Course correction
Published April 18, 2014
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, April 18, 2014.
Who could have guessed that Pat McCrory might be the governor who gets coal ash ponds cleaned up?
The former Duke Energy employee didn’t run on a platform of protecting the environment or enacting stronger rules for polluters. Just the opposite: He called for regulatory relief and shrinking government oversight.
The Republican legislature was in full support. The state’s Division of Water Resources lost 13 percent of its staff positions earlier this year, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported. The cuts were mandated by the budget passed last summer.
In a turnaround, McCrory said Wednesday his proposed budget for next year will add employees for protecting the environment. More significantly, he called for closing or converting all 33 coal ash ponds in North Carolina and requiring utilities to file emergency response plans in case of accidents like the Feb. 2 spill into the Dan River from a Duke facility in Rockingham County.
These are positive initiatives, but they have to be fleshed out and enacted. While the governor’s office acknowledges that closing coal ash ponds is the action preferred by state regulators and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, his plan leaves room for conversion — which could mean covering ponds in place. Many environmentalists say that’s not acceptable because of the potential for seepage into ground or surface water. They demand burying dry coal ash in lined landfills far from water sources.
The governor’s plan drew a tepid response from Duke, which could face billions of dollars in costs. For decades, it avoided responsible, long-term solutions for disposing of this toxic residue of burning coal. It saved money, which benefited stockholders and customers, but there will be a heavy price to pay going forward. Duke can be expected to try to minimize its own liability by raising rates to cover costs. Will the governor stand up for customers’ interests?
McCrory also needs backing from the legislature. Will be get it? Tucked into safe, gerrymandered districts, few lawmakers feel political pressure in election years. But their leaders might. House Speaker Thom Tillis hopes to be the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. In a statewide election, he’ll need to show a strong response to this environmental challenge. Senate leader Phil Berger lives in Rockingham County, where Republicans and Democrats alike are feeling the economic impact of the coal ash spill. Although it contradicts his political philosophy, surely even he must admit there are times when stronger regulations are required.
To make sure they get it right, Republicans should listen for once to environmentalists and pro-environment Democratic legislators when crafting stricter regulations. Rep. Pricey Harrison of Greensboro warned about the dangers posed by coal ash for years, but few heard. She deserves a leadership role now.
Keeping rivers, lakes and groundwater clean is not a partisan issue, so both parties should find mutually acceptable rules for protecting those resources.
The same approach should govern rulemaking for possible fracking and offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Accidents in those industries can dwarf the coal ash spill. If public safety is the first priority from the outset, politicians won’t have to change course when a disaster happens.
The governor’s course correction is welcome, but he’s still just starting to head in the right direction.
April 18, 2014 at 10:53 am
Rip Arrowood says:
Let's see who might be a possible candidate to contract a very lucrative job hauling and disposing of this ash....
They have to have time to properly grease the right palms....
