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Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

TVA Settlement Brings Millions to Western NC

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011   

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. - The New Year will bring a small silver lining to the cloud of acid rain that's been falling for years on western North Carolina.

The state has settled its seven-year lawsuit against the Tennessee Valley Authority for air pollution from the agency's coal-fired power plants. Now, the North Carolina Energy Office, the agency dispersing the funds, is meeting with western North Carolina communities to determine how to spend the $11 million settlement that has been awarded to the state.

In addition to the settlement money, says Seth Effron, communications director for the Energy Office, residents will see reduced pollution.

"The TVA is going to embark on cleaning up these facilities and making sure that there is a reduction in the kinds of coal-burning-related pollution."

Western North Carolina will see a little more than $2 million a year for the next five years as a result of the settlement, Effron says. The money could go toward job creation in energy-related fields and finding ways to become more energy efficient.

At meetings held this month, the Energy Office invited community members to offer suggestions for how they'd like to see the money spent. Effron says they heard several examples of how mountain communities already are finding innovative ways to conserve energy.

"People are saying, 'These are the things going on that are helping our communities, and let's look at ways to do even more of these kinds of things.' "

One example, he says, was from Cherokee County, where the school district used more than $800,000 in energy savings to avoid staffing cutbacks and keep 15 teachers in the classroom.


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