Gov. Elect McCroy begins to assemble new administration

The new governor, Pat McCroy, has begun to make appointments to his new administration, which will begin when he takes office on January 5.

Of environmental interest is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). McCroy has announced that John Skvarla of Pinehurst, currently the CEO of Restoration Services. Skvarla has said, according to a story in the News & Observer, that he is anxious to move the needle back from what he sees as over-regulation toward what he promises will be a middle ground that protects the environment without hindering economic growth.

The McDowell News reported that NC House member Mitch Gillespie of McDowell County will become an Assistant Secretary of DENR. Gillespie, in 2011, literally drew a bull's-eye on the window of his legislative office aimed at the DENR offices.

According to the McDowell News, Lou Zeller, executive director of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), said that the selection of Gillespie was "very bad news". “He seems to have an ax to grind,” said Zeller. “His lead in gutting the state air toxics program revealed his animus against regulations which protect public heath. He said then that he had ‘not even scratched the surface.’ Putting him at DENR will allow him to do what he could not get done in the General Assembly; that is, further the extreme elevation of private property rights over public health.

Pat McCrory will take office on January 5. However, Gillespie is expected to be sworn in to his new term on January 9 and to resign shortly after that to take the DENR post.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/12/26/2565908/new-denr-chief-seeks-balance-between.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

More on Decreasing Cost of Solar

In a post on March 2, 2012, the rapidly decreasing cost of solar power was reported.

There is additional evidence that the cost of solar power is decreasing. We now have a report from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Tracking the Sun, an annual report of the cost of solar power.

According to the report, the average cost of a utility scale (2 MW or larger) solar system in 2011 was $3.4/watt. Systems larger than 10 MW had installed costs of between $2.8/W and $3.5/W.

"These data provide a reliable benchmark for systems installed in the recent past, but prices have continued to decline over time, and PV systems being sold today are being offered at lower prices," Galen Barbose of the Berkeley Lab told Solar Industry Magazine in a recent story about the report.

If the cost of solar power continues to drop, it will become competitive with the purchase of coal, with out a subsidy. That is, a utility will be able to, when the sun is shining, reduce its purchase and use of coal, replacing the output from coal plants with the output from solar plants. Fossil fuels would continue to be used for the time that the sun is not shining, but less would be used.

2012 NC Sierra Club Endorsed Candidates

The North Carolina Sierra Club has made the following endorsements for the election on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

 Statewide                        

Linda Coleman                  Lt. Governor

Roy Cooper                      Attorney General

Janet Cowell                     Treasurer

                                       

 NC Supreme Court            

                                       

Judge Sam Ervin, IV           

                                                                             

 NC Senate                      District                           

                                                                           

Deb Butler                       9                                   

Dan Blue                         14                                 

Neal Hunt                        15*                                

Sig Hutchinson                15*                                

Josh Stein                       16                                 

Erv Portman                    17                                 

Doug Berger                    18                                 

Floyd McKissick                 20                                 

Ellie Kinnaird                     23                                 

Fletcher Hartsell                36                                 

Daniel Clodfelter               37                                 

Joel Ford                         38                                 

Malcolm Graham               40                                 

Phil Feagan                      47                                 

Martin Nesbitt                   49                                 

John Snow                       50                                 

                                                                           

                                                                           

  NC House                   District                           

                                                                           

