6/30/2011

Big Thank You to Gov. Purdue--No to Fracking, etc.

Environmental Coalition Praises Governor Perdue For Vetoing GOP-Backed Bills That Would Have Hurt North Carolina's Environment and Economy


Coalition includes: Clean Water for North Carolina, Environment North Carolina, Environmental Defense Fund, North Carolina Coastal Federation, NC Conservation Network, NC League of Conservation Voters, NC Sierra Club, NC Wildlife Federation, Southern Environmental Law Center, Western North Carolina Alliance and others.

Governor Perdue’s historic vetoes of S 781 and S 709 are to be commended. The 2011 session of the N.C. General Assembly has carried out a relentless assault on the environment, and Governor Perdue understands that. The legislature has attacked environmental safeguards, land conservation, financial incentives for the wise management of our natural heritage, and even environmental education. We applaud the Governor for standing up to these assaults.

S 781, Regulatory Reform Act of 2011, would have handcuffed state agencies from creating environmental protections for North Carolina’s air and water. By vetoing S 781, the Governor recognizes that North Carolinians overwhelmingly support keeping or strengthening N.C.’s environmental safeguards.

S 709, Energy Jobs Act, would have put North Carolina’s thriving coastal tourism economy at risk, in search of elusive offshore drilling revenues. The bill would have also pushed North Carolina to begin hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas, a dangerous process which contaminates groundwater and has caused devastation in other eastern states.

Also, a copy of the letter submitted to the Governor asking for the veto of anti-environmental bills, which contains a complete listing of all 33 groups, can be found at: http://www.wral.com/asset/news/state/nccapitol/2011/06/21/9758002/Env_veto.PDF

For More Information

Clean Water for North Carolina -- Hope Taylor, 919-401-9600, hope@cwfnc.org

Environment North Carolina -- Elizabeth Ouzts, 919-833-0015, elizabeth@environmentnorthcarolina.org

Environmental Defense Fund - Jane Preyer, w 919-881-2912, c 919-740-6727, jpreyer@edf.org

North Carolina Conservation Network - Brian Buzby, 919-247-3617, brian@ncconservationnetwork.org

North Carolina League of Conservation Voters - Dan Crawford, 919-839-0020, dan@nclcv.org

N.C. Wildlife Federation --Tim Gestwicki, 704-332-5696, tim@ncwf.org

N.C. Sierra Club --Molly Diggins, 919-919-833-8467, molly.diggins@sierraclub.org

Southern Environmental Law Center - Derb Carter, 919-967-1450, derbc@selcnc.org

Western North Carolina Alliance - Julie Mayfield, 828-258-8737, Julie@wnca.org

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