What does our legislature have in store for NC’s environment this year?

We know that our Republican-run legislature is hellbent on rolling back environmental regulations. Rest assured they have some special gifts for us in the hopper for this upcoming session.

“Ahead of the session several joint House and Senate committees have been preparing potential legislation. Last week, the Environmental Review Commission, the legislative committee that acts as the main gatekeeper for environmental policy, voted on a dozen prospective measures.”climatecartoon2

“At the meeting commission members said that the aim of the election year session is to be efficient and not to delve to deeply into policy. All the bills the commission considered would weaken existing protections. Environmental advocates say some of the proposals represent major changes to the state’s approach to water quality and other protections.”

The Clean Water Act is on the chopping block with a draft bill that would remove on-site stormwater controls as a possible source of downstream pollution. It would also require that the N.C. Environmental Management Commission change water quality rules to reflect the weakened water quality standards.

“The commission also wants the department (Department of Environmental Quality) to submit written comments this year to the Army Corps of Engineers while it reviews its general permit on stream dredging and filling. The bill would require the department to ask the Corps to double the threshold for requiring mitigation for the loss of intermittent and ephemeral stream bed to 300 linear feet.”

Other draft bills require the DEQ to study how well nutrient management is working and whether to adjust the size of riparian buffers for intermittent streams.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Duplin, Commission Co-chair, suggested doing away with NC’s electronics recycling program and removing the ban on electronics, including television sets, from landfills.

“Rep. Pat McElraft, R-Carteret, said she agreed, but suggested lifting the ban only for televisions.”

“Dixon’s provision passed, despite objections from co-chair Rep. Chuck McGrady, R-Henderson, but Dixon later asked for the vote to be rescinded.”

(Emphasis mine.) “Dixon said the landfill ban proposal will likely be taken up during the discussions on a regulatory omnibus later in the session. “

And this is just legislation pertaining to our environmental protections.  I can only imagine what else they’ve got up their sleeves. So brace yourselves, folks. It is going to be a bumpy ride. It is more important than ever that we work to replace these legislators, who are laying waste to our environment for the price of a campaign contribution.

 

To read the article in full visit: Bills to Weaken Protections Are Ready

See a recent Lunch & Learn presentation by Randolph County Democrats on River Basins in Randolph:  Two River Basins Run Through It: Randolph County Water

Visit our Presentations page to view other environmental presentations from RCDP: Lunch & Learn Presentations