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Raleigh's Bain Project: An environmental health hazard?
12/23/2011

This weekend marks the second and closing weekend for the Bain Project, an art installation exploring the history of E.B. Bain Waterworks in South Raleigh.

The project has been widely covered in the local media, including the Raleigh News & Observer and the Independent Weekly.

But a story that appears today at New Raleigh raises an important concern that hasn't been addressed in the previous coverage: the serious lead hazards in the building.

In her regular column for the news site, Billie Karel with Toxic Free NC writes:

I heartily recommend the Bain Project installation to anyone who hasn't been out to see it yet, but - and I say this out of love - the place is full of peeling dusty corroded lead-based paint, and you should think long and hard before bringing your kids.

Karel attended the exhibition with a lead poisoning expert who was disturbed by what she saw there, including children falling on the floor. She points out that the primary source of exposure for children is the lead dust that can wind up ingesting from contact with contaminated floors and window sills.

The artists who have been involved in creating the installations are undoubtedly aware of the hazards: One of the photos at the N&O's site shows multiple media artist Tim Kiernan working in the building while wearing a respirator. In fact, the installation's own website notes that the parents of young children should be advised that the building contains lead paint; to see that warning, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

But lead isn't a concern only for children. In adults, lead exposure can damage nerves, causing sensory and coordination problems. It can also impair fertility by causing decreased sperm counts in men, and retard fetal development at even extremely low levels, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

I would urge everyone attending the installation -- not just the parents of young children -- to be careful about the potential hazard.

Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill on Friday, April 10 at 8:15 p.m in the Hanes Art Center Auditorium. Director Michael O'Connell will be there to introduce the documentary, a production of Pittsboro, N.C.-based Haw River Films, and answer questions from the audience. For more information about mountaintop removal -- including your personal connection to the destructive practice -- visit North Carolina-based Appalachian Voices' website, iLoveMountains.org.

12/23/2011

An important reminder from the City of Raleigh:

So you've been putting yogurt cups, pizza boxes, and ceramic cups in your recycling bin. Guess what? The City of Raleigh cannot recycle these products.

The top three containers that residents are putting into their recycling bins which the City cannot recycle are:

* Non-bottle shaped plastic items, such as yogurt cups, bags, utensils, and margarine tubs. The City also is urging residents not to put acceptable items into plastic bags when their recycling bin is full. Instead use a box or other container;

* Pizza boxes; and,

* Non-food glass products such as ceramic cups, vases, dishes, plate glass, mirrors and light bulbs.

These items should be placed in the trash can, not the recycling bin. Putting them in the recycling bin with other acceptable recyclable items can be harmful to the City's recycling efforts.

"Non-bottle plastic items, even those with the same resin code on them, will melt at a different temperature during the recycling process. If they end up in the oven together, bottles will be burning up before the non-bottle products even begin to melt, sending the entire load to the landfill," said Linda Leighton, waste reduction specialist for the City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services Department.

"In the case of non-food glass items, again, each type glass melts at a difference temperature during the recycling process, resulting in bubbles, cracks and holes in newly manufactured glass bottles. Plastic bags are the nemesis of the recycling plant as they become tangled in equipment and burn up motors, shutting them down," Ms. Leighton added.

For more details about Raleigh's recycling program, click here.

12/23/2011

Toxic Free NC -- a Raleigh-based nonprofit that fights pesticide pollution and promotes safe alternatives -- is holding a Bug Draw Off to support its work.

Artists are invited to submit work showcasing the important role bugs play in the environment. Those selected will have their work displayed for a month at 101 Lounge + Cafe in downtown Raleigh. They will also have a chance to win prizes including free art supplies, with a benefit auction of the art set for First Friday on Aug. 7.

Here are the contest details, according to an announcement posted at Facebook:

* All interested artists must send an email to cbgrohs@gmail.com with your contact information, an electronic photo of your fine artwork PLUS a mini (as in TINY, Itty bitty, blurb style) bio on you, the artist.

