Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

05/23/2026

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving ahead with plans to strike down the nation’s first-ever health standards for chemical contaminants found in the drinking water sources of millions of North Carolinians [and others across the country]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving ahead with plans to strike down the nation’s first-ever health standards for chemical contaminants found in the drinking water sources of millions of North Carolinians.

05/21/2026

Here's another little public records tip: if you are uneasy about the possibility that your local government or state environmental agency will withhold or destroy records. Send them a communication, in writing, requesting that they retain records The law is different in various states, etc. Don't say you have a lawyer. Simply ask for them to retain records.
PS- I'm not a lawyer-don't play one on TV either. However, it's a good strategy. and puts them on notice.

05/20/2026

"Power to the People: Understanding Energy Justice in Louisiana"

Your energy bill isn't just a number. It's the result of decisions made by regulators, policymakers, and utility companies — decisions that affect real families, real communities, and the future of our climate. This week on In Our Backyard, we're pulling back the curtain on how those decisions get made.

We sat down with Jackson Voss, Senior Government Affairs & Policy Advisor at the Alliance for Affordable Energy, to talk about the energy landscape in New Orleans and across Louisiana — a state where climate vulnerability, aging infrastructure, and rising household costs all collide in ways that demand serious attention.

Here's what we dig into in this episode:

What "affordable energy" actually means and what's driving costs up for everyday households
How Louisiana's energy systems are shaped by regulators and policymakers — and why those processes matter more than most people realize
The intersection of climate vulnerability and aging infrastructure across the state
The future of energy policy, including climate goals, gaps in the current system, and what a cleaner, more equitable energy transition could look like
How communities can stay engaged and make their voices heard in these critical decisions
Energy justice is environmental justice. And conversations like this one are exactly how communities start to take their power back.

Listen here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/bredl/episodes/34--Understanding-Energy-Policy-and-Power-Costs-in-Louisiana-e3j1cku

05/18/2026

Join us on Monday, May 18 to Tell Cumberland County: MORATORIUM NOW!

Our data center toolkit makes it easy to sign up to speak, contact your local officials, and learn more about how data centers are negatively effecting communities across the country. In NC, data centers are continue to guzzle water while cities are placing restrictions on water usage during a historic extreme drought. Duke Energy is making record profits, while increasing our electricity bills to pay for building infrastructure for data centers.

05/12/2026

TOMORROW! Join 7 Directions of Service, Haw River Assembly, Clean Water for North Carolina, and the Deep River Riverkeeper for a community discussion on the proposed fracked-gas pipeline in Chatham County.
Open to all concerned citizens, but the discussion will prioritize input from those directly impacted!
Register at hawriver.org/chatham-pipeline & email [email protected] with any questions or concerns.
9 Forest Hall at Chatham Mill.
480 Hillsboro St, Suite 530
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Wednesday, May 13th, 6 - 8 PM

05/12/2026

Nondisclosure agreements kept a land deal secret for months. Internal emails show officials were preparing for a Microsoft data center.

05/05/2026

05/03/2026

U.S. Data Centers Tracker
This dataset provides an in-progress tally of permitted, existing, and proposed data centers in the United States. We mainly determine the locations of these sites through scans of current media announcements and incorporation of partner datasets from Piedmont Environmental Council and Science for Georgia. The information presented here is a constant work in progress and we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Explore FracTracker’s Data Centers Tracker—an interactive map showing existing, proposed, and permitted U.S. data centers and their impacts on energy, water, and communities.

05/01/2026

The study reported perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were found in influent, effluent, biosolids, and soil samples. PFAS can enter biosolids via industrial or residential users. Treatment plants that are 100% domestic had, on average, lower influent (going into the treatment plant) and effluent (being discharged from the treatment plant) PFAS levels than municipal and industrial treatment plants. According to the study, PFAS mass exiting wastewater treatment plants was discharged to surface waters, while 2-13% remain in biosolids.

House committee opens discussions on PFAS levels, following findings of DEQ study.

04/29/2026

Ok, this is Therese, regarding access to public records. I will update this post in the comments. First, some suggestions:
-Consider local, state, and federal entities (more on this later)
-Try to be as surgical with your request as possible-that's hard, I know, but think strategically. I've waited 11 months for records production here in NC. 😒
-Ask for rolling production. Example: I request rolling production of these records. Please provide documents as they become available and are cleared for release, rather than withholding all records until the entire request is processed. I expect the first installment of non-exempt records within [X] business days." If they say no, ask why.
-Ask for fees to be waived. If the fees are exorbitant, especially regarding local government records-contact the media.
-Don't give them search terms- that's a delay tactic. They know what is going on more than we do, right?
-Emails provided often point to records not provided.
-Ask if there is a name for a proposed project.
-Inquire if any local officials have been required to sign an NDA. They may not have to tell you ~who~ but you should be able to get a yes or no answer.
-Consider Including a statement like this in your request: "If any part of this request is denied, I request a written explanation citing the specific legal exemption and a list of withheld records"
- Seek out First Amendment clinics at local law schools. They may, or may not be able to assist, but its ok to ask.

Going to be out of pocket for a couple of days-more to come. Again, will update in the comments