Two years after Hurricane Helene, rivers in western North Carolina still are littered with debris. But in the iconic French Broad River, known for its whitewater rapids, one item stands out: PVC pipes. Hundreds of thousands of them were swept away from a factory site north of Asheville. They comprise up to 80% of remaining debris in some areas, piled on river banks, lodged in sediment and uprooted trees, and tangled in mounds up to two stories high. Canada-based IPEX has agreed to help pay $500,000 toward the cleanup. That's being carried out by a nonprofit called MountainTrue.