The primary environmental pollution issues identified by Butler (2006) as negatively impacting upon the community of Whiteville, North Carolina, include the absence of any recycling program, limited participation in the $15/month trash pick-up program of the city, home trash burning, litter, the use of energy sources for home heating (e.g., kerosene and wood), and the inability of many residents to pay for natural gas for home heating. Many residents rely upon wood-burning fireplaces or stoves for home heating, creating second-hand smoke hazards as well as adding to the emissions of carbon dioxide that are further expanded by trash burning. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the community has a substantial number of poor families who cannot afford natural gas heat (or the fee for trash pickup) and who may not receive energy assistance subsidies form the state. As Butler (2006) describes it, the primary sources of air pollution in the community are households rather than industrial complexes or businesses.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2006) has called for communities to fund the use of renewable energy sources and fuels. In the case of Whiteville, the community government should take steps to make low-cost natural gas available for home heating to reduce emissions from burning wood and kerosene. Additionally, the government should explore recycling programs, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2006) calls a vital necessity in reducing air and water pollution and which should be an integral part of city services. The EPA (2006) recommends that communities contract with private sector recyclers to provide these services at low or no cost to residents. The EPA (2005) also argues in favor of instituting a community-based pollution control plan that addresses issues related to emission control, protection of groundwater resources, and so forth.
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