Robert Cayton                  3                                   

Angela Bryant                  7                                   

Mark Bibbs                       8                                   

Marian McLawhorn            9

Duane Hall                       11                                 

Emilie Swearingen             19                                 

Jean Farmer-Butterfield     24                                 

Larry Hall                        29                                 

Paul Luebke                     30                                 

Mickey Michaux                31                                 

Rosa Gill                          33                                 

Deborah Ross                   34

Lori Millberg                     35

Yvonne Lewis Holley          38                                 

Darren Jackson                 39                                 

Rick Glazier                      44

Keith Karlsson                  49                                 

Valerie Foushee                50                                 

Deb McManus                   54                                 

Verla Insko                      56                                 

Pricey Harrison                 57                                 

Patty Philips                     63                                 

Martha Alexander             88                                 

Robin Bradford                 92                                 

Cullie Tarleton                  93                                 

Tricia Cotham                   100                                

Beverly Earle                   101                                

Becky Carney                   102                                

Ruth Samuelson                104                                

Susan Fisher                    114                                

Susan Wilson                    115                                

Jane Whilden                    116                                

Chuck McGrady                117                                

Ray Rapp                         118                                

Joe Sam Queen                119                                

                                                                           

 County Commissioners                                                        

                                                                           

Ellen Frost                        Buncombe                      

Terry Van Duyn                Buncombe                      

Holly Jones                      Buncombe                      

David Gannt                     Buncombe                      

Carol Peterson                  Buncombe                      

Michelle Pace Wood           Buncombe                      

Brownie Newman              Buncombe                      

Sally Kost                        Chatham                        

Mike Cross                       Chatham                        

Pat Cotham                      Mecklenburg                   

Trevor Fuller                    Mecklenburg                   

Kim Ratliff                        Mecklenburg                   

Jonathon Barfield              New Hanover                  

Rob Zapple                      New Hanover                  

Bernadette Pelissier           Orange                           

Penny Rich                       Orange                           

Renee Price                     Orange                           

Caroline Sullivan               Wake                             

Betty Lou Ward                Wake                             

James West                     Wake                              

NCLCV's Conservation PAC makes endorsements

The Conservation PAC, a project of the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters, announced endorsements for the North Carolina General Assembly. The endorsements are listed below.

In Senate district 15 the PAC made a dual endorsement of both competitors, incumbent Senator Neal Hunt, a Republican, and Democratic challenger Sig Hutchinson. Sen. Hunt broke with his party to vote against fracking. Hutchinson is well known for his conservation and environmental activities.

Thanks to Dan Besse of the NCLCV for the information.

