Residents in Poplar, North Carolina, are demanding action against what they say is an illegal mining operation polluting the Nolichucky River and sending dust into the air for nearly a year while the community rebuilds from Hurricane Helene.
Locals are traveling to Boone on Monday for a court hearing that will determine whether the Horizon 30, LLC mine can be shut down or face civil or criminal penalties, according to Fox News.
On Friday, the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) announced it found the mining at Carter Quarry in Mitchell County to be unauthorized and in violation of state mining laws.
The North Carolina Justice Department is seeking a criminal injunction. State officials say Horizon 30 has continued mining for months without proper permits, despite repeated warnings.
“This mine is so detrimental to the area,” said Tessa Sharp, who lives nearby with her Navy veteran husband, Leo Sharp.
Residents contrasted Horizon 30 with Sibelco North America Inc., which operates a permitted quartz mine in Spruce Pine, employs locals, and contributes to the economy. They say Horizon 30 arrived after Helene to exploit weakened oversight.
“They’re trying to see what they can get away with so that they can take advantage of an area that’s still recovering,” Sharp said. She and her husband say 13 of their 14 rabbits have died from respiratory issues caused by dust.
Leo Sharp said the hurricane destroyed part of their home, forcing them to live in a tent, then with family for 10 months before returning. “This is a community that’s been hurt… it just needs to stop, and it needs to go away.”
Cody Johnson, an Army veteran, said “massive plumes” of silica dust rise near homes where children live. He accused Horizon 30 of coming “under the guise of emergency protocols” meant for railroad repairs. “Get out of North Carolina. We don’t want you here.”
Horizon 30, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, argued in a May letter to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that it relied on “emergency permits, authorizations, waivers… including those in support of the America First initiative and energy independence.”
CFO Sean Chipman claimed the company took “corrective measures” and wanted a “good and productive relationship” with the state.
Residents say Horizon 30 hasn’t hired locals and that license plates on-site are from Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, and Arizona. Sharp said DEQ told the community: “Other than serving cease and desist and sending these cases to the DOJ and Supreme Court, there’s nothing… to stop them.”
The Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) says Horizon 30 has mined since December without a permit despite multiple warnings and inspections. Parts of a permit application were submitted but remain incomplete, leaving the company out of compliance with the Mining Act.
Johnson said wildlife deaths have been noticed, and Leo Sharp provided drone footage showing heavy machinery operating this month.
State labor officials said the illegal mining was uncovered when the Mine Safety and Health Administration requested miner safety training at the site. During that visit, a state inspector found “multiple irregularities” and questioned whether the operation had a permit; Horizon 30 couldn’t provide one.
“This is exactly why I’ve made it a priority to support and empower our field staff,” Labor Commissioner Luke Farley said. “If our staff hadn’t gone above and beyond… this illegal operation could have continued unnoticed – putting lives at risk and undermining public trust in our regulatory system.”
