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General Assembly Passes “Polluter Protection Act”

Late in the evening of Tuesday, September 30, the North Carolina House of Representatives voted on and passed House Bill 765, a piece of legislation that is outright hostile to the environment and the health and safety of the residents of North Carolina.

Dubbed “The Polluter Protection Act”, H765 would, under the premise of “regulatory reform”, accomplish the following:

  • shield companies that violated environmental laws from having to pay penalties and would allow them to hide evidence of wrongdoing from the public,

  • allow developers to damage without any mitigation intermittent streams which could cause the loss of critical linkages in our stream networks and damage our watersheds, and

  • eliminate air quality monitors in at least four mountain counties, reducing the available data regarding air quality and the public’s ability to know whether our air is clean and clear.

The state senate had already passed their version of the bill the night before, so it now goes before Governor Pat McCrory for his authorization. MountainTrue Co-directors Julie Mayfield and Bob Wagner have sent a letter to Governor McCrory outlining the most problematic provisions of H765 and asking him issue a veto in the public’s interest. You can read the letter here [PDF]. Additionally, we are asking supporters and concerned residents to call the Governor and demand a veto.

Regardless of the outcome of this fight, it is important that we educate the public on how our legislators vote when it comes to issues of environmental protection and public health. In order to protect our natural environment and the public, we have to hold politicians accountable come election time.

Here is how your legislators voted on the “Polluter Protection Act”:

 

District Name Vote on H765 Office Phone Number email
House 113 – Henderson, Polk, Transylvania Chris Whitmire – R Yes (919) 715-4466 Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net
House 114 – Buncombe Susan C. Fisher – D Excused Absence (919) 715-2013 Susan.Fisher@ncleg.net
House 115 – Buncombe John Ager – D No (919) 733-5746 John.Ager@ncleg.net
House 116 – Buncombe Brian Turner – D No (919) 715-3012 Brian.Turner@ncleg.net
House 117 – Henderson Chuck McGrady – R No (919)733-5956 Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net
House 118 – Haywood, Madison, Yancey Michele D. Presnell – R Yes (919) 733-5732 Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net
House 119 – Haywood, Jackson, Swain Joe Sam Queen – D No (919) 715-3005 Joe.Queen@ncleg.net
House 120 – Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon Roger West – R Yes (919) 733-5859 Roger.West@ncleg.net
House 85 – Avery, McDowell, Mitchell Josh Dobson – R Yes (919) 733-5862 Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net
House 93 – Ashe, Watauga Jonathan C. Jordan – R No (919) 733-7727 Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net
Senate 45 – Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga Dan Soucek – R Yes (919) 733-5742 Dan.Soucek@ncleg.net
Senate 47 – Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey Ralph Hise – R Yes (919) 733-3460 Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net
Senate 48 – Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania Tom Apodaca – R Yes (919) 733-5745 Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net
Senate 49 – Buncombe Terry Van Duyn – D No (919) 715-3001 Terry.VanDuyn@ncleg.net
Senate 50 – Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain Jim Davis – R Yes (919) 733-5875 Jim.Davis@ncleg.net