The State of the Environment - Crossover week

Cleaning up Jordan Lake - Coming into this legislative session, rules approved by the Environmental Management Commission to clean up troubled Jordan were under siege. But, after many months of negotiations and hard work, a compromise measure by Rep. Lucy Allen passed the NC House 106-8 and heads to the NC Senate. Rep. Allen’s work puts us back on the path to “Restore Water Quality in Jordan Lake.”

No Plastic Bags on the Outer Banks - North Carolina took an important step forward this week towards phasing out plastic bags. Sen. Josh Stein’s (D-Wake) bill bans plastic bags on the Outer Banks except for some very limited uses. Following eloquent comments by Sen. Stein on the floor, the NC Senate today approved the measure by a vote of 49-1. It now goes to the NC House.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Americans use about 100 million plastic bags each year—most of which end up in landfills.  Sierra Club estimates that 11 million barrels of oil are needed to produce one ton of plastic grocery bags.

Air Toxics - At the urging of bill sponsor Rep. Pryor Gibson, a House committee earlier this week approved a measure that gutted the state's longstanding  air toxics program.  But thanks to a loud chorus of objection from concerned citizens, the bill was revised to protect this important air quality program while giving industry more flexibility in compliance.  H. 1335 is now on its way to the House floor.

And our nomination for the worst environmental bill of “Crossover” week goes to…

An Act to Limit New Agency Regulatory Requirements - This measure by Sen. David Hoyle (D-Gaston) would make it darn near impossible for state agencies to do their job. It all but bans discretionary rule-making if it costs anyone, anywhere, any money (note: all rules have some cost). The justification offered for S. 866, along with the air toxics bill above, is that we need to reduce cost on business and industry in these troubled economic times. But industry groups have tried to get similar measures passed in the best of times, as well.

S. 866 passed the NC Senate today by a vote of 38-10 and now goes to the NC House.

Charlotte gets a Cool Cities Organizer

Erica previously worked as the Community Coordinator for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation in Charlotte NC where she oversaw volunteer involvement and community organizing efforts.

With experience as a field organizer for an election campaign in Tennessee, as well as a year spent in China studying sustainable growth plans and natural resource use, Erica will bring her experience and expertise to work on energy efficiency issues in the rapidly growing Charlotte region.

Erica's energy, enthusiasm and experience will be an asset to the club.

News Clips

Plastic Bags Must Go, Basnight Says | Charlotte Observer | May 13, 2009

Environmentalists counter that the bags require energy to make and usually end up in landfills. “On the coast they can be a problem for marine life,” said Molly Diggins, who heads the Sierra Club's North Carolina chapter.

Lawmakers Scale Back Toxic Emissions | Associated Press | May 13, 2009

Molly Diggins with the state Sierra Club said the amended bill is a reasonable alternative that doesn't damage the air quality program.

City trying again on tree ordinance | Winston-Salem Journal | May 13, 2009

Gus Preschle, the chairman of the Foothills Group of the North Carolina Sierra Club, said after yesterday's meeting that he was disappointed that the clearing ban was omitted, but he called the committee's action a chance to finally get something accomplished. "I think it was a significant step forward to bring a compromise ordinance before the council after years of hard work," Preschle said.

A Cleaner Lake | News & Observer | May 4, 2009

"In some parts of the country -- the Northeast comes to mind -- drinking water reservoirs and their watersheds typically are shielded from almost all development. North Carolina in that regard is trying to have its cake and eat it too. Maybe it can, but not without the kind of sensible, if overdue, steps called for by the Environmental Management Commission in its worthy effort to protect Jordan Lake. Legislators need to give those steps a chance to work."

Senate Hopes to Stabilize Nature. Good luck with that | Charlotte Observer | May 3, 2009

"Until scientists can demonstrate that terminal groins won't cause problems elsewhere along the shoreline, the 2003 ban on groins and jetties should remain on the books."

Outings

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