Editorials - 03/29/01

Let's don't take sides; all air should be clean

But this week we find ourselves at odds with Robinson's stated position that basically ignores polluting in-state power plants while condemning those outside our borders that are regulated by the federal government through the Tennessee Valley Authority.

We just don't see TVA vs. N.C. as an either-or kind of issue.

Just because Robinson views out-of-state polluters as more of a threat to our mountains than coal-fired power plants owned by CP&L and Duke doesn't necessarily mean he should only support cleaning up one set of polluters.

The Clean Air Coalition, which includes our local Canary Coalition, is focusing its efforts on the plants in North Carolina because its members live and vote in this state, which should make Tar Heel legislators sit up and take notice of its resolutions and petitions. They are focusing on in-state polluters because the N.C. General Assembly only has regulatory authority over utilities inside North Carolina's borders.

Until Tar Heel power plants are operating cleanly and efficiently, it's too easy for other states and the federal government to deny their contribution to our air pollution and its aftermath of health hazards, environmental harm and poor visibility.

While it appears true that most of our problems here in WNC are caused by emissions from somewhere else, it also must be true that emissions from N.C. plants are harming other areas of our state as well as causing pollution in neighboring states.

Of course we support cleaning up coal-fired plants regardless of their location, and we believe that Robinson does too. But we'd like to see him tackle the polluters over which he and his fellow law makers have jurisdiction with the same fervor he's applying to attempts to put congressional pressure on TVA.

According to figures we've seen, if all of our state's existing coal-fired plants were brought to modern standards, consumers would see only a 5 percent rate hike. Given the support for tougher standards at last summer's hearings, we believe it's a price they'd gladly pay to save their health - and their forests.

If air pollution is bad, then it's bad for all North Carolinians and all Americans. Let's clean it all up - and let's do it now.

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