Kay Hagan told NCLCV’s Green Tie crowd last week that it’s time to act on climate change, plus other news, this week in CIB:
Campaign Watch: Hagan Calls for Green Energy and Public Lands
U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) told attendees at NCLCV’s Green Tie Awards last week that it’s time to act on climate change with green energy. “As we address our need for renewable energy, North Carolina is well-positioned to take advantage of a 21st century energy economy. Companies and institutions across North Carolina are developing ways to use energy more efficiently, harnessing smart grid technologies, and using renewables in new and innovative ways,” said Hagan.
During Hagan’s first Senate term, she continues to push for expanded investments in our public lands, cosponsoring a bipartisan bill that ensures full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and preserves 500,000 acres of national wildlife refuges in northeastern North Carolina. Overall, she has earned an 84% lifetime score on the League of Conservation Voters’ National Environmental Scorecard. As noted in last week’s CIB, she has been endorsed for re-election this year by the LCV Action Fund.
At the Green Tie event, Hagan addressed a big crowd of active backers of public health and a clean environment. Over 200 business, environmental, and political leaders from across the state participated. Attendees also heard NCLCV President Maria Kingery note, “With the national eye turned toward North Carolina, from upcoming political races, to climate change denial, to how our state handles the coal ash clean up, it is imperative that we seize control back for the environment.”
Fifteen legislators were honored for their leadership in protecting public health and the natural beauty of our state. For complete details on the 2014 Green Tie honorees, see the news release. And for photos of the event, visit our Facebook page here.
Did you participate in this year’s Green Tie event? If so, please help us improve future Green Ties even further by taking part in our follow-up survey.
Legislative Watch: Fracking Backers Ride Over Public Concerns
The interstate fracking truck had no brakes, and left both substantive and procedural objections in the legislative roadkill as it finished barreling through the General Assembly last week. SB 786, which rammed through fast-track fracking in North Carolina, was approved by the N.C. House with only minor changes. The N.C. Senate concurred with the House changes and sent the bill to the governor for signature by the pro-fracking McCrory. The final votes were 64-50 in the House and 33-12 in the Senate.
From start to finish, the fracking bill was rushed through the legislature in a 10-day period which allowed little time for public debate or meaningful consideration of its problems. There was no public notice of House committee hearings or the first House floor vote. “This is a real disservice to the public, especially on such a controversial and complex bill,” said Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford). She added that the bill’s backers “used procedural maneuvers to block debate and consideration of the substance of [proposed] amendments.”
SB 786 criminalizes the disclosure of toxic chemicals included in fracking fluids (the content of which could be protected as so-called “trade secrets”); pre-empts any local regulation of fracking; reduces the protective boundaries around fracking operations within which drillers are held responsible for well contamination; lacks protections against toxic air emissions and some dangerous methods of fracking waste disposal; and legalizes “compulsory pooling” under which landowners can be required to sell their rights to drill under their land – even if they object.
Several other major issues continue in play as the 2014 General Assembly continues its Godzilla-like passage through North Carolina’s environmental laws and programs. These include SB 734, so-called “regulatory reform” which could cripple wetlands protections, give polluters a ‘get out of jail free’ card for self-reported violations, weaken riparian protections for the Jordan Reservoir, and cut our state’s air quality monitoring stations in half – among other bad results.
NCLCV will continue to work with a network of citizen conservation advocates to address these and other legislative issues.
Washington Watch: EPA Ready to Release Greenhouse Gas Rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to release today its proposed rules for the first-ever controls on greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants in the U.S. Both opponents and supporters of strong action to address global warming are anxiously awaiting details of the proposal, which will help determine whether the United States makes meaningful progress toward bringing its contribution to harmful climate change under control.
Polling conducted for the national League of Conservation Voters (LCV) demonstrates that the American public supports action to address greenhouse pollution from power plants.
CIB will report on the substance of EPA’s proposal in our edition next week. Those especially interested in tracking the details of the rule may also wish to put the following event on your calendar: The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) will hold a webinar on the EPA’s draft rules on Monday, June 16, at 1 p.m. For more information and to register, see here.
Education & Resources: NCLCV Co-sponsors Leadership Development Workshop
NCLCV is co-sponsoring a workshop this Tuesday, June 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Raleigh, on how you can become a leader on environmental issues in your community. For more information and to register, go here.
That’s our report for this week.
