Celeste Gracia
Environment ReporterCeleste Gracia has been at ¼ª²ÊÍøÍøÕ¾ since September 2019. She moved over as environment reporter after starting off as morning producer. She's interested in covering several topics within her beat, including climate change and environmental justice.
Celeste graduated from the University of North Texas. She previously interned at CBS News Radio in New York and Morning Edition in Washington D.C.
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Lake Mattamuskeet is the largest natural freshwater lake in North Carolina. The lake has experienced declining water quality for decades, leading to harmful algal blooms. A proposal would address these algal blooms using a chemical treatment. -
The council issued a formal statement saying the chemical companies have disregarded the rights and wellbeing of residents along the lower Cape Fear River in North Carolina. -
The horseshoe crab species is more than 400 million years old. Their population has declined rapidly over the past few decades because of overharvesting and habitat loss. -
The lawsuit filed in federal court argues the proposed Southside timber project violates federal law. The area slated for logging is near the Whitewater River in the Nantahala National Forest. -
A 2021 North Carolina state law requires Duke Energy to reduce its carbon emissions by 70% compared to 2005 levels by 2030, and to be carbon neutral by 2050. Critics say the latest proposed plan relies too heavily on fossil fuels. -
On February 2, 2014, a stormwater pipe underneath the ash basin broke, sending 39,000 tons of coal ash and 27 million gallons of ash pond water into the Dan River. The spill ultimately led to largest coal ash clean up in U.S. history. -
Federal officials will consider adding the site at 828 Martin Luther King Fr. Blvd to the national Superfund program. -
Thousands of Duke Energy customers have gone over 24 hours without power. Durham County is opening an emergency shelter tonight. -
The utility's Customer Assistance Program will give eligible families a $42 monthly credit for a year. It will also refer customers to energy efficiency programs to reduce energy usage and monthly costs. -
Drivers of electric vehicles will have to pay a $180 annual registration fee starting Jan. 1, in addition to other existing charges. Previously, the fee was $140. The newly implemented annual registration fee for plug-in hybrid vehicles is $90.
