BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE
PO Box 88 ~ Glendale Springs, North Carolina 28629 ~ Phone (336) 982-2691 ~ Fax (336) 982-2954 ~ Email: BREDL@skybest.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2009

CONTACTS:
David Mickey 336-624-2412
Sam Tesh 336-366-2980

LEAGUE URGES DUKE SHAREHOLDERS TO
REJECT POULTRY LITTER INCINERATION

Today at Duke Energy’s annual meeting in Charlotte, members of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League asked shareholders to question the company about electricity from poultry waste. The group distributed a handout describing poultry litter as dirtier than coal, more expensive than wind, and litter incineration as an economic threat to farmers.

“Renewable energy in North Carolina must make sense both for the environment and the economy. Burning poultry litter, as Fibrowatt proposes to do in North Carolina, does neither,” said David Mickey, Zero Waste Coordinator for the League. “With poultry litter in the renewable energy pie, the slices for clean energy from wind and solar is smaller. Everyone would pay more for dirtier energy while a valuable fertilizer resource for farmers goes up in smoke. That’s just not in the public interest,” he added.

Under North Carolina’s renewable portfolio standard, the state’s utilities are required to use poultry litter as a renewable energy resource unless the NC Utility Commission finds that it is not in the public interest. The League has questioned the emissions that can be permitted and still meet North Carolina’s emissions limits. A report released Wednesday, “Poultry Manure Incineration Toxic Air Pollution Impacts”, found several air toxics that were far above the state’s acceptable levels.

The League’s public education campaign continues next week with forums in Surry County and Montgomery County, where Fibrowatt has announced plans to build incinerators. Stephen Lester from the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, an internationally recognized expert on waste incineration, will be the featured speaker.

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More info: BREDL May 7 Handout at Duke Energy meeting | BREDL May 6 Press Release on Report | BREDL Modeling Report | May 11 Forum Flyer