NC Senate

District 5 – Former Senator Don Davis, D-Greene

District 9 – Deb Butler, D-New Hanover

District 14 – Sen. Dan Blue, D-Wake

District 15 – Senator Neal Hunt, R-Wake & Sig Hutchinson, D-Wake

District 16 – Sen. Josh Stein, D-Wake

District 17 – Erv Portman, D-Wake

District 18 – Sen. Doug Berger, D-Franklin

District 23 – Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange

District 28 – Sen. Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford

District 32 – Sen. Earline Parmon, D-Forsyth

District 37 – Sen. Dan Clodfelter, D-Mecklenburg

District 38 – Joel Ford, D-Mecklenburg

District 40 – Sen. Malcolm Graham, D-Mecklenburg

District 46 – John McDevitt, D-Burke

District 49 – Sen. Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe

District 50 – Former Sen. John Snow, D-Cherokee

NC House

District 2 – Former Rep. Winkie Wilkins, D-Person

District 5 – Rep. Annie Mobley, D-Hertford

District 7 – Rep. Angela Bryant, D-Nash

District 8 – Mark Bibbs, D-Wilson

District 9 – Rep. Marian McLawhorn, D-Pitt

District 11 – Duane Hall, D-Wake

District 19 – Emily Swearingen, D-New Hanover

District 21 – Rep. Larry Bell, D-Sampson

District 23 – Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Edgecombe

District 24 – Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, D-Wilson

District 27 – Rep. Michael Wray, D-Northampton

District 29 – Rep. Larry Hall, D-Durham

District 30 – Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham

District 31 – Rep. Henry M. Michaux, D-Durham

District 33 – Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake

District 34 – Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake

District 32 – Nathan Baskerville, D-Vance

District 35 – Lori Millberg, D-Wake

District 38 – Yvonne Lewis Holley, D-Wake

District 39 – Rep. Darren Jackson, D-Wake

District 40 – Watt Jones, D-Wake

District 41 – Jim Messina, D-Wake

District 42 – Rep. Marvin Lucas, D-Cumberland

District 44 – Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland

District 45 – Eddie Dees, D-Cumberland

District 49 – Keith Karlsson, D-Wake

District 50 – Valerie Foushee, D-Orange

District 54 – Deb McManus, D-Chatham

District 56 – Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange

District 57 – Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford

District 58 – Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford

District 63 – Patty Philipps, D-Alamance

District 65 – William Osborne, D-Rockingham

District 66 – Ken Goodman, D-Richmond

District 88 – Rep. Martha Alexander, D-Mecklenburg

District 93 – Former Rep. Cullie Tarleton, D-Watauga

District 100 – Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham, D-Mecklenburg

District 101 – Rep. Beverly Earle, D-Mecklenburg

District 102 – Rep. Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg

District 106 – Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg

District 114 – Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe

District 115 – Susan Wilson, D-Buncombe

District 116 – Former Rep. Jane Whilden, D-Buncombe

District 117 – Rep. Chuck McGrady, R-Henderson

District 118 – Rep. Ray Rapp, D-Madison

District 119 – Former Senator Joe Sam Queen, D-Haywood

Some good news about the Mining and Energy Commission

A couple of weeks ago an article in ConserveNC told of an appointment, by House Speaker Thom Tillis, of a cofounder of NC Oil and Gas to a slot on Mining and Energy Commission reserved for a “member of a nongovernmental conservation interest”.

Now that the Governor’s appointments have been made to the commission, we have at least one member who clearly has an environmental background.

Amy Pickle, Senior Attorney for State Policy with the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions of Duke University was appointed by Governor Perdue to the panel. In addition to the work at the Nicholas Institute, she is a member of the Environmental Management Commission. She served as an Assistant Attorney General, working on the hog waste management initiative and as a Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center.

The commission will hold its first meeting on Thursday, September 6, 2012, at 1 p.m. in the ground floor conference room of the Archdale Building. ConserveNC plans to be there. A schedule has not been released for future meetings.

List of members  http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mining-and-energy-commission/members-information

Agenda for Sept. 6 meeting   http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/document_library/get_file?p_l_id=1169848&folderId=8512048&name=DLFE-56026.pdf

Recent News Stories

Following are some recent news stories that may be of interest:

FRACKING NEWS

Drilling board to start work without ethics review

WRAL-TV reported that the Energy and Mining Commission will start meeting in September, but without any consideration by the State Ethics Commission.

 

Fracking possible in Montgomery County

According to a story in the Montgomery Herald of Montgomery County, NC, fracking is possible in that county in the Southern part of the state east of Charlotte.

 

Calls grow to replace Tillis appointee to drilling board

WRAL-TV reported that there are increasing calls to replace Ray Covington, who was appointed by House Speaker Thom Tillis to the gas drilling board to a seat meant for a conservationist.

 

ENERGY NEWS

Report: Consumers and public have benefited from NC Clean Smokestacks law

According to a Charlotte Observer blog post, North Carolina's Clean Smokestacks Act, passed in 2002 to reduce pollution from coal fired power plants, will save consumers money and keep the public healthier. The blog post was based on a recent paper from Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and can be found here.

 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission freezes new licenses

The NRC has stopped issuing licenses for nuclear plants, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal, due to questions about nuclear-waste storage.

 

Permitting suspended for large coal fired power plant in South Eastern Virginia

The Newport News Daily Press reported the suspension of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative's efforts to obtain the environmental permits needed to build what would be the state's largest coal-fueled power plant in Surry County in South Eastern Virginia.

 

Solar equipment company to create jobs in NC

According to a story in the Shelby Star, Schletter Inc., a German Company that designs and manufactures solar panel mounting systems, announced plans to purchase a building in Cleveland County (west of Charlotte) as its US headquarters, and that it will create 305 new jobs by the end of 2016.

