Well, I missed my promised Wednesday post. But, I’m making up for it now! Forgive me? I promise, I wasn’t slacking off.
This week several of my articles and photos were published, and I’ve already begun work on next week’s pieces for CLTBlog.com, Qcitymetro.com and The Mountain Island Weekly. I’m also putting in some time for ProPublica.org.
With that, here are the clips of the week, all from The Mountain Island Weekly:
- Coal ash pond regulations may change
- Parts of Mountain Island Village Still Vacant
- Coffee House can’t find quality employees
Not all sunshine and roses, but definitely important community news.
With that, I think it’s obvious — to me, anyway — the business plan I once discussed on this site is obsolete. Even though I am still helping a couple of small organizations and one small business with their newsletters and social media, it’s mostly on a volunteer basis … because I’m a sweetheart, really.
Therefore, new announcement: I don’t think The Word Trade is going to end up being a public relations vehicle for any company but itself.
What happened was this: A friend lost her job. I offered help. We started talking about different directions for the business. We were excited. It didn’t work out. C’est la vie.
And, really, I’m happy writing about my community. In fact, I love it.
Plus, I’d like to try to break into the national freelance market and continue working on my book ideas.
So, instead of trying to force The Word Trade into a mold, I think I’ll continue allowing it to create its own.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Rhi, your article about coal ash ponds is wonderful. I live very near the disaster here in Tennessee, it is a neighboring county to mine, and it is still a problem seven months later. And before the collapse and spill, I had never heard of a coal ash pond. I am sure a majority of residents here were the same way! Many homes and farms, and as a result livelihoods, were destroyed in an instant.
Thank you for your comment, and your insight.
Here’s something I haven’t told many people:
I spent about 15-20 minutes visiting the two coal ash ponds on the edge of Mountain Island Lake last week. For about a half hour after that, my eyes and throat burned. For at least 24 hours I felt like I had a sore throat. Today, a week later, I still feel like I’m having sinus issues.
Undoubtedly the coal ash ponds had an immediate effect me, physically. A week and a half later, it’s hard to say if that’s why I still have a stuffy nose. But, it is something I’ve thought about. Perhaps that’s because I’ve read so much about the after effects of the Tennessee coal ash spill. I understand a lot of people up there are experiencing respiratory issues. I know they are concerned for their children. I know they feel trapped. It’s an awful situation.
Now I realize that there are two of these ponds in my community. I didn’t know that until recently. Even some government officials I’ve spoken with didn’t know that. They weren’t a huge concern before.
There are about 1,300 coal ash ponds in the U.S. There have only been a handful of major issues. But, when you’re talking about major issues that affect large populations of people and include scary substances like arsenic, a handful is too many.
That’s why I am focused on the coal ash ponds on Mountain Island Lake. The first one was built in the mid 1950s, the second in the mid 1980s. Neither are lined. They are located just upstream from the Catawba River Pumping Station, where water is pulled from the lake, treated and disbursed to the residents and businesses in Charlotte, N.C.
I feel like it is my job, as a journalist and community member, to study what is going on there. To talk to as many experts and officials as I can. To offer both sides of the story. To help make people aware of what’s going on. To condense the facts into 1,000 word articles to help people stay informed on the major points.
I’m going to continue to cover this story for a long time to come.
In North Carolina, we’re lucky to have structured regulations. Our legislature and governor are paying attention and taking action. And, Duke Energy is not, as far as I can tell, being negligent. In fact, everything I have found out points to them being quite willing to talk about this issue, they welcome more frequent inspections, they’re proactive.
Contrast that to Alabama where there is no regulation. Ask yourself why the E.P.A. has spent almost 30 years debating whether or not coal ash is hazardous waste. That classification will drastically change how all coal ash ponds are regulated and managed. Ask yourself what this coal plant, which was built in 1929, did with the coal waste before the first coal ash pond was built.
These energy companies have been around, working with our government, for a long time. We didn’t have as much knowledge at the turn of the last century. We didn’t understand the affects pollution can have on our world because there was no precedent set.
I think the real story here is about awareness and how we, as a society, are going to evolve to protect our population, land and water. Who will step up to the plate and who will lobby Congress, and for what means? It’s a human interest story, it’s a environmental story, it’s a business interest story and it will continue to shift and change for some time.
It’s scary to realize that we, too, could lose everything in an instant — like the people you cite in Tennessee. So, now that we’re aware of the potential danger, how should we react?
My job isn’t to decide, it’s to help people understand what’s going on now, what’s gone on in the past and what changes are being made.
I am very interested to find out where the story leads. I hope my reporting helps.
Thanks for reading, Christine. Thanks for your comment.
Take care,
Rhi B.