Standing Strong: Protecting Our Waters in 2026
Happy New Year to all, forward in strength and solidarity in 2026... every year, with every scary new thing that happens in this country, I'm more and more grateful for those of us fighting the good fight, however we can. Peace and love to you all.
Update on the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP)
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) moved forward and issued the 401 water permit to Transco for SSEP. Press release from NCDEQ here.
You can find the NoSSEP’s coalition press release through the Sierra Club here.
NCDEQ also approved two air permits the project needs to move forward.
Copies of Station 150’s final permit, final permit review, hearing officer’s report, permit application and one-page project fact sheet are available online.
Copies of Station 155’s final permit, final permit review, hearing officer’s report, permit application and one-page project fact sheet
What does this mean? The short answer: the fight isn’t over.
The project will next be reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for ultimate approval. Impacted landowners are still mobilizing and, along with organizations in the NoSSEP coalition, are using “intervenor” status to slow down and stop this project.
While the permits come with some conditions, these are not stringent enough. Organizers and attorneys are reviewing the documents, and I will have more specifics on what these conditions mean and the impacts on our waterways for folks soon.
Many local municipalities that have spoken out against the project can still put out statements and stay involved. Do you live/work/play in Guilford, Forsyth, Greensboro, Davidson, or Midway? Your elected officials expressed concerns for your health and safety!
Do you live in other impacted areas (Rockingham, Iredell, click this link, scroll down, and check out this map for full impacted areas)? Want to voice your frustration and disappointment? Email me at aidan@hawriver.org and I can help you with a letter to the editor and/or comments to local elected officials.
Read this incredible article summarizing our fight against this project by Dr. Crystal Cavelier-Keck and Jeff Robbins.
Upcoming Events to Oppose Fossil Fuels
Mark your calendars:
Learn more about the proposal to extract gas in Lee County for an AI data center, and what you can do to protect your community!
Thurs. Jan 22 at 7pm on ZOOM, Lee Co. Community Meeting: Fracking, Drilling, & Data Centers
Register at bit.ly/nofracklee
Did you know that developers are hoping to drill for gas and power an AI data center in Lee County? The abandoned gas well they want to use is located near the Lee-Chatham county line, south of U.S. Highway 421, close to Cumnock & Sanford, NC. It is unlikely this well will produce any usable amount of gas without hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). Fracking has never been used in North Carolina.
This would pose serious threats to our drinking water wells, the Deep River, and our children’s health. The air pollution from gas drilling or fracking, refining that gas, and burning it 24/7 in gas generators to power a data center would harm local residents’ health. Join Clean Water for North Carolina and other leaders for a virtual community meeting to learn more about this proposal and what you can do to protect your community!
Saturday, February 28th ~ Communities Over Corporate Profits: How We Win!
Last year in October, a coalition of organizations fighting rising energy costs, mobilizing against fossil-fuel projects, and advocating for NC state workers’ rights co-hosted an event titled Communities Over Corporate Profits, where we connected the fight against fossil fuels to ongoing efforts of social justice across our state - it was a huge success!
We began a campaign directly targeting Governor Stein and connected our concerns to the concerns of other communities fighting for justice for the people of our state -
We successfully met with his Environmental Advisor to share our concerns
Mark the date on your calendars for “Part 2: How We Win”! We will have storytellers from North Carolina communities who have successfully fought back against corporations and hear how we as a state are building resiliency in the face of the climate crisis. Join us for some celebration, dreaming of what’s possible when we work in solidarity, and taking action steps to make those dreams reality!
We are surrounded by heavy times as a country. Together, in our corner of the world, we will fight to protect our Haw River and our Haw River community by standing in solidarity efforts for justice for the water and justice for the people. As always, this is Aidan wishing community care, light, and love.
Take care of yourselves and each other,
~ Aidan Loretz (they/them, she/her)