Links | Exchange Project

The following links are to organizations that have an influence over local environments in North Carolina and the health of people living in those environments. The descriptions for each organization are the mission and promotional statements from their own websites.

North Carolina Organizations Concerned about Environmental Justice

North Carolina Environmental Justice Network strives to promote health and environmental equality for all people of North Carolina through community action for clean industry, safe work places, and fair access to all human and natural resources.

North Carolina Fair Share is a statewide, membership, multi-issue advocacy organization that works to promote political participation and empowerment of low income people for a fairer North Carolina.

West End Revitalization Assocation (WERA) is the first and only community development corporation (CDC) located in Alamance County, NC. WERA services residents, homeowners, and landowners of five African American communities in both Alamance and Orange Counties. The organization also focuses on community-based environmental protection.

Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP) is a non-profit legal group dedicated to the preservation of the family farm. It is one of the few non-profit law firms that makes environmental justice cases a priority. LLPP maintains a seat on the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Concerned Citizens of Tillery (CCT) strives to promote and improve the social, economic, and educational welfare of the citizens of Tillery, NC and the surrounding community area. CCT focuses on the self-development of its members to promote positive social change not only in the Tillery Community and Halifax County, but across the state, nation and the world.

North Carolina Conservation Network is a statewide organization of over 120 environmental, community, and environmental justice organizations focused on protecting North Carolina’s environment and public health.

Organizations Concerned about Environmental Health Issues

NC Chapter of Sierra Club was formed in 1970 and currently has 19,000 members and 13 local groups across the state. The chapter has worked to pass groundbreaking environmental legislation from the local to national levels. (Check out their Issues links.)

Environment North Carolina focuses exclusively on protecting North Carolina’s air, water and open spaces. They speak out and take action at the local, state and national levels to improve the quality of our environment and our lives.

Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) is a regional, community-based, non-profit environmental organization. Our founding principles are earth stewardship, environmental democracy, social justice, and community empowerment.

Netcentric Campaigns (formerly Green Media Toolshed) is building and strengthening the communications infrastructure for the environmental movement. Their Scorecard website allows anyone to investigate reported pollution data for local industries in their area.

Organizations Concerned about the Science of Environmental Health

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. They provide policy information and downloadable reports, such as the PEW Environmental Health Commission report (2000).

Union of Concerned Scientists works to ensure that all people have clean air and energy, as well as safe and sufficient food. Specifically you may want to read their “media guide” for scientists or join their “sound science initiative.” Use the search engine on their main page to find these sources.

Center for Science in the Public Interest has been a strong advocate since 1971 for nutrition and health, food safety, alcohol policy, and sound science.

UNC Environmental Resource Program is the outreach and public service unit of the Carolina Environmental Program. The mission is to promote environmental stewardship and public health through education, research, and community service. They have links to additional programs at UNC, such as the Superfund Research Program and the Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility.

Government Agencies working on Environmental Health Issues

NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is charged with stewarding the natural resources in our state. Specific divisions that may be useful include: Air Quality, Water Quality, and Environmental Health.

NC Division of Public Health (DPH) is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The State Health Director is the lead official within the division. The website includes links to local health departments and local boards of health. The Epidemiology branch provides “Epi Notes” (button near the bottom of their website) and also provides useful information about environmental contaminants.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a federal governmental agency charged with protecting human health and the environment. It was established in 1970.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal governmental agency, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), charged with serving the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.

Organizations Concerned about the Legal Protection of the Environment

Southern Environmental Law Center is the largest environmental organization in the Southeast. They use the full power of the law to conserve clean water, healthy air, wild lands, and livable communities throughout that region.

Environmental Defense Fund is a national organization that links science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society’s most urgent environmental problems.

Organizations Working for Environmentally-Regulated Industry and Farms

Waste Industries USA, Inc. seeks to provide its customers with responsive, cost effective and environmentally sound solutions to their solid waste disposal and recycling needs. They currently operate more than 40 collection operations in the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia. They are a recognized leader in the industry and continue to be one of the fastest growing Waste and Recycling service companies in the Southeast.

North Carolina Pork Council seeks to foster, enhance and improve the capabilities of all those associated with pork in North Carolina. Their efforts are centered around five primary categories: promotion, consumer information, research, producer education, public policy and funding sources.

American Petroleum Institute is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our 400 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry. They are producers, refiners, suppliers, pipeline operators and marine transporters, as well as service and supply companies that support all segments of the industry.

American Chemistry Council was founded in 1872 and represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry, including significant business groups such as the Plastics Division and the Chlorine Chemistry Division.

Case Studies by other groups

The University of Michigan offers a course entitled “Environmental Justice: Domestic and International.” Students who take the course must write a case study on a grassroots struggle for environmental justice anywhere in the world. A sample of the best case studies can be found on their website.

Our Funder

The Exchange Project is made possible thanks to the support of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The vision of NIEHS is to prevent disease and improve human health by using environmental sciences to understand human biology and human disease.