Nolichucky Mine Public Hearing in Bakersville, NC 7/29
Something deeply troubling is happening in our backyard — and state regulators need to hear from all of us. Horizon 30, a proposed mining operation in North Carolina, is currently operating illegally on the banks of the Nolichucky River in Poplar, NC. That’s not an exaggeration — it’s a fact.
Let’s make our voices heard. The public hearing on July 29 at 6pm. It will be in Bakersville at the Former Bowman Middle School Auditorium (410 S. Bakers Street.)
This company has been mining without a valid permit, in direct violation of the North Carolina Mining Act. Even worse, DEMLR (Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources) — the agency tasked with enforcing these laws — has issued three separate notices ordering Horizon 30 to stop operations.
The company has ignored every single one.
To make matters worse, Horizon 30 hasn’t just continued operating — it has expanded from 5 acres to over 50 acres. That’s a tenfold increase in activity, with zero public accountability and no environmental oversight.
So why does this matter?
Because when companies like Horizon 30 operate without permits, they skip the critical safeguards designed to protect:
- Our water and wetlands from contamination and sedimentation
- Our air from dust and pollution
- Our communities — especially nearby homes, farms, and schools — from noise, traffic, and health impacts
- Our ecosystems from habitat destruction
DEMLR’s job isn’t just to process permits. It’s to enforce the law. And in this case, enforcement means denying Horizon 30’s permit and holding the company accountable for months of unpermitted and unlawful activity.
Approving this permit now would send a clear message: that mining companies can break the law, ignore warnings, expand at will — and still get what they want in the end.
We can’t let that happen.
Can’t make it to the public hearing? Click HERE to submit your comments! We can send comments to DEMLR until Aug 8. You can use the template provided or customize it to your liking.