 

Solar power growing in Robeson County

A story in the Fayetteville Observer details the growth of the solar industry in Robeson County (in South East NC, containing Lumberton).

 

North Carolina company develops efficient solar cell

Business Insider reports that a North Carolina company, Semprius (of Durham), has developed a more efficient solar cell. This development could bring down the installed cost of a solar farm due to reduction in labor and mounting equipment.

 

New efficient wind turbine developed by Raleigh company

WITN-TV of Washington, NC, reported on a new style wind turbine, developed by the Greensky Wind Power Company of Raleigh, which claims its turbine design is smaller and can generate energy at a lower wind speed than traditional designs.

 

Solar donation to help recovery center

A story in the News and Observer reports that NC WARN contributed and installed solar power and solar water heating for Freedom House, which provides services for people with addiction and mental illness.

 

Prices for utility scale solar drop

The Charlotte Business Journal reports that the price to build large scale solar projects in NC continues to drop, despite tariffs imposed on low cost Chinese solar panels.

 

OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS:

Mountains-to-Sea Trail discussed in Orange County

A story in the News and Observer covered a meeting in Orange County where the pros and cons of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail were discussed.

 

Poisonous politics in North Carolina

RTCC.org, a web publication of Responding to Climate Change, an official observer to the United Nations climate change negotiations, published an article about the recent session of the NC legislature, with quotes from NC Sierra Club director Molly Diggins.

 

NC 8th worst in air pollution from power plants, according to study

The News & Observer reported that NC is the 8th most state in the nation for pollution from power plants, according to a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The full NRDC report can be found here.

                                                                                  

Wake County may purchase more open land

A story in the News & Observer reports on a word session by the Wake County Board of Commissioners that approved staff plans to explore the purchase of more tracts of land for the preservation of open space.

 

Durham promotes rain gardens for pollution control

According to a story in the News & Observer, Durham is promoting the use of rain gardens in residential yards to reduce the amount of pollutants running into Jordan Lake.

 

Sea level rise estimates fought in southern states

An Associated Press story, published in the Elizabeth City, NC Daily Advance, tells about the disputes in other states about using scientific sea level data in crafting development regulations.

 

Governor allows sea level bill to become law

The Wilmington Star News reported that Gov. Perdue allowed the sea level bill, HB 219, to become law without her signature or veto, in spite of significant lobbying from environmental groups who wanted her to veto the bill.

 

Gov. Perdue signs two other bills opposed by environmental groups.

According to a report on WRAL-TV Gov. Perdue's office announced that she would not veto two bills (she signed the bills) that were opposed by environmental groups. She signed SB 229, which will weaken NC water basin quality program and HB 953, which will delay implementation of the Jordan Lake watershed rules by two years. Molly Diggins, Director of the NC Sierra Club, was quoted.

Controversial Appointment to the Drilling Board

The bill that makes fracking legal in NC, SB820, created an NC Energy and Mining Commission. The law specified how each of the 15 members of the commission was to be appointed.

One of the members was to be appointed by the legislature upon recommendation of the Speaker of the House and to be “a member of a nongovernmental conservation interest”[1]. For this position, House Speaker Thom Tillis appointed Mr. Ray Covington[2].  Mr. Covington does not fit the description specified by the law. He is co-founder of North Carolina Oil and Gas, a business that represents land owners who want their land drilled. On its website, NCOG lists as one of its goals “We want this land drilled”[3]. 

There is certainly a conflict of interest in this appointment. The commission is supposed to make regulations concerning drilling, and ensure that drilling will not take place unless it can be done safely. Mr. Covington’s business wants land to be drilled and only makes money if land is drilled.

According to Jane Pinsky, director of the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform, "The first rule of ethics and being part of government is that you shouldn't be in a position to benefit personally financially from what you do”.

