DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 5, 2025 — Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ), the Duke Environmental Legislation and Plan Facility (ELPC), and the Southern Environmental Law Facility (SELC) sent a joint public comment letter to the N.C. Department of Water Resources, urging stronger securities in the National Toxin Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit revival for the former Alcoa Badin Works center.
Alcoa– initially the Aluminum Company of America– bought the community of Badin in 1916 and operated a light weight aluminum smelter there up until 2010 The smelting procedure produced hazardous waste that was hidden in open pits on-site and throughout the nearby West Badin community. For years, West Badin’s primarily African American locals have actually borne the burden of this contamination.
Due to the fact that the site continues to discharge toxins right into bordering water bodies, Alcoa is required to preserve an energetic NPDES authorization controling wastewater and stormwater releases. The groups’ letter calls for important renovations to ensure that the authorization effectively secures public wellness and the atmosphere.
“The Division of Atmosphere and Natural Resources (NC DEQ) should reinforce the draft permit via several essential improvements,” the remark letter states. “Amongst their recommendations was the immediate require the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the Department of Waste Monitoring (DWM) to interact since pollution from the center remains to spread out into the neighborhood and local water bodies at a disconcerting price. Planning and acting are needed to address the ongoing air pollution problem.
Review complete comment letter below.
At the August 19, 2025, public hearing, SCSJ Environmental Justice Attorney Aiswarya Murali urged the NC DEQ to produce an openly obtainable dashboard incorporating Source Conservation and Healing Act (RCRA) and NPDES data. Such a tool would give West Badin family members real-time cautions, plain-language guidance, and verifiable proof that pollution is being reduced in time.
“The North Carolina Environmental Justice Network sees this degree of transparency as one of one of the most crucial renovations DEQ can make to win back the trust fund of the West Badin area as they face out of proportion threats from heritage contamination,” Murali claimed.
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Southern Coalition for Social Justice, established in 2007, partners with neighborhoods of color and financially disadvantaged communities in the South to safeguard and advance their political, social, and financial civil liberties with the combination of lawful advocacy, research, organizing, and interactions. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work with Facebook , Instagram, and LinkedIn