North Carolina

Waste Disposal

In the 1970s, blighting of this state occurred in the form of toxic waste dumping along the highways of Warren County. This illegal positing of waste on the highways of the state led to jail time for the perpetrators Robert J. Burns and Robert Earl Ward of Raleigh-based Ward Transfer Company and growing concern over the locations of landfills and poisonous waste as a matter of economic justice for African Americans and poor people in the state. Governor James B. Hunt settled the waste dilemma by directing the toxic waste dump site to Afton in Warren County, North Carolina. With waste landfill siting in Rowan County, the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) movement began to take hold, and the location of waste dumps and waste management became such a large concern that the National Waste Management site came to Raleigh's North Carolina State University in 2003.

Highway cleanups and legislation to prevent littering came about to maintain the image of the state as a visitor-friendly and clean place to live. In the 21st century, many communities have mandatory recycling and waste regulations to cut down on unsightly and unhealthy waste. On a given day, one might see dark green or brown 30-gallon garbage pails on wheels at curbside next to an environmentally green tub for plastics and another for paper. The recycling movement has been instrumental in lessening some of the massive amounts of waste at local landfills. These landfills are a matter of concern in the development of cities and the capital city as well because property values depreciate based on proximity to odorous and unsightly garbage dumps. These waste dumps and wetlands still pose problems to the environment and to the economy of the state.

Legislation

Paper milling and logging have been critical to North Carolina's economy but have had a negative impact on the environment. For example, temperature fluctuations caused by water discharges into rivers from the paper mills can cause severe fish kills.

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