* Deadline for all submissions is July 10th.

* The event has two parts: a bug drawing competition with a chance for some mighty prizes (like free art supplies, food and even a holistic facial!) on First Friday in August, as well as a month-long exhibit of artists’ interpretations of their favorite bugs.

* All proceeds from sales of the art will be going to support Toxic Free NC’s courageous work to fight pesticide pollution in North Carolina. More on that at www.toxicfreenc.org.

* All selected artists will be promoted like mad throughout the month. Each will be asked to contribute between one and three pieces to include in the month-long exhibit. Artists may also be asked to participate in the night-of competition.

(Photo of praying mantis by PiccoloNamek)

12/23/2011

Today's News & Observer has an important story by Jim Wise about how the quality of Falls Lake -- Raleigh's main water supply -- is suffering while officials with the power to do something are failing to act:

July 1 was the deadline for the N.C. Division of Water Quality to have a cleanup plan for Falls Lake. They're still working on it.

The Neuse River Foundation is sponsoring an online letter-writing campaign encouraging lawmakers to take action to clean up the lake ASAP. And freshman state Sen. Josh Stein (D-Wake) has introduced legislation encouraging local governments to step up efforts to protect the lake.

In the meantime, there's a simple step that people can take to help curb the pollution in Falls Lake as well as other water bodies: Use caution when treating lawns and gardens with fertilizers, which lead to the algae overgrowth that's damaging the lake. For more information on proper application of fertilizers, click here for a guide from N.C. State University.

(Photo of Falls Lake in winter by Sue Sturgis)

Urban Ministries of Wake County, the event gives folks a chance to visit backyard chicken-keeping operations across inner-city Raleigh. For more information, visit the event's website at www.hensidethebeltline.blogspot.com.

(Photo of previous Tour d'Coop courtesy of Rick Bennett)

Richland Initiative points out that OEE also supports environmental education centers including Umstead State Park and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' Prairie Ridge Ecostation for Wildlife and Learning.

"It is hard to imagine our state not even having an office to coordinate environmental education efforts with the emergence of green jobs and renewable energies," Migliore Meyer said in an alert letting supporters know about the planned cuts.

For more information about the cuts and to take action to stop them, click here.

Meanwhile, the city recently completed its first outdoor lighting project combining light-emitting diode (LED) technology with solar renewable energy in place of traditional dirty electric sources like nuclear and coal plants. LEDs are electronic lights that consume less energy and last longer than traditional lightbulbs and even compact fluorescents. Progress Solar Solutions of Apex installed the sun-powered lights at the city Parks and Recreation Department's Marsh Creek remote operations facility near New Hope Road and Daly Road in eastern Raleigh.

"Energy costs for municipalities can be significant," said Julian Prosser, assistant city manager. "Our sustainability team is a strong advocate of adopting proven, high-performance technologies that can save local taxpayers on energy costs and at the same time protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions. We are excited about the opportunity to move to a cost-effective, renewable energy alternative. It seems like a win-win for everyone."

(Photo of the new LED lights in the parking lot of the Marsh Creek facility from the city's website.)

explosion at the ConAgra plant in Garner just south of Raleigh killed at least two people and injured more than 40 others. It also resulted in the release of ammonia to a tributary of Big Branch Creek, which flows into the Neuse River.

Speaking at an 11 p.m. press conference, a Garner fire department captain reported there had been a "small ammonia release" to the tributary on the plant's property at 4851 Jones Sausage Rd. An earthen dam has been constructed at the spot where the release occurred, and the company and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are monitoring downstream, he said.

There were also reports following this morning's explosion of a strong ammonia smell around the facility.

The plant manufactures Slim Jim meat snacks. Meat processing operations often use for a refrigerant anhydrous ammonia, a regulated toxic substance under various federal environmental laws.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers ammonia a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. It's also flammable at concentrations of greater than 15% by volume in air and can explode if it's released in an enclosed space with an ignition source, or if a vessel containing anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire.

