Will Warasila. Photographer
Photographer Will Warasila's latest photobook, titled "Quicker than Coal Ash," explores the harmful impact of the coal industry on the small town of Walnut Cove, North Carolina. Over a year and a half, Warasila familiarized himself with the community and documented the energy, power structures, and landscape.
Walnut Cove's residents live in the shadow of Duke Energy's Belews Creek Steam Station, where toxic coal ash is stored in an unlined pond, and pollutants are released into the air, water, and soil, causing illness and death. During a coal ash healing service at a local church called The Well, Warasila heard Pastor Leslie Brewer express the community's anger and call for righteous action.
Warasila's photographs draw attention to the harm done to the land and its inhabitants, highlighting the importance of family, health, and home.
Explore Warasila's influential work in "Quicker than Coal Ash" below.
