CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— The Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of MountainTrue and the Center for Biological Diversity today warned Horizon 30, LLC, the owner of an illegal mining site, to stop polluting the Nolichucky River and its tributaries with sediment and other toxic mining wastes or face a lawsuit for these violations under the Clean Water Act.

This pollution is causing severe harm to the Nolichucky River in North Carolina’s Mitchell County near Poplar.

“Horizon 30 came to North Carolina, destroyed a mountainside, took what they wanted and left a mess. Now, North Carolinians are stuck paying the price for the unlawful pollution that continues to harm North Carolina's Nolichucky River Gorge,” said Jamie Whitlock, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. “If the company and the owners of the mine site don’t clean up their mess, legal action will be necessary to protect this important area from additional harmful pollution.”

Illegal discharges of sediment and mining waste are continuing to pollute the river and adjacent waterbodies. Drainage from the site and unstable, bare slopes threaten more erosion and potential landslides in an area still recovering from Hurricane Helene's devastation.

Although ordered to reclaim the site, the mining operator, Horizon 30, LLC, largely abandoned it, leaving large areas without erosion or sedimentation control measures. At one location, sediment discharged from the unstable mine site has created a sediment bar extending nearly 70 feet into the Nolichucky River.

“Seeing sediment and waste pollute the Nolichucky River is heartbreaking,” said Anna Alsobrook, French Broad riverkeeper at MountainTrue. “Pollution has no place in the beautiful Nolichucky River Gorge which is enjoyed by locals and paddlers from across the United States.”

Horizon 30, LLC, began mining illegally without state permits. In August 2025 a court order shut down the illegal mine, forcing the company to stop after they ignored multiple notices of violation over several months. However, pollution from the mine continues to harm water quality and aquatic life.

“The Nolichucky River is a national treasure and we won't let an illegal mine tarnish it,” said Will Harlan, Southeast director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Pollution from this destructive mine is threatening the river, its unique wildlife and the drinking water and health of surrounding communities.”

At nearly 2,000 feet deep, the Nolichucky River Gorge is one of the deepest gorges east of the Mississippi that supports a thriving paddling scene, including a commercial rafting industry worth more than $14 million per year. It is a refuge for rare and threatened species like the cryptic Eastern hellbender and the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel. The watershed’s clean, clear waters provide an important drinking water source for downstream communities like Erwin, Tennessee.

A 60-day notice of intent to sue is required under the Clean Water Act.