Breathing ammonia can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, laryngitis, headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, pink frothy phlegm, chest pain, asthma, rapid pulse, and increased blood pressure, according to the National Library of Medicine.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, a federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents, has sent a team to the site of the explosion.

"If you’re deciding where to live, consider moving to an urban area," says CNT President Scott Bernstein. "You’ll help fight global warming by emitting less CO2. And you’re likely to drive less, so you’ll spend less on transportation, saving up to $5,000 annually."

The settlement with the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation and Upper Neuse Riverkeeper follows two years of negotiations over excessive sewage sludge dumping at the plant, which resulted in nitrate contamination of groundwater. An investigation by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources found the city's Public Utilities Department violated permits, with Raleigh paying in 2001 and 2002 a total of $73,650 in penalties for 124 violations.

The sloppy operations resulted in the contamination of private drinking-water wells nearby, with affected households eventually added to the municipal water system. Drinking water that has high levels of nitrates can cause health problems including potentially fatal blue baby syndrome. High nitrate levels in rivers are also promotes excess algae growth, which can suffocate river life and create health problems for downstream communities.

In 2007, Raleigh's Public Utilities Department applied for a waiver related to the groundwater cleanup, but the Riverkeeper opposed the application. The department and environmental advocacy group have now resolved their dispute over the variance request.

The Riverkeeper says the department has taken "dramatic steps" to improve the physical plant and procedures at the wastewater facility, significantly reducing pollution discharges to the Neuse River. Given those improvements, the group has agreed to end its fight against the city's variance request.

"The City has negotiated in good faith and made some very positive changes in the past few years," said Upper Neuse Riverkeeper Alissa Bierma. "We now have a solution and a working relationship that will benefit the river long-term."

The state Environmental Management Commission will hold a public hearing next week on the variance request, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. It will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at the Archdale Building at 512 Salisbury St. in downtown Raleigh.

has made its endorsements for the municipal elections set for Oct. 6 -- and the environmental advocacy group is sticking with the tried and true by backing all incumbents.

In the race for mayor, the group picked attorney Charles Meeker (photo right) who was first elected to the office in 2001. An advocate for open space preservation and public transportation, Meeker is facing three relatively obscure challengers: computer scientist Mark Enloe, construction firm recruiter Larry D. Hudson III and entrepreneur Gregg S. Kunz.

In North Central Raleigh's District A, Sierra endorsed pharmacy executive Nancy McFarlane, the incumbent who's running unopposed. (For a map of all council districts, click here.) In District B, which extends from inside the Beltline to Northeast Raleigh, it endorsed incumbent Rodger Koopman, a software businessman and Air Force veteran who's facing a challenge from former city council member John Odom, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, muffler shop owner and Vietnam vet.

In Southwest Raleigh's District D, Sierra endorsed incumbent Thomas Crowder, who's being challenged by fellow architect Ted Van Dyk. City electrical inspector and landlord Jerome Goldberg also registered for that race, but he was disqualified by the state and county election boards following a dispute over the residency requirement.

The Sierra Club did not make an endorsement in Southeast Raleigh's District C race, where incumbent James West, retired county operations director for the Cooperative Extension, faces Charles Reisinger, a broadcast radio technician. Nor did it endorse in Northwest Raleigh's District E, where Bonner Gaylord, a realty company executive and member of the city's Planning Commission, and Waheed Haq, president of an environmental consulting and engineering firm, are battling for the seat vacated by retiring council member and attorney Philip Isley.

In the race for two at-large seats, the Sierra Club has made only one endorsement, of incumbent Russ Stephenson, an architect specializing in urban design and preservation. Also in that race are incumbent Mary-Ann Baldwin, a marketing and communications consultant, and challengers Lee Sartain, a technology specialist with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at N.C. State, and realtor Champ Claris.

