FREE AppalachianThe October/November 2015VOICE Are we there yet? The future of transportation is right around the bend — it’s just a matter of getting there. Also Inside: The Urban Coyote | Biking Appalachia’s Rails-to-Trails | Vaughn’s Diesel EDITED TheAppalachianVOICE A note from the executive director Amy Brown is a mother of two living in Belmont, N.C., near a Duke Energy coal-fired power Environmental News From Around the Region A publication of plant and two giant coal ash pits. This spring, the state health department warned her not to use AppalachianVoices her tap water for drinking or cooking because of contamination. The Browns—one of more than 300 households to get such warnings—are now living on bottled water. Read more about their Common Connections: An Appalachian- Bear Population Rises, Human Encounters Follow NC: 171 Grand Blvd., Boone, NC 28607 • 828-262-1500 VA: 812 East High Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 • 434-293-6373 experience on page 17. By W. Spencer King that is habituating them to humans. Other Regional Offices: Knoxville, TN • Norton, VA • Raleigh, NC Romanian Exchange The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Toxins found in coal ash like arsenic and hexavalent chromium can have dangerous health con- According to the N.C. Wildlife like speed dating,” says Melissa Rhodes Agency in Polk County is attempting to AppalachianVoices.org | [email protected] sequences when they leak into water supplies, and a recent study shows the ash can be five times By W. Spencer King Resources Commission, the number of more radioactive than average U.S. soil. of the Clay Center. “People from other address the problem by relocating bears EDITOR ..........................................................JAMIE GOODMAN High school students from different black bears throughout Appalachia has countries and people from [West Vir- to different areas, but officials from the MANAGING EDITOR ............................................ MOLLY MOORE Since the catastrophe in February 2014 that spilled 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River, there’s sides of the world recently took part in more than doubled in the last 20 years, ginia] got onto the site and tried to find agency have found it an inefficient, ASSOCIATE EDITOR .................................... ELIZABETH E. PAYNE been much foot-dragging and finger-pointing by Duke, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural a year-long cultural exchange program and wildlife officials are debating the CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ........................................BRIAN SEWELL similarities … we have a lot in common tedious and arduous process. DISTRIBUTION MANAGER .................................... LAUREN ESSICK Resources (which dubbed itself the Department of Environmental Quality in July), and state lawmakers that involved frequent communication best course of action to deal with rap- with Romania with our folk music, geol- In the mid-1970s, bear sanctuar- EDITORIAL ASSISTANT .................................... W. SPENCER KING in dealing with the massive amounts of coal ash sitting in leaking pits around the state. and highlighted similar folk traditions, idly growing population and ensuing EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ........................................... CHRIS ROBEY ogy and geography.” ies were opened throughout the Ap- But, due largely to public pressure, some progress has been made. A new state law requires the arts and music. human interactions. GRAPHIC DESIGNER .................................... MAGGIE SHERWOOD “[The Romanian people] are very palachian region to protect the then- GRAPHIC DESIGNER ...........................................HALEY ROGERS cleanup of four high-threat sites, and this fall, Duke proposed cleaning up three additional sites. In fall 2014, four Romanian stu- The issue rests in the delicate eco- proud of their heritage and their his- shrinking bear population. The decline MARKETING ASSISTANT ..................................... ANDREW TARLEY dents visited Wahama High School in logical balance that has been disrupted So it was an Orwellian turn of events when DEQ—the very entity entrusted with defending tory,” she says. “Tradition is very was the result of overhunting, a practice public health and the environment from pollution—asked the courts to block Duke’s plan. Fortu- Mason, W.Va., for two weeks, explor- in the last 40 years due to strict hunting DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS: Alison Auciello, Karen Austin-Clayton, Debbie important to them, and they’re very that erased the native wolves, panthers, ing the connections between traditional regulations and habitat destruction. Bahr, Heather Baker, Becky Barlow, Aaron Barr, Shawn Becker, Bob Belton, Blue nately, the