COAL ASH: Emails show North Carolina’s state toxicologist removed his name from water advisory emails after changes, which he dubbed “absolutely unscientifically untrue,” were made reflecting Duke Energy’s position. (Winston-Salem Journal)

ALSO:
• Georgia regulators move to require a waste acceptance plan for ash destined for landfills. (Brunswick News)
• Residents near Belmont, North Carolina voice concerns over the cost of the city’s plan to supply them with water to replace their well water near ash ponds. (WSOC)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join climate advocates this Thursday, August 4 from 12-1 p.m. ET on a webinar to learn about Climate Central’s research on “Global Warming and Sizzling Summers in the Southeast.” RSVP here.***

CLIMATE: A new study projects a collective loss of $17 billion in property values along Florida’s coasts from a two-foot rise in sea levels. (Bloomberg)

BIOMASS:
• Eight environmental organizations challenge the USDA’s support for burning wood pellets for utility-scale power generation. (Southern Environmental Law Center)
• A new study by North Carolina State University researchers and the US Geological Survey finds trade-offs of how harvesting wood for energy impacts wildlife. (Bioenergy Insight)

SOLAR:
• As part of new agreement with Dominion Virginia Power for solar energy systems in Virginia Beach, the Navy moves closer to its goal of generating half of its power from renewable sources by 2020. (Planet Save)
• A non-profit offers a short history of solar energy in Florida. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• The Florida League of Women Voters throws its support behind bulk-purchasing solar co-ops. (Co-operative News)

COAL:
• Current and former miners hail the new dust standard to combat black lung disease while some demand a “zero” standard. (WDTV)
• While the decline softened from the first quarter of 2016, the number of coal jobs in Eastern Kentucky dropped about 6% during the second quarter. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

PIPELINES: The sponsorship of a county fair in Virginia by developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline draws ire from area residents. (WVIR)

UTILITIES: Demand for power by Duke Energy Carolinas customers breaks a nine-year-old summertime record. (Charlotte Business Journal)

POLLUTION: West Virginia moves to shift notices required for new “minor sources” of air pollution from newspapers to a state web site. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

NUCLEAR: Federal inspectors head to a Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant in South Carolina to probe an unexpected buildup of uranium-bearing material. (Nuclear Street)

COMMENTARY:
• A newspaper recommends a yes vote for solar Amendment 4 on the August 30 primary ballot. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Freeing Virginia from burdensome federal energy regulations can make it an economic powerhouse again. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• A review of the new “Fraccidental Death” documentary dives into the debate over fracking. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• Mental health challenges join the economic and environmental impacts of coal’s decline throughout Appalachia. (Fairfield Citizen)