A bipartisan group of North Carolina legislators have committed to improving North Carolina’s air quality.

Sens. Steve Metcalf and Charles Carter, both Democrats from Buncombe County, introduced Senate Bill 1078 (short title - Improve Air Quality/Electric Utilities) on April 4. The bill was sent to the Committee on Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources. Rep. Martin Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) introduced a companion bill in the House.

In a press release, Metcalf said, “Air pollution in North Carolina - particularly in Western North Carolina - is a threat to public health, to our economy and the environment. This bill will address those problems and ensure that our children and our grandchildren will be able to breathe clean air.”

Metcalf, who is one of the co-chairs of the Senate Select Subcommittee on Western Air Quality, also said, “We need to do everything we can to force polluters like the Tennessee Valley Authority to clean up their act. My bill will help us take every possible action against out-of-state polluters.”

The bill has 29 co-sponsors in the Senate and 40 in the House. Some western legislators who are co-sponsoring include Senators Bob Carpenter (R-Macon), John Garwood (R-Wilkes), Virginia Foxx (R-Watauga), Phillip Berger (R-Watauga) and Representatives Phil Haire (D-Jackson), Marge Carpenter (R-Haywood) and Walter Church (D-Burke).

Michael Shore of N.C. Environmental Defense, while admitting the bill fell short of the N.C. Clean Smokestacks Plan, said the bill was “a very significant step forward.”

According to Shore, the bill introduced by Metcalf and Carter would reduce NOx (nitrogen oxides) by 77 percent by 2009 and SO2 (sulfur dioxides) by 73 percent by 2013. The Smokestacks Plan called for an 80-percent reduction in both NOx and SO2 by 2007. It also called for a 90-percent reduction in mercury emissions and a reduction in CO2 (carbon dioxide) to 1990 levels.

Brownie Newman of the Western North Carolina Alliance noted that even though direct action wasn’t called for regarding mercury and CO2, there would be some collateral reduction in these emissions. He said the technology required to reduce the NOx and SO2 would, hopefully, reduce mercury emissions by 70 to 80 percent and also help reduce CO2.

Sections six and seven of SB 1078 call for the Division of Air Quality to evaluate control technologies and estimate the benefits and costs regarding the reduction of mercury and CO2. The Division of Air Quality is to have these studies completed by March 1, 2002.

Shore applauded Metcalf, Carter and Nesbitt’s efforts to bring everyone - legislators, environmentalists and industry - to the table. He said the Senate Select Subcommittee could have come in with weak legislation but did not.

Nancy Thompson, community relations manager for Carolina Power and Light, also praised the inclusive way legislators forged the bill. CP&L and Duke were able to provide input to insure that reliable production of electricity would not be jeopardized, Thompson said.

“If the citizens of North Carolina want to adopt aggressive air quality legislation, this package is the way to do it,” Thompson said.

Sen. Dan Robinson (D-Jackson) is the third co-chair, along with Metcalf and Carter, of the Senate Subcommittee on Western Air Quality. While Robinson did not sign on as a co-sponsor to SB 1078, he said that he was hopeful for the bill and looked forward to the opportunity to vote for it.

Robinson said he wanted to “dispel once and for all any perceptions that he was not opposed to air pollution.”

He said he was committed to carrying out the objectives of the subcommittee and cleaning the air of WNC. Robinson said a letter had been crafted and signed by all 50 state senators and would be delivered to members of Congress studying the effects of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal-fired plants.

Robinson feels that TVA is responsible for most of the pollution in WNC, and since they are a federal entity it will require federal regulations to move them towards producing cleaner energy.

Rep. Carpenter (R-Haywood) is a co-sponsor of bill. She said she was, “quite excited - everyone is on board. We must have business working with us to pass this legislation.” She said she was also looking forward to working with Rep. Charles Taylor (R- Brevard) on the federal level.

Newman believes if North Carolina can pass this legislation before the upcoming Southeastern Governors Summit on Air Quality scheduled for May 31-June 1, in Gatlinburg, Tenn., Gov. Easley and the state could take an active leadership role in solving the region’s air quality woes.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News