This episode I have a conversation with Lisa Sorg who is an Environmental Reporter for N.C. Policy Watch. She covers environmental issues, including social justice, pollution, climate change and energy policy. Lisa has been a journalist for 22 years, working at magazines, daily newspapers, digital media outlets and alternative newsweeklies. We talk about her experience as an environmental reporter, her process for investigating environmental issues, push back from industries, as well as issues she’s covered such as SuperFund Sites, 1,4 Dioxane, PFAS and landfill leachate. We talk about the ups and downs of her job and ultimately why she finds her work so fulfilling.

Contact and connect with Lisa: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com or [email protected] or https://twitter.com/lisasorg

Read Lisa’s stories here: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/author/lisa-sorg/

Lisa’s 1,4 Dioxane / PFAS article: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/11/18/selc-plans-to-sue-burlington-over-pfas-14-dioxane-pollution-in-drinking-water-sludge/

http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/08/05/monday-numbers-376/

Lisa’s SuperFund Site articles: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2020/02/21/a-superfund-cleanup-in-jacksonville-failed-without-federal-funding-for-a-fix-contamination-is-spreading/

http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2016/08/25/in-columbus-county-mercury-pcbs-and-a-long-overdue-superfund-cleanup-point-to-a-larger-problem-accountability/

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

This episode I talk with Al and Debbie who are co-chairs of Northampton County Citizens Against Coal Ash Chapter. We start by talking about the current coal ash dumps and their effects in their rural community and then how they fought a proposed 850+ acre coal ash dump from coming in by an investor called Vista Green. We talk about the dangers of coal ash, the significance of county-wide zoning, educating the public about coal and dirty jobs, water testing, and how they are now staying active as a chapter to fight any future problem that may arise in their county.

Contact and connect with Debbie and Al: [email protected] or [email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/Northampton-County-Citizens-Against-Coal-Ash-1630601693623955/

Articles on Northampton County Coal Ash: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/08/10/local-officials-residents-deal-setback-to-proposed-coal-ash-storage-site-in-northampton-county/

https://www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com/2017/03/13/coal-ash-sites-are-no-stranger-to-nhampton/

Dangers of coal ash: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/21/us/coal-ash-spill-dam-breach.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-danger-of-coal-ash-the-toxic-dust-the-fossil-fuel-leaves-behind

https://www.epa.gov/coalash/coal-ash-basics

Kingston Coal Ash Spill: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/02/coal-other-dark-side-toxic-ash/

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/hundreds-workers-who-cleaned-countrys-worst-coal-ash-spill-are-now-sick-and-dying

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2019/02/05/kingston-coal-ash-spill-timeline-lawsuit/2767409002/

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

This episode I talk with Ralph Hutchinson who is the coordinator of The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance. OREPA is committed to nonviolence and believes in using every tool in the toolbox. Their main focus is stopping nuclear weapons production at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and protecting the environment threatened by legacy and ongoing activities at the Oak Ridge Nuclear Reservation. We discuss background on Y12 and Oak Ridge, the dangers of nuclear weapons productions, the environmental impacts of the nuclear weapon chain, how we are in a new nuclear arms race, getting to the base of why these nuclear weapons are being invested in and made, and then what you can do to get involved.

Contact and connect with Ralph:  [email protected] or https://orepa.org/

Register or learn more about Stop The New Nuclear Arms Race event: https://orepa.org/stop-the-new-nuclear-arms-race-registration-open/

President Trump’s 2020 Budget for Uranium Processing Facilities: https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/budget

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/10/us/politics/trump-budget-nuclear-missiles.html

Universities who are investing or engaging in nuclear weapons: https://www.icanw.org/us_universities_are_complicit_in_nuclear_weapons_production_new_ican_report_reveals

Articles on the dangers of Nuclear Weapons: https://futureoflife.org/background/the-risk-of-nuclear-weapons/?cn-reloaded=1

https://www.nap.edu/read/11282/chapter/8#77

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

This episode I talk with Jane Lea Hicks who is a founding member of the No Snow Camp Mine Chapter. Snow Camp is a small community in Alamance County and the concern is that the County approved an intent-to-construct permit that was submitted for a crushed stone quarry on over 344 acres in the middle of Snow Camp. Crushed stone is produced by mining a suitable rock deposit- which in this case is the quarry and breaking the removed rock down to the desired size using crushers. The land for the quarry had been purchased by Snow Camp Property Investments, LLC. After the residents found out about the permit, the No Snow Camp Mine Chapter formed and is a group of concerned residents are working to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their small North Carolina community. We discuss the issues of this proposed quarry, who is investing in the project, the environmental and health effects to the community, and other major concerns with this proposed project. We talk about what the No Snow Camp Mine has done to fight against this and what you all can do to get involved.