For more on the upcoming elections, check out Independent Weekly reporter Bob Geary's Citizen blog, the News & Observer's WakeWatch blog, the Raleigh Public Record, and the anonymously written but always insightful Below the Beltline -- which by the way has a fascinating story about how Goldberg, the candidate disqualified from the District D race because he doesn't live there, is being represented by attorney Jerry Meek, the former chair of the N.C. Democratic Party who's now with the high-powered law firm Poyner & Spruill.

(Photo of Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker playing guitar from his campaign website's photo gallery)

included a 12-year-old who began making rain barrels in his garage during a drought, a high school student who launched a recycling program, and Builders of Hope, a project that diverts construction debris from landfills.

The 2010 awards will be given out at a ceremony to be held on April 22 -- Earth Day -- at Marbles Kids Museum. For more information, contact Cindy Holmes at 996-4285 or e-mail cindy.holmes@ci.raleigh.nc.us.

sustainably-built facility is located in the 60-acre wetland area off State Street south of Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Among those who spoke at the ceremony was Dr. Norman Camp, who played a key leadership role in making the center a reality through his organization Partners for Environmental Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the Walnut Creek ecosystem and the communities of Southeast Raleigh. Dr. Camp chairs PFEJ, which he founded in 1995 in response to the pollution and flooding that plagued the wetlands. Its efforts garnered the group an Audubon NC conservation award earlier this year.

In his speech yesterday, Dr. Camp called the wetland center "a shining new gem in Raleigh's crown."

Following the ribbon-cutting, those gathered had a chance to tour the facility and enjoy live jazz on what's billed as "the longest back porch in the South," pictured above. The porch overlooks the wetland, photos of which you can check out at John Dancy-Jones' Raleigh Nature blog.

As part of the dedication, Raleigh poet and artist Christopher Rowland -- a.k.a. Langston Fuze, who grew up in nearby Biltmore Hills -- performed a poem he wrote especially for the occasion titled "Wetlands Bandstand." With his blessing, I reprint it here in full:

Wetlands Bandstand

Sitting within this great dream

made tangible reality, it is easy to see

from the beginning there was always sound —

jazz

rhythmic orchestral sweeps of the Great Conductor's hands

leading a mass ensemble of seasoned players

through history, across the space time continuum

to gather in this sacred place.

Upon a mere flinch of the Maestro's mighty fingers,

lady muse materializes instantaneously

from stage shadows to taking vocal front

inside a building mystic breeze moaned

across lush landscape. Together they join as rhythms of nature,

one all powerful big band passionately charging with touch

devices instrumental in the preservation of existence;

belting songs in the key of life —

melodic, productive, busy as Coltrane fingers

overwhelming the moment with movement,

inspiring sound to become flesh / evoking sensation into fabric.

The party has begun. A grand marquee welcomes all

with a plethora of vibrantly lit earth tone greetings…

For the land is now and forever has been open for business.

News of the most jumping place in town spreads

intrinsic the way of love as night upon the bare back

of an excited dragonfly jittering about. Subtle suggestive advertising sells

the air vintage electricity >>> to be shared by curious masses,

old to new, elder to youth… from far and wide

have they traveled through the ages seeking renewal

over experience gained from personal interactions

with variant patterns of vegetation and organisms,

magically setting spirits free with dance.

Upon catching the vibe, soulful melodies compel the trees

to sway and groove; fluttering their leaves,

filling the air about with glorious applause over the opening number.

Notorious for being party animals, they "throw their hands in the air waving them like they just don't care!" beneath solar strobe-lights cascading over outstretched arms, glimmering brilliantly as if embraced by an array of organic priceless jewelry —

a million sparkles of joy setting the sky illuminated.

Past and future energies time travel to the now for a tender glimpse of Mother Nature

swinging merrily about, Benny Goodman style across wooded tops.

