MountainTrue Pollution Tip Leads to Enforcement Action Against Tryon International Equestrian Center

On July 27, MountainTrue followed up on a public complaint of sediment flowing into White Oak Creek from the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TEIC). Video showed a significant discharge of muddy water flowing off the site into the creek — a tributary of the Green River. MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper Gray Jernigan then reported the issue to the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR).

Two days later, on July 29, DWR sent an inspector to the equestrian center where they witnessed site contractors flushing sediment into the center’s stormwater drainage system, and failures in their stormwater management system. In all, DWR cited Tryon International Equestrian Center with four water quality violations that must be “abated immediately and properly resolved.” These violations, failure to resolve them quickly and remediate damage to the environment could result in civil penalties up to $25,000 per day for each violation.

“Tryon International Equestrian Center has been a repeat violator of water quality.” explains Gray Jernigan. “They were first cited in 2014, and it only got worse as they rushed to build new facilities ahead of the World Equestrian Games in 2018. They took shortcuts and chose not to employ standard best management and construction practices to keep sediment on site, and the problems persist.”

View this post on Instagram

More of the same at @tryonresort. This illegal discharge has been reported to @ncdeq and we’ll be continuing to hold this egregious polluter accountable. #tiec #tryoninternationalequestriancenter #pollution #dobetter @wlos_13 @citizentimes @blueridgenow @tryon_daily_bulletin

A post shared by Gray Jernigan (@greenriverkeeper) on Jul 29, 2020 at 7:46am PDT

The Green Riverkeeper shared the video of the illegal discharge on its Instagram account where it sparked a public outcry, and elicited a response from Sharon Decker, President of Tryon Equestrian Partners, the owners and operators of the center. Decker assured the public that “we share the same concerns you do about the environment, water quality and strong stewardship.”

The Equestrian Center has received numerous violations from the NC Department of Environmental Quality over the years dating back to 2014, amassing tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

“They’ve made assurances to the community to clean up their act, but their efforts have fallen well short of what is expected of someone who professes to care about the environment,” says Gray. “I’ve offered to meet with them to discuss steps they can take to undo the damage done and protect our public waters, and I look forward to having a conversation with the leadership at TIEC.”

Media contacts:
Gray Jernigan, Green Riverkeeper
C:828-423-0578 E: gray@mountaintrue.org

Karim Olaechea, MountainTrue Communications Director
C:415-535-9004

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Stand Up, Speak Out Against Asphalt Plant Proposed For East Flat Rock!

Action Expired

PLANNING BOARD MEETING THURSDAY, JUNE 18 at 5:30 PM

By Gray Jernigan, Green Riverkeeper and Southern Regional Director for MountainTrue

We are very concerned about a proposal that quietly appeared on the Henderson County Planning agenda: A developer has applied for conditional rezoning requesting that the County conditionally rezone 6.5 acres located at the intersection of Spartanburg Highway (US-176) and US-25 to a conditional district to construct a new asphalt plant. The property is currently zoned Community Commercial (CC) and is surrounded by residential zoning.

A virtual Neighborhood Compatibility Meeting was held via Zoom on Monday, June 8. You can watch the entire four hour meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvf2wGfhtBA

The big takeaway from the Neighborhood Compatibility Meeting was that there is absolutely no way that this project is appropriate for the location and that the rezoning request should be denied. Thank you to the 115 community members that tuned in, to the over 160 community members that submitted questions in advance, and to more than 50 people that asked questions live during the meeting, none of which we believe were sufficiently answered by the developer.

While we appreciate everything that the County Planning staff did to make this meeting accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were still unable to join. This is because not everyone has access to a computer, internet access, an internet connection strong enough to support streaming services, or access to the Zoom streaming service. Others were able to attend but not able to comment because they used an older version of Zoom, had technical difficulties or did not have a computer microphone to speak, or tuned in via YouTube and were not able to ask questions. For all of these reasons, we believe meetings of this nature are inappropriate during this time, and the decision making timeline should be postponed or extended to accommodate public participation.

