Aired on May 10, 2026

• Water & Air Quality, Noise Pollution

Data centers in North Carolina have been described as the new “hog farms”. In the 90s, hog farms in NC were quickly expanding in number and size and contaminating ground water without any regulation. Now data centers are popping up and people are seriously concerned about the noise, heat, and light pollution they create and the secrecy or misinformation that surrounds them concerning the jobs they claim to offer. At the same time, a pipeline is being proposed to cross Chatham County threatening private property rights and the bucolic countryside. Listen in and meet our guest:

Lisa Sorg is the North Carolina reporter for Inside Climate News. A journalist for 30 years, Sorg covers energy, climate environment and agriculture, as well as the social justice impacts of pollution and corporate malfeasance.She has won dozens of awards for her news, public service and investigative reporting. In 2022, she received the Stokes Award from the National Press Foundation for her two-part story about the environmental damage from a former missile plant on a Black and Latinx neighborhood in Burlington. Sorg was previously an environmental investigative reporter at NC Newsline, a nonprofit media outlet based in Raleigh. She has also worked at alt-weeklies, dailies and magazines. Originally from rural Indiana, she lives in Durham, N.C.

“On The Porch” is hosted by Randolph ”Randy” Voller. He is also the publisher of Chatham County Line. Randy welcomes guests to the show who are from the communities of art, academia, business, and politics for friendly and informative conversations. “On The Porch” airs every Sunday at 6 and 11am, then 6 and 9pm on WCHL-FM 97.9. The show also streams on ChapelBoro.com. Current and previous shows of “On The Porch” are posted as on-demand, ad-free podcasts at ChapelBoro.com, Spotify and Apple Podcasts
To be a guest on the show or send us a comment, email: ontheporch@wchl.com