Learn more about No Snow Camp Mine Chapter: https://sites.google.com/view/nosnowcampmine/home/what-is-the-mine?authuser=0

Sign the No Snow Camp Mine Petition: https://www.change.org/p/all-concerned-citizens-tell-the-deq-to-deny-the-state-mining-permit-for-alamance-aggregates-f63258ef-d1a7-41b6-a42f-f2eeeeb8a5f9?recruiter=921828469&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&recruited_by_id=d2309c30-fa32-11e8-b7d2-bfe0a424d62b

Alamance County Health Department on Air Quality and Asthma: https://www.alamance-nc.com/envhealth/program-areas/air-quality-and-asthma/

Dangers of pipelines near mining operations: https://thecostofthepipeline.com/2015/03/02/flammable-gas-pipelines-and-quarries-a-match-made-in-heaven-am-i-right/

https://www-bostonglobe-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/01/18/west-roxbury-residents-decry-planned-natural-gas-line-near-blasting-quarry/o4MkVnbId42e7YHNifN4EK/amp.html?usqp=mq331AQCCAE%3D&_js_v=0.1#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s

Potential Impact Radius and Immediate Ignition Impact Zone for liquefied gases: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provides instructions for calculating the PIR of a methane natural gas pipeline. 

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

This episode I talk with Greg Barnes, who is an investigative journalist with NC Health News. Greg has been instrumental in exposing problems with regulating PFAS and 1,4 dioxane. He breaks down the importance / dangers of PFAS, and how industries have been using them since the 40's but there are now increasingly high levels in North Carolina water systems causing adverse health effects. We also talk about another chemical 1,4 dioxane and how that is also showing up in the water. These chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. We discuss ways we can protect ourselves and hold industries accountable for these chemicals.

EPA PFAS definition: PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and an estimated 5,000 types of PFAS. PFAS can be found in everything from Teflon pans to raincoats to food packaging and dental floss just to name a few.

How to contact and connect with Greg: [email protected] or northcarolinahealthnews.org

Read all of Greg’s stories here: https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/author/gregbarnes/

https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2020/02/03/new-deq-data-show-high-levels-of-pfas-in-cape-fear-river-basin/

EPA PFAS page: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas

Check out your State’s PFAS levels: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/us-state-resources-about-pfas

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/anna-reade/epa-yet-again-fails-set-health-protective-levels-pfas

Reverse osmosis Filtration systems: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Kitchen-Water-Filters-Water-Filtration-Systems-Reverse-Osmosis-Systems/N-5yc1vZcdb1

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

This episode I have a conversation with Cherie and Tom who are founding members of the Rabun Gap Chapter in Rabun Gap, GA. We discuss the multitude of environmental justice issues that are happening in the Appalachian community. The main issue we discuss is Rabun Apparel which is a textile mill containing heavy contamination. We also talk about a biomass plant and improper agricultural practices along with the textile mill that are causing terrible health and environmental effects such as dirty drinking water, chemical and river pollution, cancer clusters, and more. We look into what strategies they are taking and how they are pivoting and expanding their mission across multiple states in the Southeast that are also being affected. 

How to contact and connect with Rabun Gap Chapter:

Cherie’s contact information: [email protected], 706.490.2108

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Rabun-Gap-Chapter-Of-The-Blue-Ridge-Environmental-Defense-League-110988260281858/

Press releases on Rabun Gap’s work: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1fY-AL4ol-ZnfnwRSwz8jcYh6qO6yAnwB

2018 Monitoring Report: 

Environmental News:

CNBC article about JPMorgan ending loans/funding to coal: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/25/jpmorgan-says-it-will-fund-200-billion-in-sustainable-deals-this-year.html?fbclid=IwAR2x2KhufaUVKQ0Yr5x1_AVhMy1KzSbv4Kn1n35ZzGnWb4GU4rS2iKeM26w

Always check out what’s happening with BREDL at BREDL.org

Background music credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

This episode I have a conversation with Elizabeth O’Nan, chair of Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy (CHOCE). We talk about The University of North Carolina’s reliance on coal as an energy source, what ‘clean’ energy means, how CHOCE is taking action, and what sets CHOCE apart from other organizations fighting this coal plant.

Links to all the articles we referenced:   https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2020/01/coal-lawsuit-0107

https://youtu.be/hqD_qdoPFy8

https://www.ecowatch.com/air-pollution-cardiac-arrests-2644941669.html?fbclid=IwAR3d4xIFvhMUYlVKksPocBj9iuUaj9IjGvwIlL5kV_0KufNlqEPEZB3JtCM

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/28/health/air-pollution-heart-disease-study/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2dsOAfBiNS3qarGPcNjH1JQQETV1SCOtvR1Cyvy8vBUpc2sS0WJlcMeDg

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/releases/2019/december18/index.cfm?fbclid=IwAR2erjqSBJhAS3t1jem_aI-ssLFR62bE8q820VcC7EG6g01qVLQM2FdzGqo

To contact the CHOCE chapter: [email protected] or 828.655.0376

CHOCE FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CHOCE/

Always check out what’s happening with BREDL at BREDL.org

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

This episode will explain what Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) does and how we operate as an organization. For more information and see if there is a chapter near you check out BREDL.org 

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music

Welcome to In Our Backyard Podcast this is Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League's new podcast where we will be discussing environmental concerns and topics that are right in our backyards.  I’ll dive deep into these environmental issues that communities all over the Southeast and nationally are fighting such as coal plants, pipelines, nuclear waste, fracking and more. I’ll be bringing you interviews from experts / activists / and people on the ground who are fighting for both the health and safety of their community and protection of the planet. I’ll also be updating you on national environmental topics as they come up and discuss what we can do to engage and hold others accountable. Tune in every Friday for a new episode wherever you listen to podcasts! 

Learn more about Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League at BREDL.org 

Background Music Credits:

https://www.youtube.com/c/mbbmusic

https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial

https://www.instagram.com/mbb_music