A lady of varied moves she exhibits her trendy adversity

by gracefully stepping across the ballroom floor —

Bee-bop fuses with hip-hop creating an enriching re-creational medium

energizing, engaging, rejuvenating tired old limbs

still limber / eager to defy weathered, wrinkled skin rapping itself

around present day beats of a different generational drum.

Sensing a good time is to be had the wall flowers come alive…

Frogs do the hop / beavers do the waddle / deer shake their tales

locusts clap their hands in appreciation.

Mild mannered sparrows watch the cardinals flash their fancy red coats

like big spenders of the day,

while a flock of robins just entering the scene whistles

such an infectious tune, inciting everything to get involved

with Maceo's lively spirit reincarnating the atmosphere.

All the biggest names in town are here to pay respects

to this awesome cosmic force making many a toe tap through the ages…

The Ivies, the Willows, the Sycamores, and the Hollies snack on sparkleberries –

wash it down with sweet magnolia wine;

sitting comfortably before a plush backdrop of Japanese stewartia and red flowers.

The spread, crawling with the rich, moving and vibing together in song, paints

a warm picture of dignity inside the wetlands. They are not too good

or too big to socialize in humble harmony with the likes of everyday people –

common folks, farm hands, multi-color collar workers, church goers, students, walkers, bikers, runners, environmental enthusiasts, peace seekers, spiritualists, and all colors

of the hue-man rainbow as it should decide to show itself.

Regulars such as the Rochesters, the Camps, the Lightners, the Revises,

the Currins, the Dorrsetts, the Joyners, the Daniels, the Andrews, and the Rowlands humbly impart to children of men the importance

of having such a place to experience quality music /

how in modern context the matrix code runs through rippling brooks,

busy as bees in search of sweet honey in the rocks

resonating from streaming audio bites of ambient sounds

entertaining a captive audience of abundant holly draped over stones,

beneath the resident Greenway bridge.

To see the code is to hear it; to be amongst it is to feel it;

to speak fondly the wonder of this place through ample visits —

speaking of its ancient lure, respecting its divine blessing of accessibility

by keeping it clean — is to dance joyfully with festive feet eternally

the improvisational way of true happiness and bliss discovered out–side of ones self,

yet in–side the comforts of universal connectedness revealed

when visiting the Walnut Creek Wetlands Park.

Walnut Creek Wetland Park will hold its official opening ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. The center is located at 905 Peterson St. in Southeast Raleigh.

The park covers 59 acres of formerly neglected and polluted land south of Peterson between Garner Road and South State Street. The city's 2003 Parks and Recreation bond referendum raised $1.2 million for construction of the 7,000-square-foot education center, which includes classrooms, offices, a laboratory and display space.

Designed by Raleigh architect Frank Harmon with the aim of minimizing environmental impact, the center was built six feet above the flood plain using recycled materials where possible. A geothermal system provides heating and cooling, while solar photovoltaic panels generate much of the electricity.

Rainwater runoff from the roof is collected in cisterns, and what's known as a "bioretention system" will naturally filter stormwater runoff before it's returned to Walnut Creek.

The center also has what's being billed as the "longest back porch in the South," which you can see in the photo above from Harmon's website.

Neuse River Foundation's website. This NRF photo from April's spring cleanup of the Neuse shows the trash collected from under the bridge at the Poole Road canoe launch site in Southeast Raleigh.

12/23/2011

Raleigh is the site of two upcoming protests related to the climate crisis -- one targeting Duke Energy's proposed rate hike to build a new coal-fired power plant, and the other calling for stronger climate leadership from North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue.

A rally opposing Duke Energy's request for a 13.5 percent residential rate increase is set for Monday, Oct. 19 at noon on the mall outside the Dobbs Building at 430 N. Salisbury St. The event is scheduled to take place immediately before a 1 p.m. hearing of the North Carolina Utilities Commission on the rate hike proposal.

