit mountaintrue.org.

Mavis Staples to Perform in Asheville at Benefit for MountainTrue

November 13 with Lyric at the Orange Peel
Funds help protect and improve the French Broad River

Asheville, N.C. — MountainTrue, Prestige Subaru and the Matt & Molly Team present Mavis Staples live in Asheville, a benefit for the French Broad Riverkeeper. The concert takes place at The Orange Peel on November 13. Tickets are on sale now at The Orange Peels box office and on their website, theorangepeel.net.

Proceeds from the concert support the work of the French Broad Riverkeeper, a program of MountainTrue and the primary protector and defender of the French Broad River watershed. Asheville-based artist Lyric will perform with her band as the opening act and will also perform a special acoustic set at a VIP event at PULP (The Orange Peel’s lower level private club) before the show.

What: MountainTrue, Prestige Subaru and the Matt & Molly Team present Mavis Staples with Lyric at The Orange Peel, a benefit concert for the French Broad River.

Where: The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

When: November 13, 2016, doors open at 7 p.m. VIP Event from 5 to 7 p.m.

Cost: $35, $55 VIP without seats, $65 VIP with reserved seats. Tickets on sale at The Orange Peels box office and on their website, theorangepeel.net.

MEDIA KIT: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iu9v5bczf8bowh4/AAC-ChGtd1vKlwTZT865E5lea?dl=0

The concert is presented by MountainTrue, Prestige Subaru and the Matt & Molly Team/Keller Williams Realty, and generously sponsored by 98.1 The River, Davis & Whitlock Environmental Law, Mountain Xpress, French Broad Outfitters, The Orange Peel, Rob Lamme & Associates Government Relations and Policy Planning, and Symmetry Financial Group.

Mavis Staples is living, breathing history. She is an alchemist of American music, having continuously crossed genre lines like no musician since Ray Charles. Weaving herself into the very fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock, and hip hop over the last 60 years, this iconic singer has seen and sung through so many changes, always rising up to meet every road.

Now in her seventh decade, with the release of her new album Livin’ on a High Note (ANTI-), she is only gaining momentum. Produced by M. Ward with songs by Neko Case, Justin Vernon, Nick Cave, Ben Harper, Tune-Yards, Aloe Blacc and others, the album serves as a summation and furtherance of her illustrious career.

Since her first recording at age 13 in 1954, Mavis Staples has learned from, worked with, and schooled countless legends, and has brought her own timeless talent to every performance. From the Delta-inflected gospel sound she helped create in the 1950s with her father, Pops, and her brother and sisters as The Staple Singers, to the freedom songs of the Civil Rights era, to pop radio stardom during the Stax era with hits “I’ll Take You There” and “Respect Yourself,” to The Last Waltz, to serving as muse to both Bob Dylan and Prince at the peak of their careers, to 21st century collaborations with Van Morrison, Billy Preston, Zac Brown, Ry Cooder, Chuck D. and Willie Nelson, to her GRAMMY®-winning partnership with fellow Chicagoan Jeff Tweedy, the one constant has been Mavis and her singular voice. She has embraced her evolution, absorbing new sounds and ideas, rising to meet the challenges of longevity and bringing her message of hope and positivity to new listeners, song after song, show after show.

About Lyric
With an enlightened mixture of pop, soul, funk and bowties, Lyric awakens an undiscovered spirit within their audience. Lyric; lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist plays a funky rhythm guitar with sizzling leads accompanied by her soul gripping lead vocals. Her father, Dave Matthews, has roots in 70’s funk style slap bass and holds down the foundation with a playful flare on funk. Mike Berlin locks down the beat on drums, with influences from his hometown of South Baton Rouge, New Orleans.

About MountainTrue
All proceeds from the show will go to Mountrue’s work to protect the French Broad River. MountainTrue fosters and empowers communities throughout the region and engages in policy and project advocacy, outreach and education, and on the ground projects. To achieve our goals, MountainTrue focuses on a core set of issues across 23 counties of Western North Carolina: sensible land use, restoring public forests, protecting water quality and promoting clean energy – all of which have a high impact on the environmental health and long-term prosperity of our residents. MountainTrue is the home of the Watauga Riverkeeper, the primary watchdog and spokesperson for the Elk and Watauga Rivers; the French Broad Riverkeeper, the primary protector and defender of the French Broad River watershed; and Broad River Alliance, a Waterkeeper Affiliate working to promote fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters in the Broad River Basin. For more information: mountaintrue.org

Villains Invade the Non-native Invasives at Richmond Hill Park!

By Bob Gale

It’s not often that our office gets inquiries from villains — especially bearded villains! Well okay, actually we’ve never gotten such an inquiry. At least, not until this summer.

