Will Atwater | North Carolina Health News

After moving to North Carolina, a Columbus County resident found himself downwind from a billion-dollar industry. Now he’s documenting the odors, flies and frustration — even as state laws limit neighbors’ ability to seek relief.

Water infrastructure is an important issue across the state of North Carolina — whether it is damaged systems due to natural disasters or the growing number of rural water utilities that lack the finances to maintain system upkeep. Solving these challenges may require a radical shift in how some municipalities deliver community services.

As water service is gradually restored to western North Carolina communities, Mitchell County officials make hard decisions about how to manage the loss of one of its wastewater plants.

A new report suggests that regulatory action in the state’s poultry industry is overdue.

A mounting body of research suggests that plastic waste — some particles are small enough to be inhaled — could harm your health.

State and federal officials are working to protect the public from potential dangers, including rip currents and bacterial infections.

As the environment faces increasing pressures from the onset of climate change and industrial pollution, some say granting nature personhood status is the way forward.

Living under the shadow of contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” — has robbed a North Carolina family of normalcy.

One lingering question acknowledged in the limited study that will require further research is whether plants can effectively absorb PFAS in their roots and shoots in flowing water bodies, such as rivers and streams.

About 60 community advocates, environmentalists, health care providers, faith leaders, state politicians and an EPA representative spent the day dissecting issues affecting low-wealth Black and brown communities — and charting a pathway forward at the recent “Grounded in Justice, Rooted in Wellness: Environmental Injustice Healthcare Summit.”