Legislative Watch: An Ill Wind and a Goodly Land
There’s mixed news in the category of new bill filings in Raleigh last week: a good state parks proposal, and the return of some bad anti-wind power bills.
We’ll take the good news first. A bipartisan set of sponsors filed HB 353, “Authorize State Park System Expansion,” a proposal to add a new state park and natural areas on the Black River in Pender, Sampson, and Bladen counties. This area contains some of the best remaining blackwater swamp ecosystems and some of the oldest living trees in the eastern United States. Read more about this welcome good idea, and see photos of the extraordinary beauty to be found in the area here.
In the meantime, some of the legislature’s anti-wind energy crusaders are back for another tilt against the prospects for growth of this clean, renewable energy resource. They filed SB 331, the so-called “Military Operations Protection Act of 2017.” Like its similarly-named proposal from last year, this bill would use the discredited argument that military base operations are at risk to slap a three-year moratorium on new wind energy projects in North Carolina while a legislative study on their alleged military impacts was conducted. A companion bad proposal was filed in the House as well. Similarly, SB 366, the so-called “Responsible Wind Energy Implementation,” would place more regulatory roadblocks in the way of these projects.
Environmental watchdogs in Raleigh say it’s uncertain how much support the anti-wind forces have at this point, but that it’s important to remain on our guard. Honestly, why don’t these folks exhibit similar vigilance in guarding against the known adverse environmental and public health impacts of fossil fuel projects, from pipelines to power plants?