Duke Energy is requesting the rate increase in part to pay $1 billion in upfront costs for a new coal-fired power plant under construction at its Cliffside facility in Rutherford County, N.C. If approved, the rate increase would come on top of a 4.5 percent rate hike for fuel costs that the N.C. Public Utilities Commission recently OK'd.

Though Raleigh residents are not served by Charlotte-based Duke Energy, they will be affected by pollution from the new 800-megawatt Cliffside plant. The facility is expected to emit over 6 million tons of carbon dioxide annually as well as considerable amounts of toxic air pollution.

The Oct. 19 rally is being organized by the Stop Cliffside campaign, a network of grassroots groups including the N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and N.C. Interfaith Power & Light.

N.C. WARN recently filed a legal intervention with the state Utilities Commission over Duke Energy's plans to sell power to new customers in South Carolina. Duke had originally said the new Cliffside unit was critical for handling growth within its existing service area.

Anyone who has not testified at the previous hearings regarding Duke Energy's proposed rate hike is eligible to speak at the hearing, and speakers are asked to limit testimony to no more than three minutes. People can also submit comments in writing via e-mail to Utilities Commission Chair Ed Finley at finley@ncuc.net. Reference docket number E-7 Sub909.

In other news on climate action in Raleigh, there will be a March for Climate Leadership on Saturday, Oct. 24, the International Day of Climate Action. The march will begin at 2 p.m. with a gathering in Moore Square downtown at the corner of South Blount and East Hargett streets, followed by a 3 p.m. march up Wilmington Street to the parking lot across from the Governor's Mansion on East Jones Street, where there will be a rally with speakers from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Some of the protesters will deliver a "Call to Leadership and Conscience" to Gov. Perdue, risking arrest to do so. For more details on the Oct. 24 event, click here.

(Poster for Oct. 24 Raleigh climate protest from www.350.org.)

12/23/2011

A ceremony to mark the opening of Raleigh's newest stretch of greenway will take place later this month, and the city is looking for volunteers to help clean up the nearby stream beforehand.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, at 5 p.m., the city's Parks and Recreation Department will hold a dedication ceremony for the new Little Rock Greenway at the trail's entrance across from the Walnut Creek Wetland Center at 950 Peterson St. in Southeast Raleigh. This section of the greenway runs between Walnut Creek near the intersection of State and Peterson streets to Chavis Park.

The city is looking for volunteers to help clean up the greenway's adjacent stream -- a tributary of Walnut Creek -- before the dedication ceremony. The cleanup will take place on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon; volunteers are asked to meet at the Walnut Creek Wetland Center. If interested in volunteering, call Cindy Trumbower at 996-3292.

12/23/2011

WakeUP, an organization that advocates for sustainable development in Wake County, N.C., will hold a free public forum on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Raleigh's McKimmon Center to discuss pollution in Falls Lake, the main source of drinking water for Raleigh and Eastern Wake communities.

The forum comes as an important rule-making process is underway to clean up the lake, which is currently listed among the state's impaired waters due in large part to pollution caused by runoff from development.

Among the people scheduled to speak are state Rep. Jennifer Weiss, water pollution expert Dr. JoAnn Burkholder of N.C. State University, Raleigh's Assistant Public Utilities Director Kenneth Waldroup, and Environment NC Director Elizabeth Ouzts. For more details and to register, click here.

(Photo of Falls Lake by Sue Sturgis)

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Star Sightings at Selwyn Pub
12/23/2011

Restaurant Traffic spotted NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson and former NFL star and now current ESPN analyst Jason Seahorn enjoying a night out on the town this past Thursday at Selwyn Avenue Pub in Myers Park. We were up there for … Continue reading →

Natty Greene’s Introduces its Seasonal Brew
12/23/2011

Natty Greene's was in town last week to debut its new seasonal beer, the Red Nose Winter Ale. Natty Greene's has two brew pubs in North Carolina. One in Greensboro and the other one in Raleigh. They have a brewery … Continue reading →