Local residents have collected about 3,100 petition signatures, recently delivered in a 5-pound package to North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue and the state’s Division of Waste Management.
Author: Margaret Williams
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Local food guide now available
ASAP’s 2009 Local Food Guide is now available, featuring farms, restaurants, tailgate markets, u-pick farms and more.
The Green Scene
As a teen working at my local McDonald’s, I never dreamed that the old oil from those french-fry vats would one day power diesel engines and heat homes. Nor did I imagine you would ever get a decent cup of joe at the joint. But these days, all the major fast-food chains hawk something resembling […]
EPA will oversee coal ash removal at Tennessee plant
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will oversee the removal of coal ash at the TVA Kingston Fossil Fuel Plant in Roane County, Tenn., where approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash spilled last December. In related news, a coal-ash pond at an Asheville power plant is on a list of potentially dangerous storage ponds, according to a report released by two environmental groups.
Bonsai! Appalachian style
May 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., N.C. Arboretum Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura will explain exactly what’s intended by the Southern Appalachian bonsai concept.
May 9 French Broad River Fins & Gills Classic Fishing Tournament
It’s time for the May 9 French Broad River Fins & Gills Classic Fishing Tournament. Sponsored by Clear Channel Radio of Asheville and Asheville Outdoor Center, the event benefits local nonprofit RiverLink in its mission to protect and restore the French Broad River and its watershed as a place to live, work and play!
The Green Scene: A leaking well highlights continued CTS contamination
Two grade-school boys playing in Becky Robinson‘s yard on April 24 discovered that an old well on the property was leaking. It hadn’t been used since 1999, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that it was contaminated by trichloroethylene, one of many chemicals used at the former CTS electroplating plant on Mills Gap Road […]
Lookout Tower author Peter Barr speaks at Leicester library May 5
Join hiker/author Peter J. Barr at 7 p.m. on May 5 at the Leicester library as he discusses his book Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers and talks about the hiking opportunities as well as the history and need to preserve Western North Carolina’s fire lookout towers.
State revs up food-safety training for extension agents
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension gave its agents some food-safety training on April 30 and May 1. Later this spring or early summer, the extension service plans to train anyone involved in handling fresh produce – from farmers and field hands to packing houses, truckers, grocery stores, farmers markets and roadside stands
Water matters: Hearings and pending bills in N.C.
While state legislators are considering a bill that appears to relax groundwater standards, state environmental officials are seeking public comment on rule changes that strengthen some of them – and relax others.
The Green Scene
Not enough, say residents frustrated by a proposed agreement with CTS Corp. for cleaning up contamination at its former Mills Gap Road manufacturing site. A 1987 North Carolina law caps participating companies’ liability in such cleanups at that amount. Contained? Fences don’t prevent toxic vapors—produced by the suspected carcinogen trichloroethylene—from reaching residents living near the […]
The Dirt: It’s thyme to plant herbs
Oregano was the second thing I ever tried to grow on my own. Cacti came first, back when I was a teen and wanted a windowsill plant that wasn’t particular about water and other niceties. Initially, I tried my not-so-green thumb on a Christmas cactus. Because my grandmother could coax a puny, store-bought specimen into […]
New family bike ride in Burnsville
Take the road less traveled: Trek to Burnsville for a family bike ride that can help get your spring fitness plans off to a good start.
Rhododendrons and azaleas lead a flowery May at Arboretum
On May 2 and 3, the American Rhododendron Society’s Southeastern Chapter will hold its annual show at the North Carolina Arboretum. The event features hundreds of blooms on display at the Education Center, including many favorite mountain plants.
How the caged chicken clucks
Instead of a chicken in every pot, some determined Asheville residents would like backyard chickens allowed at every home that wants them—and can keep their coops clean. “We’re advocating for responsible and informed [chicken] ownership,” says Cathy Williams of Asheville City Chickens. No place like home: Urban-chicken advocates emphasize the need to ban noisy roosters […]
The Green Scene
Earth Day falls midweek this year, on Wednesday, April 22. But instead of labeling it “hump day,” consider the moniker “hair day.” A few local salons will be continuing their practice of collecting their snippings and shipping them off to San Francisco nonprofit Matter of Trust, which turns those donated locks into, of all things, […]
SECU donates land for Davidson River Trail
The State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently donated a tract that will aid in the development of the Davidson River Trail, a bike- and walkway linking the Brevard community to the Davidson River Campground, the Cradle of Forestry, and Pisgah National Forest. This connection will give area residents a new way to gain access to Pisgah National Forest and visit such environmental wonders as Sliding Rock and many area waterfalls – all by foot or bicycle.
Earthy celebrations
In the Asheville area, Earth Day isn’t just a one-day affair. The 39-year-old tradition falls on Wednesday, April 22, this year, but related events start this weekend and continue for more than a week, promising a bounty of workshops, presentations, kids’ stuff, enviro tips and more. The big picture: Second-grader Noah Sulzman was the grand […]
The Green Scene
If you want to understand the importance of air quality, ask yourself how long you can hold your breath. That’s what environmental scientist Meng-Dawn Cheng of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory told a group of journalists gathered in Knoxville, Tenn., last month. A summer photo taken in the Shining Rock Wilderness near Asheville shows a […]
The Dirt: The long view
I harvested my first asparagus recently. Their purple tips and green stalks rose out of the winter soil when all else in my garden was brown. They looked nothing like the shriveled, grocery-store spears that stand with their cut ends resting in icy water. Mine were almost a half-inch in diameter and growing so fast […]
WNC farmers win AgOptions grants
Nearly 50 farmers recently received grants from Western North Carolina Agricultural Options, a N.C. Cooperative Extension program that provides resources to farmers diversifying or expanding their operations – particularly those transitioning from tobacco production. Six winners are in Buncombe County, with AgOptions projects ranging from expanded bee yards to improved alfalfa production.