06/18/2012

Our state's environment is still getting hammered in the General Assembly, and fracking led the hit parade, this week in CIB:

• Legislative Watch: House Adopts Fast-Track Fracking--Will Perdue Veto?
• Education & Resources: Offshore Drilling Webinar
• Conservationists: Green Tie Is Wednesday!

Legislative Watch: House Adopts Fast-Track Fracking--Will Perdue Veto?

Conservationists are pushing hard this week to persuade Governor Bev Perdue to veto the ill-advised fast-track fracking bill passed by the N.C. House late last week, and which the N.C. Senate is expected to approve Tuesday.

The House voted 66 to 43 to approve SB 820, which would establish an industry-dominated process for writing rules under which fracking operations could be permitted on an accelerated schedule. That House vote was close enough that a Perdue veto of the bill could be upheld. (The Senate must first vote to concur in House amendments from its original version, but there seems little doubt that it will do so.)

Among the key provisions of SB 820 is the establishment of a new state Mining and Energy Commission, which would be dominated by members with ties to industry interests. This commission would be charged under the bill with writing rules for the permitting of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations for natural gas ("fracking"), and doing so on an abbreviated timeline of two years. Representatives of the state's main environmental protection agency, the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), have told legislators that this work can't be done professionally and with proper care for health and safety concerns on that schedule without the hiring of additional staff for the work--but the budget makes no provision for the needed extra staff.

Earlier bipartisan proposals on the House side recognized these problems, especially given the great differences between geologic and hydrological conditions in North Carolina and in states which have some experience with the hazards of fracking. Those earlier House proposals provided a more flexible and realistic timeline for the study and rulemaking processes. However, the latest version of the bill ignores those factors. Several amendments were offered on the floor of the House to address some of these issues, but failed.

It bears repeating that the amount of gas believed to be at stake in North Carolina deposits is uncertain, and without more careful research and preparation fracking seems unlikely to be worth the risk of severe damage to groundwater and other natural resources. This point is especially salient when weighed against the far greater potential from developing clean, renewable energy resources. As Sen. Josh Stein (D-Wake) notes, "The renewable energy and energy efficiency sector in NC is booming, having grown 18% in employment last year to 14,800 workers. Unlike fracking, which is speculative, distant in the future, and produces carbon and methane, clean energy is real today, creates jobs today, reduces pollution today, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil today."

CIB recognizes the two House Republicans who bucked extreme political pressure to stand up for public health and resource concerns by voting against SB 820: Representatives Bryan Holloway (R-Stokes) and Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson).

In considering potential electoral consequences to those who are frantic for fracking, we note that the Republican-dominated Stokes County Commission (Rep. Holloway's home county) last week adopted a resolution opposing the rush to fracking. Legislators now falling over themselves trying to please the petroleum industry may find their actions less popular at home than they may suppose, even in conservative-leaning rural counties. As noted in previous CIBs, SB 820 also contains provisions undercutting the private property rights of affected landowners who object to fracking under their land.

On the Democratic side, a recent survey by Public Policy Polling (PPP) found that North Carolina Democrats oppose fracking by almost a two-to-one margin. Governor Perdue is encouraged to keep that in mind as she weighs a possible veto.

Conservationists are being encouraged to call Governor Perdue's office at 919-733-9805 or 800-662-7952 to ask that she veto SB 820, the fast-track fracking bill. If you call, please also email NCLCV's Dan Crawford, dan@nclcv.org, to let him know you've sent the governor this message.

Education & Resources: Offshore Drilling Webinar

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) this week will host a webinar on "Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration: Impacts, Regulation, and Consequences for the Southeast." The featured presenter will be Michale Jasny from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The webinar will explore federal plans and proposals for the southeastern coastal zone, including "how coastal stakeholders can engage in the regulatory process."

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, June 20, from noon to 1 p.m. Interested participants can sign up here: http://www.cleanenergy.org/index.php?/SACE-Webinars.html This strikes us as a good way to warm up for the Green Tie Awards Dinner that evening.

Conservationists: Green Tie Is Wednesday!

The Green Tie Awards Dinner is this Wednesday, June 20! That means that this is your last chance to get your tickets to hear the outgoing heroes and rising stars on environment in the 2012 General Assembly, accepting their awards for fighting to keep our state clean and green.

For details and to reserve tickets, go to: http://nclcv.org/what/honoring/green_tie_2012/