Environmental Justice

For nearly a century, the Ela Dam in the North Carolina mountains has provided electricity but also altered wildlife habitats and disconnected the community. Land conservation and environmental groups have joined the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in an ambitious plan to remove the aging dam. But that hinges on getting millions of dollars in federal funding.

The state's growing wood pellet industry came under fire at a meeting in Raleigh last night from scientists, activists and residents who live near wood pellet plants.

North Carolina's environmental justice advisory board has called a special meeting in Raleigh Thursday night to discuss concerns about the fast-growing wood pellet industry.

Mecklenburg County is working with a consultant to develop an Environmental Justice Action Plan. The idea is to identify and work to end disparities in water and air pollution, food and housing. County officials are seeking public feedback at a series of public meetings this month and next.

Policymakers along with business and nonprofit leaders are in Raleigh this week for a conference on North Carolina's transition to clean energy. While technology and policy are key themes, some speakers want to make sure people of color and low-income residents are not left out.

Wood pellet maker Enviva says it has landed its first U.S. customer and is speeding up plans to double production capacity in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.

In this two-part series "The Wood Energy Dilemma," reporters from WFAE and WUNC visit communities feeding the world’s appetite for wood energy.

European countries are importing more and more wood pellets from plants across the U.S. South to be burned for energy in place of coal. In this installment of The Wood Energy Dilemma, we visit the Enviva plant in North Carolina's Northampton County.

North Carolina environmental groups say they’re concerned by changes the Trump administration is making to one of the country’s cornerstone environmental…

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says coal ash ponds and landfills disproportionately affect poor and minority communities across the U.S. But that’s…