Promote Fracking & Offshore Drilling: S709, H242
On June 17, 2011
Senate Bill 709, the so-called Energy Jobs Act, is less about jobs and more about threatening North Carolina’s groundwater supply and shorelines. The bill is a two-pronged assault on our state’s waters, both inland and off the coast. While the bill encourages oil and gas exploration and drilling in federal waters off the North Carolina [...]
Disturbing the Natural Beauty of Our Beaches: S110
On June 17, 2011
S110, as passed through the House and the Senate, would lift the ban on building expensive hardened structures, like terminal groins and jetties, on our coastline. Both Democrats and Republicans alike support the ban on these structures. However, threats from a few misinformed politicians have allowed for more of these structures, which increase erosion and [...]
Shift Groundwater Pollution Liability Off Polluters: S181, S48, H119
On June 17, 2011
Perhaps one of the most outrageous bills voted on this session is one sponsored by Senator Don East. S181 would essentially result in taxpayer bailouts for leaking underground storage tank owners. This could cost us up to $1 million annually, without requiring those responsible for the pollution to make any responsible decisions regarding the upgrading [...]
Fuzzy Math Hides Public Demand for Environmental Protections
On June 17, 2011
Last month, Majority legislative staff provided their analysis of written comments to the Joint Regulatory Reform Committee established by Senate Joint Resolution 17. See the analysis here, and then check the math and judge for yourself.
The numbers show that North Carolinians who submitted comments oppose regulatory reform by [...]
Regulatory Reform Bill of 2011: S781
On June 15, 2011
The legislation recently passed in Senate Bill 781 certainly reforms current regulations — by undoing decades of hard work by North Carolinians to protect the wonderful natural resources that make our state beautiful and safe. This bill generates mountains of red tape and hoops to jump through, just for state agencies to do their [...]
Amend Environmental Laws: H119
On June 15, 2011
The original version of this bill simply revised a few environmental rules. However, since its initial introduction to the House of Representatives, it has been loaded with provisions for special interests and industry polluters. We elected our legislators to protect the needs of the citizens of North Carolina, not special interests. The changes made in [...]
Elimination of NC’s Air Toxics Program: Amendments to S308
On June 15, 2011
On June 14, Representative Pat McElraft added an amendment to a bill that was already in motion to eliminate North Carolina’s Air Toxics Regulations. Some of the largest polluters in the state specifically requested the amendment. Furthermore, the committee that reviewed the amendment did not take public comment on the legislation, and failed to [...]
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