The North Carolina Department of Justice and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality have filed new court documents in their ongoing complaint against the Horizon 30 mining operation in Poplar.
The Horizon 30 company, a quickly-assembled mining venture began illegal quarry work at the Carter Mine site in Mitchell County following Hurricane Helene, agreed to stop work and begin repairing the damaged landscape at the site in August 2026.
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene (downgraded to a tropical storm after slowing down over land) caused extensive damage to the CSX rail line that runs along the North Toe and Nolichucky rivers. Because of this, there was a sudden market for fill rock to repair the rail bed. Horizon 30 began quarrying fill rock soon after the hurricane struck the region.
In August 2025, a Watauga County Superior Court judge found that Horizon 30’s operations were a violation of the Mining Act, and the mine was ordered to cease and desist mining operations, as well as to put together a plan for land reclamation and seek approval for that plan.
However, according to a DEQ release, DEQ has conducted multiple inspections of the site since then and has found that the reclamation efforts are unsuccessful. Because of this failed attempt at restoring the land, sediment is leaking into both the Nolichucky River and Hollow Poplar Creek.
“The Horizon 30 mine continues to violate the Mining Act, causing significant damage to the site and nearby waterways, including the Nolichucky River,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson.
In light of this, DEQ and NCDOJ filed a supplemental complaint and motion for preliminary and permanent injunctive relief. This injunctive relief does not include monetary penalties.
In addition to state complaints, Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of MountainTrue and the Center for Biological Diversity, is threatening a federal lawsuit against Horizon 30 under the Clean Water Act.
“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.”
According to the Southern Environmental Law Center, in spite of promises to pursue reclamation of the damaged land, Horizon 30 has essentially abandoned the quarry site.
“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.”