An illegal mine is polluting an NC river already ravaged by Helene. What to know
An unpermitted mining operation along the Nolichucky River in Mitchell County has been sending sediment — possibly containing toxic heavy metals — into the waterway, which was already devastated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. State regulators repeatedly ordered the mine to stop, but operators ignored them for months.
FULL STORY: Helene ravaged NC’s Nolichucky River, now an illegal mine is polluting it
Here are key takeaways:
• The mine never had a permit. Horizon 30 LLC began blasting and hauling rock in late January or early February 2025 without ever applying for a mining permit or filing a required reclamation plan with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
• Operators defied repeated state orders to stop. DEQ told the mine to cease operations multiple times between February and August 2025. The CEO, Brent Fernandes, told inspectors to just “fine him the $5,000 a day” for operating without a permit.
• The mine grew rapidly. The operation expanded from about 4 acres in February 2025 to as much as 30 acres of the 50-acre site by August 2025, when a court issued a preliminary injunction.
• Sediment is flowing into the Nolichucky River. Inspections found sediment — possibly containing toxic heavy metals — running into the river directly and through drainage pipes, forming an island reaching nearly halfway across the river.
• The river supports rare wildlife and local economies. The 115-mile Nolichucky provides habitat for the endangered Appalachian Elktoe mussel and the Eastern Hellbender, supplies drinking water for downstream communities and supports river guides and outfitters.
• A lawsuit may be coming. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a notice of intent to sue the operators under the federal Clean Water Act in February 2026, seeking penalties of up to $68,445 per day for each violation.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by N&O editor Dave Hendrickson. The original story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by The News & Observer’s Martha Quillin.