Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only - not the street or sidewalk.
Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
Purchase "Green Power" for your home's electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.)
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Environmental groups are fighting an air quality permit awarded to Duke Energy for a $2.4 billion coal-fired power plant in southern Rutherford County.
A coalition of environmental groups wants regulators to re-examine the permit. They say a recent federal court ruling makes the permit illegal because the plant will discharged mercury at a rate ten times higher than the Clean Air Act allows.
Southern Environmental Law Center attorney John Suttles says if the Division of Air Quality refuses to reconsider, the group might sue to stop construction. Work started at the site in January.
The permit allows Duke to discharge up to 100 pounds of mercury a year.
Duke spokeswoman Marilyn Lineberger says she's not surprised by the request and says Duke will continue building.
