Environment

October 28, 2015 - North Carolina-based Duke Energy, already the nation's largest electric utility, has announced plans to buy Piedmont Natural Gas for $4.9 billion in cash. The merger would expand Duke's natural gas operations — and boost its already outsized political might.

October 22, 2015 - This week another South Carolina town came out against offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling, making opposition unanimous in the state's coastal communities. Will politicians get the message?

October 20, 2015 - Dubbed the "Polluter Protection Act," the controversial legislation that passed the General Assembly with minimal public input offers immunity to companies that self-report pollution while weakening rules designed to protect air and water quality. Environmentalists say it may be the most anti-environmental bill of Gov. Pat McCrory's tenure.

October 15, 2015 - The Georgia-based Federation of Southern Cooperatives is the domestic winner of this year's Food Sovereignty Prize, which honors grassroots activists working for a more democratic food system.

October 14, 2015 - Accusing state regulators and the utility giant of "extraordinary efforts" to marginalize conservation groups' interests in addressing coal ash pollution, the Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a legal action seeking to overturn a controversial settlement reached without the groups' input or knowledge.

October 8, 2015 - From Appalachia to the Deep South, organizations are building local and regional food systems to boost rural economies and improve community health.

October 8, 2015 - South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called the extreme rain her state experienced recently "historic." But her administration has been less than forthcoming about the reality of climate change and its expected impacts on her state — which include more extreme rainfall events.

October 7, 2015 - An alliance of grassroots groups has filed an emergency complaint with North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper calling on him to force the Charlotte-based utility giant to honor its corporate charter requiring it to act in the public interest by curbing its climate pollution and political influence.

October 5, 2015 - Days after announcing a settlement with the utility over its widespread coal ash pollution, N.C. officials were monitoring two of its high-hazard dams holding back millions of tons of the toxic power plant waste after reports of rain-related issues. State officials say the problems — seepage on one dam and a sinkhole near another — are not polluting the environment or endangering the public.

September 24, 2015 - People from across North Carolina whose lives have been affected by coal ash pollution have joined forces to launch the Alliance of Carolinians Together Against Coal Ash. The coalition plans to press Duke Energy and state leaders for safer long-term solutions for coal ash storage.