Hurricane Florence data, resources and interview opportunities

Media Releases

Media Contacts

Environment America

As Hurricane Florence bears down on the Southeastern U.S. coast, The Public Interest Network (which includes U.S. PIRGEnvironment AmericaEnvironment Georgia, Environment North Carolina and Frontier Group, among other organizations) is sharing information that will help your readers and viewers contextualize what’s going on with regard to major environmental and health concerns.

  • Data and graphics explaining the threats posed by coal ash are in PDFs here.
  • A fact sheet about nuclear power plants in the path of Florence is here.
  • Materials about hog manure lagoons here.
  • Materials about Superfund sites here.

The following experts are available for more information:

Coal ash sites & hog manure lagoons at factory farms:

John Rumpler[email protected], runs Environment America’s clean water campaign. He directs our work to protect our rivers, lakes, streams, and drinking water. He has co-authored several research reports, including the recent Accidents Waiting to Happen: Coal Ash Ponds Put Our Waterways at Risk. John has also testified before Congress on enforcement of clean water laws. His current efforts include defending the Clean Water Act, curbing pollution from factory farms, and working to “Get the Lead Out” of drinking water.

Nuclear sites:

Tony Dutzik[email protected], is associate director and senior policy analyst with Frontier Group, a public policy think tank, where he has authored dozens of reports on a wide array of topics. His work on nuclear power includes supervising the production of Too Close to Home, which highlighted the risk to drinking water supplies of a Fukushima-type accident in the United States, and contributing to Frontier Group’s response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.

Superfund sites:

Kara Cook-Schultz[email protected], has run U.S. PIRG’s Toxics program since 2016. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, she studied environmental health at University College-Dublin. In 2013, she worked to organize a class action against private pesticide sprayers in Colorado, which led to a precedent-setting injunction against pesticide overspray. Her work to monitor chemical disasters during hurricane season in 2017 put pressure on the EPA to increase Superfund cleanup in emergency areas. She has appeared on CBS This Morning, CBSN, NPR and numerous local news stations, and she has been quoted by The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Associated Press.

Carolinas Impact:

Drew Ball[email protected], is the state director for Environment America’s affiliate Environment North Carolina. In his role, Drew promotes clean air, clean water, clean energy and open spaces in North Carolina. Prior to assuming his current role, Drew served as director of government relations for North Carolina’s Sierra Club.

Georgia Impact:

Jennette Gayer[email protected], is the state director for Environment America’s affiliate Environment Georgia. Jennette coordinates policy development, research, outreach and legislative advocacy. She has run successful campaigns to designate Georgia’s first outstanding national resource water along the headwaters of the Conasauga River, expand parks along the Chattahoochee River and Jekyll Island State Park, and stop construction of three new coal-fired power plants in Georgia, while also advocating for solar policies that have helped make Georgia one of the top 10 states for solar in the country. She serves on the leadership team for the Georgia Water Coalition.