While the ash from Duke’s coal-burning plant in Asheville is being cleaned up, neighbors about an hour down the road have not been so lucky. Residents in Rutherford and Cleveland counties live near Duke’s Cliffside Power Plant (James E. Roger’s Energy Complex), which continues to pollute the Broad River with toxic heavy metals including mercury, arsenic and lead. Recent water testing by MountainTrue confirms this finding, but Duke Energy has refused to clean up their toxic mess. Toxic coal ash in any of Western North Carolina’s waterways is a threat to all of us. Join MountainTrue and the Broad River Alliance on Oct. 14 to tell Duke Energy we won’t accept their life-threatening pollution anywhere – even in more rural communities that often lack media coverage.
We will paddle a short section of the Broad River, stopping in front of the power plant for a photo with a banner that reads,“Protect Our Water, Move Your Ash!” You can bring your own boat, or borrow one from MountainTrue if we are notified in advance. Bring your own water and a snack. Meet us at 11 am at the Old Cliffside Mill on Hwy 221-A, beside the bridge over the Second Broad. (We will have signs on the road directing you.) We’ll take out at Lake Hauser by 1 pm. RSVP to the protest on Eventbrite here, or to the Facebook event page here. Questions? Email us at eliza@mountaintrue.org.