In my position as Ecologist & Public Lands Director, I’m accustomed to high school, college, and even business groups contacting us to volunteer for any service projects we might have in restoring the areas of the natural environment. But in July, one J.J. Holt called and offered help from his group of folks scattered across North Carolina who call themselves the “Bearded Villains.”

“We all have beards,” JJ said. “And our mission is to offer our services to any organization needing help with physical labor on outdoor projects.”

I offered him one of our non-native invasive plant work days at Asheville’s Richmond Hill Park forest, not quite knowing who these people were or what to expect from them. It didn’t take long to find out.

They showed up promptly on a Saturday in August. Remarkably, some of these volunteers came from three and four hours away to perform our half day’s volunteer work in the Park. We were in the middle of an unusually hot and humid stretch of weather with temperatures in the low 90’s that had plagued the area during the summer. The Villains ranged in age, build and apparent fitness, and they weren’t all guys – three young women came along, as well. (They did not have beards!)

In our round of introductions, I learned of the various towns and regions in the state where each lived. Their positive attitudes were infectious and set a happy tone for the day. As I gave the usual plant identification and safety training, I emphasized that we would be hiking up and down some long steep hills in reaching and returning from our target work area in the forest. Feeling the oppressive heat and humidity, and knowing that this gung ho crew came from level topography, there was some question in my mind as to how they would survive the day in our mountain terrain, and what they would be able to accomplish.

This question was wonderfully answered over the next four hours. Despite the strenuous walk and somewhat backbreaking work of bending over repeatedly to pull Japanese Stiltgrass, cut and paint Oriental bittersweet and Chinese privet, or fight the vicious thorns of Multiflora rose, the Villains performed admirably! As with any group, some were more fast-paced and meticulous, while others moved more slowly and clearly “felt the pain.” But they all worked heroically through the day, while spouting jokes and laughter which made it all fun and tolerable.

And, the Park’s native ecology was enhanced! Because of the Villains’ efforts, literally thousands of plants were pulled or treated before they could produce hundreds of thousands of seeds. Those seeds would have resulted in an extensive new crop of invasive exotic plants in 2017. Instead, hundreds of suppressed native plants were given space and light for growth, and many of their seeds, roots and tubers, long buried in the soil and waiting patiently for the opportunity, will now be able to sprout!

The Bearded Villains turned out to be “villains” only to non-native invasive plants! We at MountainTrue, appreciate their efforts, and they have offered to take part in more of our organization’s future volunteer opportunities!

Henderson County Big Sweep Hauls 4,400 Lbs of Trash from Local Rivers and Streams

On Saturday, September 10, volunteers banded together to sweep Henderson County of as much garbage as possible! Nine teams of volunteers were formed including Mills River Partnership, Friends of Wash Cree, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Rotary Club, Cub Scout Troop 603, Mud Creek, East Hendersonville High School, Sierra Nevada and more!

This year’s haul far exceeded last year’s success. The 2016 Henderson County Big Sweep recruited 63 volunteers who served a total of 169 hours! We swept 11 miles of local rivers, picked up 24 tires, 81 bags of trash for a grand total of approximately 4,400 pounds of trash and recycling. What a successful event!

Don Huneycutt and 13 others from the Rotary Club of Hendersonville cleaned out 2,030 lbs. of debris from just Mud Creek. Under the leadership of Don, their team captain and the Henderson County Big Sweep coordinator for the past two years, they removed car and tractor trailer tires, and other trash that cluttered the waterway.

In 2005, the Rotary club joined the Adopt-A- Stream program, dedicated to improving the conditions of the water sources in our community, and adopted a portion of Mud Creek which runs directly through the town of Hendersonville and can become unsightly with garbage and trash discarded carelessly on its banks and in its waters.

“In the past six years, it has not been unusual for our team to remove up to 2000 lbs of debris from Mud Creek in a four hour period,” says Big Sweep team captain, Don Huneycutt. “It takes teamwork and hard work to safely collect all the items from both the creek and the banks and then transfer everything to a central collection point for pickup by the city. Teamwork and hard work also make for a satisfying and fun time”

MountainTrue wants to thank all of the volunteers who gave so much of their time and made this event possible! An important part of calling a region home is taking the time to care for it, and the rivers in Henderson County are better off with 4,400 fewer pounds of garbage floating in them.

Be on the look out for next year’s event and join in on the fun!

WNC Vote Tracker provides transparency on legislators’ votes on new laws that impact residents in 20 western counties

Before you go to the polls on November 8, find out how your legislators have voted on the issues that are most important to you. The nonpartisan website WNC Vote Tracker provides information on important legislation in six categories: Economic Security; Education; Environment; Health & Safety; and Women’s Issues. The WNC Vote Tracker also offers an overview of the state budget—arguably the most important legislation passed each year.

WNC Vote Tracker is available at www.wncvotetracker.org.

Lead partners of the WNC Vote Tracker include: Children First/ Communities In Schools, Just Economics, Pisgah Legal Services, MountainTrue, and Women for Women.

