Liz McLaughlin

Raleigh

Freelance Correspondent at NBC News

Climate Change Reporter at WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)

Correspondent, Storyteller @nbcolympics @nbcnews @msnbc @nbcnewsnow | Climate Change and #PFAS Reporter @wral | Current pug mom, former roller derby skater

Articles

Faith, fundraising and federal help: Churches are turning to solar energy

5 days ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

Churches, synagogues and mosques across the country are increasingly turning to solar energy to lower power bills and reduce their environmental impact. Federal incentives passed in recent years have opened the door for more nonprofit organizations to install solar panels, including faith communities that were previously shut out of tax credit programs. But for some, including a small congregation in Greensboro, North Carolina, the process hasn’t been easy.
‘A wish list for polluters’: Critics slam NC’s PFAS plan

1 week ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

Frustrated residents filled a regulatory meeting Tuesday, calling out a draft PFAS plan they say protects polluters, not people. Instead of voting, members of the Environmental Management Commission’s Water Quality Committee postponed action, again, citing the need for further fiscal review. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals used in nonstick cookware, firefighting foam and water-resistant products.
Toxic PFAS detected in groundwater around NC landfills

1 week ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

New data from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality shows PFAS “forever chemicals” are turning up in groundwater around landfills across the state, sometimes at levels thousands of times higher than the federal drinking water limit. “There are some high observations,” said Adam Ulishney, deputy director with the Division of Waste Management, during a presentation to the state’s Environmental Management Commission on Tuesday.
Study finds toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in beer

1 week ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

A new study is raising fresh concerns about the safety of everyday beverages, revealing that toxic chemicals commonly found in drinking water are also turning up in beer. Researchers at RTI International found that many popular beers sold in the U.S. contain detectable levels of PFAS, a group of toxic compounds often called “forever chemicals” because they don't break down easily in the environment or the human body.
Chemours and PAC donations to Republican lawmakers raise concerns in PFAS-hit communities

2 weeks ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

A series of campaign contributions from Chemours and its affiliated political action committee is drawing criticism from residents living near the company’s Fayetteville Works facility and others impacted by PFAS contamination across North Carolina. Chemours, a spinoff of chemical giant DuPont, manufactures PFAS compounds — a class of synthetic chemicals often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily.
‘It’s only going to get worse’: Wildfire risk grows in western North Carolina

3 weeks ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

Matthew Rogers had just made his final mortgage payment on the cabin he bought 30 years ago in Flat Rock when a wildfire tore through the property, turning a lifetime of memories into ashes. “Everything is gone... it’s just so hard to see it,” Rogers said. “I still do a little bit of crying every day.”His home, known affectionately as the "Cabin of Hope," was one of nearly a dozen lost this spring in a wave of wildfires across western North Carolina.
Blue Ridge Parkway hiker’s death raises concerns over ranger staffing

3 weeks ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

A hiker’s recent death along the Blue Ridge Parkway is raising new concerns about staffing shortfalls and public safety on one of the country’s most visited national park units. Jie Huang, 40, of Plymouth, North Carolina, died April 18 after falling into water near the Boone Fork Trail, a popular but rugged route near Julian Price Park. Emergency crews responded to the scene that afternoon but were unable to revive him, according to the National Park Service.
From fast fashion to thrift: Tariffs prompt a shopping shift

3 weeks ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

Fast fashion retailers have exploded in popularity by offering low prices and fast delivery, much of it directly from China. That model is now facing a major shake-up. A new round of tariffs and trade policy changes are poised to raise the cost of many imports. Both Shein and Temu announced they will increase prices for U.S. shoppers beginning April 25, citing rising operating expenses and new restrictions on international shipping.
Debris from Hurricane Helene provides fuel for spring wildfires

3 weeks ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

A wildfire burning in McDowell County has grown to 856 acres as emergency crews from across the country work to contain flames in rugged, storm-damaged terrain near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Bee Rock Creek Fire remains 10% contained as of Friday, according to fire officials. The fire, which began Tuesday, is burning through steep mountain slopes covered in downed trees and debris left behind by Hurricane Helene.
Students, residents protest UNC coal plant

1 month ago | wral.com | Liz McLaughlin

Dozens of students and Chapel Hill residents marched Monday afternoon, calling on the University of North Carolina to stop burning coal at its campus cogeneration plant, citing public health risks, environmental injustice and broken climate promises.