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After lead found in several city parks, Durham offers free blood tests for kids, pregnant people, starting today
People who are pregnant and young children can have their blood tested for lead — for free — at the Durham County Health Department. The program starts today; no insurance is required. Children must be between 6 months and 6 years old. Lead is a neurotoxin. Children with very high levels of lead in their […]
Landfills, hazardous waste, hog farms: what lies in the path of Hurricane Idalia in North Carolina
Hundreds of landfills and hazardous waste sites, as well as thousands of enormous hog and poultry farms are in the path of Hurricane Idalia, expected to arrive in North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon. Although by the time Idalia reaches the state, it will likely have been downgraded to a tropical storm, the National Weather Service […]
Wetlands are the “memory” of the landscape. When they are lost, so are our stories.
Also check out a new feature, “The Understory,” an audio field trip that explores important places and environmental issues in North Carolina. In this episode, we visit the Croatan National Forest to see various types of wetlands, including those that are at highest risk of being harmed or eliminated altogether. Our guides are Samantha Krop, the […]
Final report shows Walltown, East Durham parks most affected by lead contamination in soil
Pieces of glass and porcelain, more than 70 years old, were found in lead-contaminated soil at several Durham parks, evidence that old incinerators are a likely source, according to a final report released by the city last night. The findings by city contractor Mid-Atlantic Associates, confirm and underscore sampling conducted in the fall of 2021, […]
Piedmont Lithium gets cold shoulder in Gaston County
Locke Bell and Warren Snowdon hiked through a Gaston County forest, its foliage still full despite the lateness of the year. It was 2021, and they and some friends had spent the afternoon traversing creeks and streams and cliffs, and paying their respects at a family cemetery. “Oh my God, right through there,” Bell said, […]
DEQ must grant Wake Stone’s mining permit, pay attorney’s fees, judge rules in a scolding opinion
Just two months into his job as director of the state Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources, Brian Wrenn faced one of the most contentious mining applications in recent state history. Details of his decision, issued 681 days after the application was filed, would reveal the pressure, chaos and even rancor that was boiling […]
NC Attorney General asks US Supreme Court to take up state’s ag-gag law
The State Attorney General’s Office has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of North Carolina’s ag-gag law, twice struck down by lower courts as unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Represented by Attorney General Josh Stein, the state argued that a Supreme Court decision is necessary to clarify the various courts’ legal interpretations, […]
Durham closes playground at Northgate Park after further analysis showed lead in soil sample
The City of Durham has closed an unlined playground in Northgate Park after additional lab testing found elevated levels of lead in a soil sample beneath a foot of mulch, according to the Parks and Recreation Department. The other two playgrounds contain liners between the mulch and the underlying soil; those areas remain open. The […]
US Fish and Wildlife reaches settlement with animal welfare groups over protection of endangered red wolf
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reached a settlement agreement with three animal welfare organizations that requires the agency to diligently work to ensure the survival of the endangered red wolf. The plaintiffs were the Red Wolf Coalition, based in Tyrrell County, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Animal Welfare Institute. They were represented by […]
Durham fire dept burned Duke heiress’s house for training. Lead paint blew into the neighborhood.
For 83 years, Les Terrasses, a 5,000-square-foot mansion once owned by the tobacco heiress Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, sat perched above Bivins Street in Durham, guarded by an ornate white iron gate and adorned with shutters the color of a Queen Elizabeth rose. On July 14, the Durham Fire Department burned the house to […]
For people on private wells, race and income often determine whether water is safe to drink
Roughly 2.4 million North Carolinians rely on private wells for their drinking water. But unlike public water systems, private wells are not regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Instead of a utility being responsible for ensuring the drinking water is free of contaminants, residents on private wells are the stewards of their own […]
Preliminary test results confirm areas of East Durham, Walltown parks contaminated with lead
Contractors hired by the City of Durham have found hotspots of lead-contaminated soil at two parks, as well as at the old Sign and Signal Shop, prompting officials to fence off the affected areas no later than today. According to an update from the City published last night, these parks have lead above the EPA’s […]