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