The title of the article is "A Return To Failed Rules", from the online publication called "Coastal Review Online" that further describes itself as being
A Daily News Service Covering North Carolina's Coast
The news is grim and depressing as once again our Tar Heel Teabilly Taliban state politicians in Raleigh once again bow down to the corporate agenda of the A.L.E.C. and the Koch Brothers (along with "Minnie Me' Art Pope) to turn back the environmental laws that have been place to protect North Carolina's beautiful coastline. It seems that they feel the need to destroy all that is natural in North Carolina to advance the interests of "promoting business".....
Really?
This is the reason (a.k.a. "excuse) they give to turning our state clock back 50 years in terms of progress. This is how our Legislature passes such horrible legislation:
The proposals were added to House Bill 765, which was originally a single-page bill about gravel. It’s the latest in a long line of bills by Republicans in control of the N.C. General Assembly to weaken or kill rules that they consider unnecessary or too burdensome on business. Under the guise of “reform,” they have passed similar bills in every session of the legislature since Republicans took control in 2011.
Follow me below the orange bio hazard "Do Not Swim" sign for details....
First and foremost, before any details........This bill would allow for the polluters to police themselves: Where have we heard this "line" before?
Gomer Pyle had it right.....
The bill would allow polluters to conduct voluntary environmental audits of their operations that would prevent DENR from taking enforcement action against an illegal activity if the companies made a “diligent” effort to correct the problems in a “reasonable” amount of time. The public wouldn’t be allowed to see the audits and neither could they be used as evidence in court proceedings.
What is one of the the greatest damage to come from in this bill? Severely weakened coastal storm water runoff laws:
Coastal storm water rules would see a major change, rolling back to density requirements in place in 2008. The change would double the allowable density to 24 percent impervious surface adjacent to Outstanding Resource Waters, the states highest water classification, and within a half mile of shellfish waters. Higher building densities usually lead to higher volumes of storm water flowing into adjacent waters. Storm water is the largest source of water pollution along the coast.
What else is in this bill? Mary Maclean Asbill, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center went on to say:
Asbill said while the return of already rejected provisions is troubling, one new addition is even more of a concern.
That provision would force law firms, such as hers, that represent private groups that sue on environmental grounds and lose to reimburse the states legal fees.
Asbill said that, while the provision is aimed at firms like the law center, the bill will ultimately affect peoples right to challenge the state in a wide array of cases. A section of the provision also applies to all transportation-related projects.
Cassie Gavin, director of government relations for the N.C. chapter of the Sierra Club, said the provision is clearly aimed at stopping people from fighting projects.
The intent and impact would be a chilling of citizen suits on environmental issues, she said. Those types of lawsuits were important during the Titan Cement expansion and in pushing the state to address coal ash, she said.
Another section of the bill also proposed unsuccessfully last year would allow projects that require state clean air permits to move forward while the permit is under challenge by a private group or other third party.
As if the recent shark attacks on swimmers isn't enough to keep the public from enjoying the beautiful North Carolina beaches this, and every summer hereafter....
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill as early as today and send it back to the House.
Sources for diary: http://www.coastalreview.org/...
Be safe out there.