References

1. SL 2012-143, SB-820 (2012), Part II, Section 1.(b)

To be codified as NCGS § 143B-293.2 (4)

2. SL 2012-141 HB-1234 Section 1.29 (a)

3. http://ncoilandgas.com/who-is-ncog

Press Coverage:

Critics: Sanford businessman doesn't belong on fracking board, WRAL – TV,  7/25/12 www.wral.com/news/local/wral_investigates/story/11355352

Calls grow to replace Tillis appointee to drilling board, WRAL TV 7/25/12 www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/blogpost/11356113

 

Editorial: Conserved for Fracking? Raleigh News & Observer  7/17/12 www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/17/2204332/conserved-for-fracking.html

Environment advocates: Fracking panel has drill bias, WRAL TV 7/11/12 www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/11303939/

State's new fracking board leans toward drillers, Raleigh News & Observer 7/13/12 www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/13/2197747/fracking-board-leans-toward-drillers.html

Governor Perdue will not veto remaining bills

Just in:

Today Gov. Bev Perdue’s office announced that she will not veto any more bills. So the three bills that environmental groups oppose (H819 Coastal Management Policies, SB 229 Amend Environmental Laws 2012, and HB 953 Amend Environmental Laws 2) will become law. Click here for more information about the bills.

Molly Diggins, director of the NC Sierra Club, stated: “We are disappointed that the Governor chose not to veto these bills. All three measures primarily benefit developers at the expense of North Carolina’s taxpayers, who will end up paying more in the long run to deal with the increased costs of failing to address sea level rise as well as water pollution caused by poorly planned development."

Do Compact Cities Save Energy?

It has often been written that compact, very dense cities consume less energy and produce less pollution that the less dense suburbs and residential areas dominated by single family homes. However, new research shows that may not be true.

Researchers from the universities of Cambridge, Newcastle, and Leeds in the UK published a paper in the spring 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association that showed that the urban form may have very little impact on energy use and sustainability. An article in Atlantic Cities on July 24, 2012 discussed the findings.

One of the authors, Cambridge Prof. Marcial Echenique, told Atlantic Cities: “To our surprise, if you compare the compact form versus the current trend, the difference in reduced transport by automobile is very minor. And if you allow the city to expand, the increase in the use of the car is only marginal.”

Echeniques continued: "If you make the city more compact, it doesn't mean that people will abandon their car. Only 5 percent of people abandon the use of the car. Ninety-five percent carries on using the car, which means there are more cars on the same streets, therefore there is much more congestion and therefore there is much more pollution and no great increase in the reduction of energy."

There are several limitations to the study. It was done in England, and may or may not apply to the United States. Only a limited number of areas were studied. However, this study does raise some important questions for those who want to reduce the use of energy and the production of pollution. Echenique argues, with support from his research, that making cars and buildings more energy efficient may accomplish more.  "Technology offers a much better future than trying to constrain behavior of the market."

Some more bills to veto

Several important bills are still on Governor Perdue's desk awaiting her decision on whether or not to veto them.

Fracking Veto Overridden – due to accident and turncoat

The fracking bill, SB 820, is now law. The bill was adopted by the legislature, then vetoed by the governor. As expected, the Senate overrode the veto; but the House was expected, by a very close vote, to uphold the veto. 72 votes were required to pass the bill “notwithstanding the Governor’s objections”. It was expected that there would only be, at the most, 70 votes to pass the bill.

Gov. Perdue vetoes fracking bill

Just in: Governor Bev Perdue vetoes the fracking bill!

With only a few hours before the deadline, Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed the fracking bill SB 820. According to news reports, she had been trying to reach a compromise with the General Assembly leadership but was unable to reach any compromise. Gov. Perdue as said in the past that she thinks that fracking can be done safely, but the safeguards must be in place.

