Take Action!
Make your voice heard!
Your voice can make a difference in the fight to stop pollution. Sound Rivers’ Action Alerts are set up to make it super-easy for you to weigh in on what matters to you. Since here, we already know you care about the health of your waterways — waterways that belong to YOU, not polluters. Here’s an opportunity to make your voice heard, whether you’re weighing in on permit being considered, ineffective regulations contributing to pollution or legislation that will codify harms to your waterways into law.
Sound Rivers’ Action Alerts are pre-written, but you can always add your own comments to the draft message, or even delete the draft message altogether and make it wholly your own. All that’s needed is your name and email address (occasionally, an Action Alert will ask for your physical address, solely to identify which elected official your email will be sent to).
If Sound Rivers has not created an Action Alert for any listing below, contact and other relevant information is available.
DEFEND CLEAN WATER ACT SECTION 401 | Deadline Feb. 17
On Jan. 13, the EPA announced a new proposal to drastically narrow protections offered under the federal Clean Water Act Section 401 permitting process. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act is one of the most powerful and effective tools that communities have to protect water quality and serve as a critical safeguard against pollution from massive infrastructure projects that threaten waterways communities depend on for drinking, fishing, swimming, farming and cultural practices. The proposed changes were driven largely by oil, gas, mining and other industrial interests seeking to fast-track projects and bypass local opposition. If passed, this rule would significantly curtail states’ authority to protect their water resources from polluting projects.
Public comment period ends Feb. 17.
How to Submit Comments
Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929
Preferred Method: Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov. Comments must reference Docket ID No.EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929 and may be submitted online via Regulations.gov.
Email: OW-Docket@epa.gov (include Docket ID in subject line)
More information here: Federal Register :: Updating the Water Quality Certification Regulations
COMMENT ON DURHAM’S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE DRAFT | Special meeting Feb. 24
The City of Durham is currently updating its Unified Development Ordinance, which is the legally binding set of rules that regulate how land use and development happens. This ordinance is now at the adoption process, which will begin several months of public hearings and community input opportunities!
The Planning Commission will hold the first public hearing at a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers on the Ground Floor of City Hall (101 City Hall Plaza). It is anticipated that the Planning Commission will also discuss and make a recommendation on this project at their Tuesday, March 10, meeting.
Review the full proposed ordinance and plan to attend an upcoming public hearing!
EPA RULE CHANGE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE RECORDS REQUESTS | Deadline Feb. 26
On Jan. 27, the EPA announced a rule change to rollback its its commitment to expedited return timelines for federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) public records requests submitted by Environmental Justice communities. This would remove a 2023 rule that the EPA adopted to prioritize the return of public information requests coming from EJ communities, to ensure that those communities got timely responses to necessary public information. This rollback is a direct response to Trump’s Executive Order 14151, which called for the termination of all DEI programs. The 30-day comment period closes on Feb. 26. More information about the rule change and comment opportunity can be found here: Federal Register :: Freedom of Information Act Regulations Update
EDGECOMBE COUNTY DATA CENTER COMMUNITY INPUT SURVEY
Edgecombe County is gathering community input to better understand concerns related to data center development and to help inform both current project review and potential updates to local development standards. This survey is for Edgecombe County residents and is anonymous. There are no right or wrong answers. Input will be reviewed and summarized for County leadership and the Board of Commissioners as part of an ongoing evaluation process.
Edgecombe County Data Center Community Input Survey
SOUTHEAST DURHAM WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The City of Durham is accepting applications to join a stakeholder advisory group to give input on the Southeast Durham Watershed Improvement Plan, which includes Lick Creek, Brier Creek and Stirrup Iron Creek.
Apply for the advisory group here.
FARMVILLE, HAVELOCK WASTEWATER DISCHARGE PERMITS | Deadline Feb. 10
Two National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Wastewater Treatment Plant discharge permits are up for public review for the cities of Farmville and Havelock. Comments are due Feb. 10 for both permits.
Comment on the Farmville permit here.
Comment on the Havelock permit here.