We have a number of environmental and community concerns about the proposed plant, and we will be asking Henderson County officials to deny the rezoning request. Here are some of our concerns:

Air Pollution – Asphalt fumes are known toxins and contain pollutants such as formaldehyde, hexane, phenol, polycyclic organic matter, and toluene. Exposure to these air toxics may cause cancer, central nervous system problems, liver damage, respiratory problems, and skin irritation.
Water Pollution – Runoff of pollutants from the site would impact Laurel Creek, which flows to the Green River.
Public Lands – The site is dangerously close to the Green River Game Lands, which would be on the receiving end of air and water pollution.
Community Health – A study by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) showed 45% of residents living within a half mile of a new asphalt plant reported a deterioration of their health, which began after the plant opened.
Environmental Justice – The site is near a low-income community that would bear the brunt of air and water pollution, dust, noise, truck traffic, and exposure to harmful toxins. Low income communities are disproportionately impacted by industrial facilities across the nation, and that’s not right.

Here’s what we need you to do:

- Educate yourself about the project by reading resources on the Henderson County website here: https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/planning/page/neighborhood-compatibility-meeting-se-asphalt-plant
- Stay informed by following the local community organizing group Friends of East Flat Rock:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/251151092979467/about/
- Website: https://friendsofeastflatrock.org/
- Attend these upcoming meetings, and submit public comments:

- - Technical Review Committee on Tuesday, June 16 at 2:00 PMAccess here: https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/planning/page/technical-review-committee-meeting-229
  - Planning Board on Thursday, June 18 at 5:30 PM.Access here: https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/planning/page/planning-board-17Submit comments here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCPB_SEAsphalt

Now is the time to stand up, speak out, and put a stop to this pollution factory before it even gets started! Join us in the fight!

Take Action To Protect The Clean Water Act From Polluters

Action Expired

Our clean water is in danger. In the midst of the pandemic, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has snuck in proposed amendments to the Clean Water Act that would have detrimental effects on public health, natural systems, and the economy. These amendments would change the definition of “waters of the United States” to mean fewer wetlands and bodies of water would be under federal protection. The amendments could easily go unnoticed because they have been named the “Navigable Waters Protection Rule,” despite these rules doing anything but protecting our water.

The culture of Western North Carolina is intertwined with water, with recreation and local economies both heavily reliant on water-based activities. MountainTrue’s Clean Water Team works hard to monitor and improve the quality of water in the region, but this rule would create a huge challenge for our daily work.

Protect Our Rivers By Supporting Sustainable Farms

Action Expired: Update Coming Soon

We have compiled this map of farms in our region that feed us without threatening rivers, lakes and streams. The inventory at these farms varies, but they all have one thing in common: They’re going the extra mile to do things the right way.

Farms are color-coded by watershed. Click the pinpoints on the map to view a description of each farm.
To see the farms listed by watershed, click the icon on the top left of the map or scroll below.

Many small farms in Western North Carolina have lost business due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, large-scale meat operations in North Carolina are one of the leading contributors to water pollution in the state. Buying from sustainable local farms now is a way to not only feed your family but to protect our fragile environment.

Many farmers are still happy to have people come out to their farms. Check their websites or Facebook pages, because these small farms may request that you order over the phone or online to arrange pick-up. If you aren’t able to buy directly from a farmer, be sure to look for their products at farmer’s markets and grocery stores in your neighborhood, as many supply to local distributors. We have not included farms that are currently closed to the public.

Sustainable Farms List

Broad Watershed

Belflower Farm
Beam Family Farms
Colfax Creek Farm
Greene Family Farm
Hardscrabble Hollow Farm
Martins’ Charolais Farm
Piedmont Homestead
Proffitt Family Cattle Company
A Way of Life Farm

French Broad Watershed

Cold Mountain Angus Beef
Creekside Farm at Walnut Cove
Farmhouse Beed
Frog Holler Organiks
Gaining Ground Farm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Hominy Valley Farms
Leatherwood Family Farm
Lenoir’s Creek Beef and Bakery
Sunburst Trout Farms®
Shady Brook Farm
Smoky Mountain Mangalista
Sunburst Beef LLC
Ten Acre Garden

Green River Watershed

Looking Glass Creamery
Once Upon a Cow Micro Dairy
San Felipe Farm
Sunny Creek Farms
Bearded Birds Farm