Following is her veto statement:

Special provision for developer

The NC House has approved SB 382 with an amendment that will require that cities to supply water and sewer connections to any development within an urban growth area that request the service. Although this amendment did not mention the project and applies statewide, it has been reported that the amendment was specifically designed to help the developers of the “751 South” development, a large development with 1,300 homes and 600,000 sq. ft. of commercial development. This development has been opposed by environmental organizations. Durham had refused to extend water and sewer to the development, saying that it would cost Durham taxpayers more that the revenue would provide.

Sea Level Rise bill - maybe some sanity

A few days ago a post discussed HB 819, the bill that would force regulations on sea level rise to be based on historical trends and not on scientific predictions of future accelerating rise. That was the bill that was featured in a Steven Colbert segment and widely mocked.


Maybe the anti-science provision won't pass.

Air Toxics Bill – More Than Removing Duplication

HB 952, State Air Toxics Program Reforms, was introduced by Rep. Ruth Samuelson. It has passed the House and it now in the Senate.

Please ask Gov. Perdue to veto fracking bill

I hope everyone will take a few minutes to call or e-mail Governor Bev. Perdue and ask her to veto the fracking bill (SB 820).


Reasons include the high cost of developing regulations, the question of will (not can, but will) fracking be done safely when we have a legislature that has cut enforcement budgets, the loss of rural atmosphere due to lights, noise, and traffic, and the large use of water.


Call (800) 662-7952 or (919) 733-2391 and leave a message or e-mail governor.office@nc.gov.

Sea Level Rise – Ignore Science?

[Update - click here for latest]

One problem with living close to the ocean or to sea level sounds is that, as the sea level rises due to warming, the ocean or sound water will be closer to buildings and may cause the destruction of buildings. Therefore, the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) plans for sea level rise (SLR) for the development of regulations requiring a setback between sea level water and buildings. If a building is destroyed by a storm, the setback regulation will apply to any permit to rebuild.

Fracking bill passes NC Senate and House

The fracking bill, SB-820, has now passed the NC Senate and then the NC House. It still must be sent back to the Senate for that chamber’s concurrence with the House changes, which is expected. The bill will then be sent to the governor for her approval or possible veto.

Fracking bill passes NC Senate

A bill to legalize hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, in NC passed the NC Senate on June 5 and moved to the House. Fracking is a process of extracting natural gas from shale by injection of water and chemicals into the shale in order to break the shale and release trapped gas. It has been linked to contamination of ground water, problems with the disposal of contaminated water that returns to the surface, and other environmental problems.

Land for Tomorrow Lobby Day

Today, people from many organizations concerned about land preservation, for clean water protection, farmland preservation, recreation, and other purposes, came together to lobby the NC General Assembly for preservation and improvement of the four NC trust funds that are used to protect land in North Carolina.

The trust funds are (information copied from www.landfortomorrow.org):

NC League of Conservation Voters announces the 2012 Green Tie Award

The North Carolina League of Conservation Voters has announced the 2012 Green Tie Award winners. The awards will be presented at the Green Tie Awards Dinner on June 20th from 6-9 p.m. at the Downtown Sheraton. These awards are given annually to members of the NC General Assembly for their work on behalf of the environment. More information about the awards can be found at http://nclcv.org/what/honoring/green_tie_2012/

Raleigh lifts watering restrictions

The Raleigh City Council has lifted restrictions that require alternate day watering. In Raleigh you can now water any time you want. If the city council felt that the restriction were unneeded because the same amount of water would be used without them, it would be more understandable. However, it is now revealed that the reason for lifting restrictions was to increase the usage of water.

NC League of Conservation Voters endorses pro-conservation legislators in primary

NC League of Conservation Voters’ (NCLCV) Conservation PAC (CPAC) announced its endorsement of 10 pro-conservation legislators facing opposition in the May 8 primary voting. These legislators have made protecting North Carolina’s natural heritage a high priority even in the face of strong opposition.