News About the Catawba River
Coal Ash Ponds Threaten Drinking Water
A steady flow of information regarding the safety and security of pollutants from Duke Energy’s four EPA listed “High Hazard Potential” coal ash ponds along the Catawba River continues. Recent articles have explained data that shows heavy metal contamination in groundwater supplies. Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman exclaims “These ponds threaten more than groundwater. All day, every day- these coal ash ponds are discharging directly into our primary drinking water reservoir!” For a WNCN news report about coal ash, click here. For more information, click here.
Catawba Named as Most Endangered River in 2008
More links to video about the Catawba River are at Videos About the Catawba River.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT THE CATAWBA RIVER AND WATEREE RIVER, CLICK HERE.
New Sewage Plant at ReVenture Park
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities is planning to build a new $197 million wastewater plant in proposed business park on the former Clariant (Sodyeco) property on the west side of the Catawba River. The plant would serve Mt. Holly via a pipe that under the Catawba River and Mecklenburg County.
Stricter Water Classifications Proposed for Catawba
DENR has proposed that segments of the Catawba River be reclassified as High Quality Waters (HQW). It would include the main stem of the river and the headwater tributaries starting at the river’s source and ending at the river’s confluence with the Left Prong Catawba River.
Mountain Island Lake Impaired
NC Division of Water Quality's draft 2010 Impaired Waterbodies List includes a large portion of Mountain Island Lake, the main drinking water supply for the Cities of Charlotte, Gastonia and Mount Holly.
Erosion Continues at Bankrupt or Foreclosed Developments
A recent article entitled, "Erosion is latest fallout of recession," by Bruce Henderson with the Charlotte Observer highlights many of the problems associated with large developments that find themselves in bankruptcy or foreclosure.
Utilities Plans for Coal Ash Ponds May Not Be Enough
Are utilities' plans for shoring up hazardous coal ash dams good enough?
State wants more testing of coal waste
State officials want more groundwater testing around coal ash settling ponds at Duke Energy’s electric plants along the Catawba River, including three ponds in Gaston County.
Construction Stormwater Runoff Threatens Water Supply
News 14 did a report on report on the problem of construction stormwater runoff featuring the work of Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman and Lakekeeper Ellen Goff.
Catawba-Wateree River Listed (Again) as Endangered
The Southern Environmental Law Center's second annual report listed the Catawba-Wateree as one of the 10 most endangered places in the South. In 2008, American Rivers named the Catawba-Wateree the Most Endangered River in the United States.
Catawba Riverkeeper Profiled in Charlotte Magazine
Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman was profiled in the Feburary issue of Charlotte Magazine. If you ever wondered what the Riverkeeper does, this article provides a good glimpse of the life of the Riverkeeper.
U.S. Supreme Court allows Parties to Intervene in IBT Litigation
On January 20, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing Duke Energy and Catawba River Water Supply Project, but not the city of Charlotte, to intervene in the case filed by South Carolina against North Carolina in the United States Supreme Court.
Con/Kan IBT Dispute Finds Resolution
Reductions during drought periods, additional water conservation measures and a timeline for withdrawals highlight key components of litigation settlement agreement.
Erosion muddies Cornelius water supply
The Town of Cornelius and Mecklenburg County will attempt to restore a "critically impaired" creek that feeds into the primary water reservoir for 800,000 people in the region. McDowell Creek Cove on Moutain Island Lake has shown "a significant decline in water quality" over the years because of the flow of nutrients and sediment from the development boom in the Huntersville and Cornelius areas, according to Cornelius' state grant application.
Atlantic sturgeon may get 'endangered' status
CHARLESTON - The reclusive Atlantic Sturgeon might be placed on the endangered species list two years after a federal review concluded such a move was unnecessary. If approved, Atlantic Sturgeon would be declared endangered from the Santee-Cooper river system (including the Catawba-Wateree River) north, and designated threatened from Charleston south.
White House, EPA at Odds Over Coal-Waste Rules
The Obama administration is engaged in an unusual internal spat as the White House and Environmental Protection Agency tussle over how to handle millions of tons of waste from coal-fired power plants. Utility and environmental groups are watching the coal-ash dispute as an indicator of the administration's pliability on the regulatory front.
SC to begin testing for PCBs on Wateree in response to federal findings
State biologists will begin testing fish at Lake Wateree next year for PCBs, a suspected cancer-causing pollutant that federal data show has tainted predator species in the popular reservoir. Wateree was among the 17 percent of lakes tested nationally in which fish registered PCB levels above a federal health safety standard this decade, according to data released last month by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Two More Sewer Overflows in Hickory
The City of Hickory reported that it had two sanitary sewer overflows on December 9, 2009, due to the heavy rainfall in early morning hours.
EPA WaterSense Certification Available
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final WaterSense single-family new homes specification on December 9, 2009, creating the first national, voluntary, water-efficiency specification for an entire new home.
Environmental Groups Sue for Duke Ash Info
Three environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit intended to publicly release information about coal ash basins owned by Duke Energy and several other utilities.
Progress Energy to Close Old Plants, Where's Duke Energy's Plan?
The closing of these facilities will help improve North Carolina's entire quality of life, especially in regards to air and water quality. The question for everyone here in the Charlotte region to ask is: Why isn't Duke Energy leading the way in this pro-active step to close antiquated coal-plants?
What is wrong with Lake Wylie?
What's wrong with Wylie? It has been a reoccurring question and discussion among fisherman – the drastic decline of Lake Wylie as a fishery. In 1998, Lake Wylie was producing many quality fish. It regularly took a five-fish limit heavier than 22 pounds to win a team tournament on the lake, almost any time of year. Fast forward to 2009 and a hundred boat tournaments held since being won by 16 pounds, and many teams failed to catch a limit of fish. Something is definitely wrong.