Hiwassee River Watershed

7M Family Farms, LLC
Brothers on Farms
SMM Farms
Walnut Hollow Ranch – Premium Black Angus Beef

Upper Tennessee River Watershed

4 Corners Ranch

Little Tennessee River Watershed

Breedlove Family Farms
Carringer Farms
Darnell Farms
Deal Family Farm
Gnome Mountain Farm
J.W. Mitchell Farm
JAAR Farms
Pine Row Farm
Yellow Branch Pottery and Cheese

Watauga River Watershed

A Bushel and a Peck Farm
Against the Grain Farm
Beach Farm and Nursery
Creeksong Farm
Daffodil Spring Farm
Faith Mountain Farm
Fire from the Mountain
New Life Farm
North Fork Farm
Shipley Farms Signature Beef
Sunshine Cove
Heritage Homestead Farm

Yadkin Watershed

Asa Acres
Aunt Bessie’s Natural Farm

Protect the Waters of Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest

The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are the headwaters of seven major river systems, providing drinking water for millions of people in four southeastern states and wildlife habitat for a bewildering array of native species.

Unfortunately, the current draft plan is inadequate in a few very important ways when it comes to water quality protections and we need you to speak up. The deadline for public comments is June 29 and this is our last significant chance to have our say. You can comment more than once.

The draft plan proposes less stream protection for the Nantahala-Pisgah than other Southern Appalachian National Forests such as the Chattahoochee, the Cherokee, and the Jefferson. While the 100-foot buffer on perennial streams is good, the draft plan only affords intermittent streams a 15-foot buffer, and provides no protection at all for ephemeral streams — the type of streams that make up the very beginning of the watershed networks we depend on.

Compare this to Cherokee National Forest, across the border in Tennessee, which has a default riparian buffer of 100 feet on perennial streams, 50 feet on intermittent streams and 25 feet on ephemeral streams. Cherokee National Forest also allows buffers to be increased to 264 feet in areas with steeper slopes.

These buffers prevent streams from being degraded, provide shade, and reduce sediment pollution and habitat damage due to timber harvesting, road building and other development. When these protective buffers are removed, water temperatures increase and sediment makes its way into streams and rivers suffocating aquatic habitats — reducing populations of species such as trout, freshwater mussels and hellbenders.

Learn More About Our Forest Waters

On April 28, MountainTrue’s Western Regional Director Callie Moore hosted a live webinar to explore water quality issues in the draft management plan.

Water quality protections for the Nantahala and Pisgah should meet or exceed the water quality protections given for other Southern Appalachian National Forests so that our forest streams are protected from road building, skid trails, log loading areas, waste disposal and other ground disturbing activities.

Additionally, watersheds classified by the state as Outstanding Resource Waters are determined to have excellent water quality and exceptional ecological or recreational significance. There are nine ORW watersheds within Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests and they should be named and protected in the plan.

This Forest Management Plan will set priorities and protections for the 1,200 miles of streams and rivers of Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests for the next 15-20 years, and this is our last significant chance to make our voices heard.

Please take action for clean water today.

Comment below or checkout our our Forest Plan Resource page for our full analysis of the entire Draft Forest Management Plan.

Submit Your Comment Today

Introducing Topic-Specific Info Sessions on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan

Action Expired

MountainTrue will kick off our series of topic-specific info sessions on the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest Management Plan on Tuesday, April 28 with a deep dive into water quality issues in the draft plan.

Our hope is that these sessions will answer any lingering questions about how topics you care about will be addressed in the new forest management plan, and will help you craft your own public comment to improve the plan.

Register at the links below to access the webinars and submit questions to our speakers in advance. Each session will begin at 5:30pm and last one hour, including time for questions and answers.

Update: Did you miss our April 7 info session where we provided a broad overview of the draft management plan? Good news! Public Lands Field Biologist Josh Kelly will be doing a reprise in association with the Public Policy Network of WNC and North Georgia on May 3, 4:00-5:30. Josh will give an overview of MountainTrue’s perspective on the draft Nantahala Pisgah Forest Management Plan and provide tips and information about how the public can positively influence the final version. The webinar is free of charge and you do not have to be a member of PPN to register for the webinar.