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Organizers and Participants Gearing Up for the 2007 Relay for Clean Air
As the right to breathe clean air is further threatened by new federal and state energy policies
Organizers and Participants Gearing Up for the 2007 Relay for Clean Air
As the right to breathe clean air is further threatened by new federal and state energy policies
As applications are submitted to build a new generation of polluting coal and nuclear power plants throughout the Southeast, a new sense of urgency is propelling the work of the Canary Coalition and the annual Relay for Clean Air, set for Saturday, August 18.
In response to pending legislation and energy industry plans that would negatively impact air quality in the region, membership has doubled in the Canary Coalition over the past year. The Relay for Clean Air is an important message sent from citizens to government officials at the local, state and federal levels: There is nothing more important than clean air. All people depend upon clean air for good health, a healthy environment and a prosperous economy. Government energy policies need to begin to reflect the urgency of the climate change and air pollution crisis. Energy efficiency, conservation and clean, renewable resources should begin replacing dirty fossil fuel and dangerously problematic nuclear non-renewable energy sources.
The Relay for Clean Air has impact nationally and each year attracts media attention throughout the country because it takes place on the grounds of the two most visited and most polluted National Parks in America, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Relay begins at 6:15am, Saturday morning, and consists of 37 sections, some for walkers, some for runners and some for bicycle riders. A "clean air now" flag is passed from one section to the next to cover the 100 miles from Newfound Gap at the Tennessee-North Carolina border to downtown Asheville.
This year, the Relay will end in the parking area at 76 Biltmore Ave., above the French Broad Food Coop, at 8:30 pm Saturday night, where participants will be greeted with guest speakers, entertainment and refreshments. Music will be provided by Cooking with Quanta, a popular local group from western North Carolina. Members of the news media are invited to attend.
For more information contact The Canary Coalition, 828-631-3447, info@canarycoalition.org or visit the website at www.canarycoalition.org
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Energy Bill Corrupted by Utility Money
“Is this still Jim Black’s legislature?”
groups ask as utilities invest in key lawmakers
by
Jim Warren of North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network (NC WARN)
July 24, 2007
Durham, NC – A clean elections watchdog group reported today that two power companies pushing a controversial energy bill with sweeping implications for North Carolina have invested heavily in key state lawmakers who are trying to rush the legislation. Democracy North Carolina reports that Duke Energy and Progress Energy have spent nearly $1.7 million lobbying lawmakers and giving to their campaigns during the past two election cycles. The top ten recipients took an average of over $30,000 each in political contributions. Several of them have openly and aggressively pushed the energy bill.
The report, compiled by researcher Bob Hall, also shows that legislators pushing hard for the energy bill have other financial conflicts of interest. Financial disclosure reports of legislators indicate at least 7 of the 50 state Senators have stock valued at $10,000 or more in Duke or Progress Energy and 6 work for law firms representing “public utilities” or “utility regulation” interests.
Among the top financial recipients are several who have aggressively promoted bill S-3, including Senators Dan Clodfelter, Tony Rand and David Hoyle, and House members Pryor Gibson and Drew Saunders. Rep. Saunders will chair tomorrow’s Public Utilities Committee, and is expected to pass the energy bill in minutes.
“Is this still Jim Black’s legislature?” asked Jim Warren, executive director of NC WARN, a power company watchdog group, in reference to the former House speaker recently sentenced to five years in prison for corruption. “We’re calling on Governor Easley, Speaker Hackney and Senate President Basnight to back off the rush to pass the energy bill. North Carolina cannot afford another lottery-type scandal where the legislation is passed before the corruption is untangled. Passing a blatantly special-interest bill like this is no way to regain public confidence.”
Even House Energy Committee Chair Pricey Harrison expressed concern this week over press reports that the bill was largely written by Progress Energy lawyers.
Scores of organizations – including all but one environmental nonprofit – from across the political and economic spectrum are vigorously opposing the energy bill. They insist the 27-page, highly complex legislation is being rushed toward approval before legislators and others can understand its ramifications for North Carolina. A revised version was handed to members of the House energy committee yesterday 10 minutes after the meeting began. Fifty minutes later, the bill passed on a voice vote.
Some lawmakers have publicly complained both of pressure to speed the bill and of lack of clarity, along with grossly conflicting interpretations of key financial and environmental measures. One of the most contentious involves transferring the risk for new coal and nuclear power plants to customers – which could hike power bills before the plants are built. The Charlotte Observer reported last week that Duke CEO Jim Rogers said “that without the provision to pass on financing costs for the planned $6 billion [twin reactor] project, Duke will not move ahead with the nuclear plant.”
Another S-3 measure is linked to separate hog waste legislation, which is being reported as a victory for the state, even though river protection and environmental justice groups are furious at being undermined in their years-long effort to clean up over two-thousand hog cesspools. S-3 would enable the hog industry to avoid cleaning up the lagoons, and instead to put cheap covers over a few of them, then sell methane for electricity.
The power companies and their legislative allies have been pushing for quick approval of S-3 since its emergence in late June. NC WARN and other critics charge that the utilities crafted the bill strongly in their own favor, than added a variety of “sweeteners” to gain approval from a handful of special interests. One under-reported measure would exempt large industry from paying tens of millions annually in electricity taxes – which critics call a perverse disincentive that works against energy efficiency.
Bob Hall reports that, “Year after year, the PACs of Duke Energy and Progress Energy rank among the 10 largest in the state and among the 5 largest sponsored by a single company. The utilities’ gain influence through many means, including their large employment, investment, and tax payments, their gifts to nonprofits and universities, their business ties to policymakers, the scope of their expertise and knowledge, and their direct lobbying.”
Warren added, “Our state urgently needs to move to a clean, economical energy future. This bill is far too important to allow the power companies to continue dominating our system. It must be overhauled. The public is increasingly demanding that state leaders work for us – not big corporations. They better be listening.”
See the report by Democracy NC:
http://www.democracy-nc.org/moneyresearch/2007/utility2.pdf
NC WARN is a grassroots non-profit using science and activism to tackle climate change and reduce hazards to public health and the environment from nuclear power and other polluting electricity production, and working for a transition to safe, economical energy in North Carolina.
Pursuing new power plants is squandering our chances to cut greenhouse gases.
Jim Warren, Executive Director
NC WARN
North Carolina Waste Awareness & Reduction Network
Ph: 919-416-5077 Fax: 919-286-3985
PO Box 61051, Durham, NC 27715-1051
Email: Jim@ncwarn.org Web: www.ncwarn.org
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