The guide highlights bills in the following categories:

Economic Security: unemployment insurance eligibility, health insurance, housing security, access to public assistance, living wages, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Education: issues of access to, and quality of, public education.
Environment: air and water quality and other natural resources.
Health and safety: health insurance, building safety, child safety, and reproductive health.
Government and Democracy: local control of water resources, election and voting law changes, and repeal of the Racial Justice Act.
Women: chosen for the additional impact they have on women’s health, economic opportunity, and rights.

The sponsors and partners of this effort represent a diversity of issues such as education, health, environment, women, and children. They come together with this effort to strengthen our democracy through accountability and informed citizen participation.

WNC Vote Tracker is available at www.wncvotetracker.org.

Buncombe County Passes Wilderness Resolution for Big Ivy and Craggy Wilderness with Unanimous Vote

On Tuesday, September 20, the Buncombe County Commissioners voted unanimously for resolution asking Congress to designate expanded wilderness for the Big Ivy area of the Pisgah National Forest. MountainTrue’s Josh Kelly was in attendance along with more than 150 people showing their support for wilderness protections.

Image courtesy of Dogwood Alliance

Craggy Wilderness Study Area was created by Congress in 1975 as a 2,572 acre area below Craggy Pinnacle. In the current forest plan revision, the Forest Service identified a 10,652 acre area that could be suitable as Wilderness, but has proposed only 3,450 areas to be recommended to Congress as Wilderness.

Friends of Big Ivy, a local citizens group, along with MountainTrue and more than 40 other organizations and businesses (MOU signers) have proposed an area of approximately 7,900 acres be protected as Craggy Mountain Wilderness. The resolution by Buncombe County called on the Forest Service to recommend the entire 7,900 acre area as Wilderness.

This would be the first and only wilderness in Buncombe County and will not affect the trail network and will not change any current uses of Big Ivy. Mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing will all continue to be allowed. The wilderness boundaries have been carefully drawn so that all mountain bike trails are outside the recommended area. No roads or trails will be closed to anyone. The wilderness recommendation will simply prohibit logging and development in trail-less, high-elevation areas of Big Ivy where most of the old-growth forests are located. Wilderness designation will best protect historical uses like hunting, fishing, camping and swimming and the unique ecological features of this special place. We want to keep Big Ivy just the way it is – wild, scenic, adventurous, and uncut.

On September 20th, more than 30 people spoke in favor of the resolution over a two hour period, and no one in attendance was opposed. Biology professors from Mars Hill College, UNC-Asheville, and Warren Wilson all spoke in favor of the resolution, as did a former Forest Service employee, Barnardsville residents, multi-generational families, children, and representatives of local environmental groups. The commissioners unanimously approved the resolution, noting that the area was already wilderness and hadn’t been designated yet. Commissioner Belcher noted that his faith led him to vote yes as a way of affirming the greatness of God’s creation. Commission Chair David Gantt said, “I think we do wonderful things when we look ahead and do things for future generations.”

There are over 2 million acres of National Forests throughout Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, and these public lands are an incredible resource and economic driver for the region. Every 10-20 years, the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest is required to have a new management plan that outlines the direction of the Forest. The Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest is currently revising its plan and as a part of our commitment to resilient forests, MountainTrue helps shape this plan to ensure that we are protecting our forests and our communities. To learn more about this work, read about our Public Lands programs.

Download a pdf of the resolution.

On Election Day, Vote Yes for Asheville

This November, City of Asheville residents will all have an opportunity to vote on a $74 million bond package to provide funds for improvements in the City’s affordable housing, multimodal transportation and parks. These projects will make life even better for all who call Asheville home and pay it forward to our local environment.

MountainTrue has joined the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County and many more who support the Asheville Bonds. The Bonds will fund projects that will make it easier to get around town with healthy, environmentally friendly transportation options like walking, biking and public transportation. Affordable housing initiatives will make our community more equitable and protect our mountains and countryside by encouraging smart, affordable housing downtown. The Bonds will improve and expand our parks–perfect places for the next generation of environmental advocates to connect with nature.

We can afford this: If all three bonds are approved, there would be a 4.15 cent-maximum increase in Asheville property taxes. At the most that would mean around $9 extra a month per year in taxes on a home valued at $275,000. With interest rates at an all time low and all the value we’ll add with Bond-funded projects, we can’t afford to not approve them!

If approved, the Bonds will fund projects that are already planned and vetted by the community but are not currently funded. We’re especially excited about the new greenway extensions and connectors and almost a dozen new sidewalk projects. There are also plenty of improvements to existing sidewalks and other pedestrian infrastructure to make it safer to get around town on foot and bike!

We think these Bonds are a great investment in Asheville’s future and the environment, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting them this Election Day. Spread the word by Liking and Sharing AVLBondsYes on Facebook.