The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (“Division”) has denied a mining permit application from Horizon 30 LLC in accordance with the North Carolina Mining Act of 1971.  

On August 13, 2025, a Watauga Superior Court judge found Horizon 30 was operating an unpermitted mine in violation of the Mining Act and issued a preliminary injunction ordering the company to immediately cease mining and complete reclamation of the mine site. Subsequently, the Division denied the permit application pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 74-51(d)(7).

Prior to the court order, the company was operating without a valid permit on an approximately 50-acre site, with the actual area of the mine excavation covering approximately 23 acres. The Division’s staff continue to closely monitor the reclamation activities at the site to ensure the operator takes the required steps to bring the site back into compliance.

More information regarding Horizon 30’s application, the Division's documentation regarding Horizon 30, information about the public hearing that was held in July and information regarding the permit denial can be found on the DEQ website.