As the new home of NCPIRG's environmental work,
Environment North Carolina can be contacted with any questions regarding this
news release.
WILMINGTON—NCPIRG, the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group, has
launched a statewide grassroots campaign to help clear the state's air.
Summer staff from NCPIRG offices in Charlotte and Chapel Hill will
knock on 35,000 doors this summer, from Asheville to Wilmington,
distributing information and urging citizens to contact their House
Representatives in support of pending "Clean Smokestacks" legislation.
"It's
time to clear the air, and this summer we'll help make that happen by
talking to citizens one by one," said Dietrich Knabe, Assistant
Campaign Director for NCPIRG's Chapel Hill office.
Based
on the number of times the state has violated federal air quality
standards, North Carolina has some of the worst air pollution in the
nation. Smog pollution triggers 240,000 asthma attacks each year. Soot
pollution is cutting 1800 lives short each year. Mercury pollution is
contaminating the state's rivers, lakes, and streams, threatening
newborns with neurological disorder.
The
largest industrial source of the pollution that leads to smog, soot,
and mercury pollution is the electric utility industry. Coal-fired
power plants contribute to 85% of the Southeast's soot-forming sulfur
dioxide pollution, 45% of the state's smog-forming nitrogen oxide
pollution, and 65% of the state's mercury pollution.
The
NC General Assembly is debating legislation (S 1078, Sponsored by
Senator Steve Metcalf and Representative Martin Nesbitt of Buncombe
County) to reduce smog and soot-forming pollution from the state's 14
coal-fired power plants by over 70% and cut mercury pollution by 66%.
The Clean Air Task Force estimates the proposed cuts in soot-forming
emissions could save over 1000 premature deaths each year.
The
state's largest industrial users of electricity, represented by
associations such as MCIC (Manufacturers and Chemical Industry
Council), are lobbying against the measure because they oppose
increased electricity prices. Surveys from a recent Carolina Poll,
meanwhile, show that residential consumers are willing to pay the extra
$3.00 on their monthly utility bills for improved air quality.
That's
why NCPIRG will be asking residents throughout the state to sign
postcards that urge their House Representative to vote in favor of S
1078, the "Clean Smokestacks Act." They will also seek additional
support for the campaign and membership for NCPIRG.
"By
campaigning door to door this summer, we'll be able to talk to 35,000
citizens about North Carolina's air pollution," said Knabe. "Already,
we've spoken with 12,000 North Carolinians and gathered thousands of
signatures from concerned citizens who want the General Assembly to
clear the air before they adjourn. Hopefully that message will reach
Representative Danny McComas, Public Utilities Chairman Ronnie Smith,
and the rest of the House Representatives."