courts rejected that request. family oriented just like we are here in buffalo and elk, which were all once Ridge Mountain Sports, Blue Smoke Coffee, Charlie Bowles, Lynn Brammer, Ben Romanian folk music and music from Access to unprotected trash cans and Then, in a September 29 press release, DEQ cast itself as a tough enforcer West Virginia.” prominent big game species in southern Bristoll, Steve Brooks, Teri Crawford Brown, Derek Burke, Sarah Smith Caskey, Appalachia. The students found that litter entices bears to come closer to Charlie Chakales, Kim and Shay Clanton, Patty Clemens, Darlene Cunningham, in announcing a settlement with Duke over groundwater contamination at “You go to another country and and central Appalachia. both cultures share a history of coal civilization more frequently, and as Sister Beth Davies, Deborah Deatherage, Bill Elliott, Jakob Elliott, Nels Erickson, all of the company’s North Carolina coal plants. In reality, however, the deal expect things to be really different,” Yet increased hunting is among the Lara Foster, Frank Frey, Charles Garratt, Dave Gilliam, Scott Goebel, Amelia mining, and the music from both areas bears become more comfortable with results in lower fines and a promise to essentially not take enforcement action says Jamie Adamik of the Clay Center. proposed solutions, and North Carolina Golcheski, Lisa Goodpaster, Bruce Gould, Gary Greer, Jed Grubbs, Bill Harris, Susan reflects themes of wages, labor and entering human spaces, the risk of hu- Hazlewood, Sharon Helt, Tim Huntley, Pamela Johnston, Mary K., Denny Keeney, against Duke for any past, present or future contamination at any of its sites. “But when you get there you realize that wildlife officials are tentatively debat- class. man harm increases. Allison Keith, Rose Koontz, Frances Lamberts, Susan Lewis, Loy Lilley, Aaron Linas, With citizens like Amy Brown very much in mind, and in our hearts, everybody there are people just like us, ing increasing the bag limit for bears Debra Locher, Joy Lourie, Diane Lucas, Gail Marney, Mast General Store, Pamela This past spring, four students from Biologists in the Smoky Mountains Appalachian Voices and many others will keep the pressure on DEQ, and teachers, students, we got to visit their from one to two. The goal is to manage Maynard, Kathy McClory, Kim Greene McClure, Rich McDonough, Mike McKinney, Wahama High School traveled to Anina in eastern Tennessee have placed GPS Steve Moeller, Nick Mullins, Catherine Murray, Don O’Dell, Rob Osborne, Eva Duke, to step up to the plate and fix this problem once and for all. homes and see where they lived.” the population without sending it back in Gorj County, Romania, to spend two tracking collars on a number of bears to Perkins, Patti Phelps, Rick Phelps, Bronwyn Reece, Martin Richards, Carol Rollman, For the mountains, The students and teachers remain into a declining trend, which officials Kristin Rouse, Jenny Rytel, Debbie Samuels, Steve Scarborough, Gerry and Joe weeks learning about Romanian cus- study their movements, hoping to dis- in contact through email, Facebook and hope to achieve through careful obser- Scardo, Frank Schaller, Kathy Selvage, Brenda Sigmon, Lucy Spencer, Jennifer toms and heritage, and to share some of cover where bears might be getting food Stertzer, Jim Stockwell, Robert Thompson, Derrick Von Kundra, Bill Wasserman, letters. The Clay Center is working on their own Appalachian culture. vation and planning. Dean Whitworth, Amy Wickham, Graham Williams, Barbara Williamson, Diana Tom Cormons, Executive Director a grant that, if approved, will continue Withen, Gabrielle Zeiger, Ray Zimmerman The Clay Center in Mason received the project with new schools from West ® a grant that paired them with museums The Spice & Tea Exchange Virginia and Romania. from around the world. “It was sort of GET INVOLVED environmental & cultural events See more at appvoices.org/calendar Southwest Virginia’s New tional State Forest, Hendersonville, N.C. Call by Oct. 30. Staunton Public Library, Staunton, Outdoor Family Adventure Salamanders Under Threat from Deadly Fungus Economy Forums 828-692-0100 or visit www.eenorthcarolina.org Va. Call (434) 971-1553 or visit wildvirginia.org Nov. 27-28, 10 a.m-9 p.m.: Family-friendly ac- In a regional study led by biologist out is expected. The southern Appala- Oct. 12-20, 6-8 p.m.: Discuss the future of Elk Viewing Tour Star Party tivities include hiking, archery, birding, storytell- Vance Vredenburg, the Southeast was chians would be especially vulnerable Southwest Virginia’s economy! Share your ing and astronomy. Contact park for a detailed Nov. 7, 3-7 p.m. Come observe the majestic Nov. 14, 5 p.m.: Come view the night sky listed as vulnerable to a fungal infec- as their cool, wet environments host thoughts at one of eight community forums schedule. Free.