We review our Congressional delegation’s winners and losers on the environment, plus more news, this week in CIB:
- Washington Watch: NC’s Delegation Scores Stretch Across the Board
- Legislative Watch: Coastal Program At Jeopardy
- Education & Resources: Webinar on Energy Polling; Conversation on Environment, Art, and Politics
Washington Watch: NC’s Delegation Scores Stretch Across the Board
From a high of 97% to a low of 3%, the ratings of NC’s Congressional delegation on the 2012 National Environmental Scorecard stretched all the way across the board. The results indicate that our state sends forward some of the best–and some of the worst–members of Congress when it comes to protecting clean air and water and public health.
On the high end were Representatives David Price (D-NC4), 97% pro-environment scored votes; Mel Watt (D-NC12), 91%; and G.K. Butterfield, 89%. (Former Rep. Brad Miller, D-NC13, also scored very well at 94%.)
Dragging down the delegation’s averages were Representatives Howard Coble (R-NC6) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC10), both at 6%; and Renee Ellmers (R-NC2) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC5), both at 9%. (Former Rep. Sue Myrick, R-NC9, brought up the rear at 3%.)
Performing a little better were Representatives Mike McIntyre (D-NC7), 26%; and Walter Jones (R-NC1), 23%.
On the Senate side, Kay Hagan (D-NC) scored a respectable 79%, while Richard Burr (R-NC) trailed with a pitiful 14%.
Commenting on this range of performance, NCLCV Director of Governmental Relations Dan Crawford said, “In the face of unprecedented attacks from corporate polluters and their allies in Congress, environmental allies like Representatives David Price and Brad Miller stood up for our values and put North Carolinians first. While Americans were seeing the historic impacts of extreme weather right outside their window, members like Representatives Howard Coble and Patrick McHenry continued to put the needs of special interests first.”
The National Environmental Scorecard is produced annually by NCLCV’s national partner group, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). The full scorecard for 2012 can be found here.
Legislative Watch: Coastal Program At Jeopardy
A major new concern over the proposed legislation to strip experience, expertise, and independence from critical state environmental boards (SB 10) was raised this week by North Carolina’s own state environmental staff. A DENR (Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources) memo to legislators said that the changes to the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) are significant enough that they would likely trigger federal review of the state’s authority to run an approved coastal program under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).
The CZMA grants states with approved coastal programs (including NC) powerful tools to require that actions by federal agencies affecting that state’s coastal resources be consistent with state plans and rules. It’s a power the state could lose if review by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the changes to the CRC drew a conclusion that the state’s program no longer met federal standards for an approved CZMA program. Not only would the state then lose federal funding for its coastal program, it would also lose the ability to require that federal drilling leases, highway plans, dredging programs, etc., be consistent with state plans and standards. See the DENR memo and aCoastal Review Online discussion of the problem.
As CIB pointed out in our 2/11/13 edition, the changes which SB 10 would make to the state’s Environmental Management Commission (EMC) could put state authority over water pollution control programs delegated by the federal Clean Water Act in similar jeopardy. In her environmental legal blog, former DENR Assistant Secretary Robin Smith made the same point, amplified: “Senate Bill 10 repeals language requiring that at least nine EMC members must be people who do not derive significant income from activities regulated by the commission. The language in G.S. 143B-283(c) exists in part to meet federal requirements for delegated permitting programs under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Complete repeal of the language may cause EPA to question North Carolina compliance with federal rules governing those delegated programs.”
Meanwhile, fast-track fracking legislation, SB 76, the so-called “Domestic Energy Jobs Act”, passed the Senate Commerce Committee last week and is on its way to the Senate floor this week.
In his weekly Hot List message to legislators, NCLCV’s Dan Crawford cautioned that SB 76 will be a scorecard vote. “Fracking is going to happen in North Carolina, but we need to slow down and ensure that it is done right,” said Crawford. “If one well is contaminated because we moved too fast without adequate precautions, it will be one too many.”
Education & Resources: Webinar on Energy Polling; Conversation on Environment, Art, and Politics
Webinar on Energy Polling: The N.C. Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) will offer a webinar this Thursday to review the results of its new poll of public opinion on energy issues.
The poll measured where registered voters in North Carolina stand on energy production and development questions related to ongoing public policy debates in our state. The poll results reflect information that should be of interest to state legislators, conservation advocates, and reporters. NCSEA believes that information on the results will be helpful in pushing back against state legislative proposals to undercut state laws that promote renewable energy development here.
The webinar will be held this Thursday, February 28, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. There is no charge for participation, and interested individuals can register here.
Conversation on Environment, Art, and Politics: For those more inclined to art than statistics, on Friday there’s a different event for your taste. Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment will host “An informal conversation about Environment, Art and Politics with Artist Chris Jordan.” This event will be held Friday, March 1, 10–11 a.m., Duke University, Durham, in Room LRSC A148. RSVPs are requested.
More information on the work of Chris Jordan can be found here.
That’s our report for this week.
