It was just over two years ago when Greenpeace activists went into the coal plant in South Asheville and hung banners. They did it to point out that coal is destroying our mountains, destroying our air, causing climate change and poisoning our water and our lands. They were arrested for this action. And yet, the very corporations that are destroying our water, land and air are not arrested.
And if my memory serves me correctly, Sheriff Duncan expressed the opinion that those activists were acting like terrorists. Duncan was concerned that they could have shut down power production at the plant. In my opinion, it is Progress Energy (now Duke Energy) that is (and was) engaging in criminal behavior. They are the ones who are destroying our land, our air, our waterways and groundwater.
The activists were correct, and they were heroes in my eyes for doing what they did to point out the problems that coal and coal ash are causing us. Those activists need to be seriously listened to by our legislators, our law enforcement personnel and Duke Energy’s CEO and management. Their recommendations need to be acted on.
We need to go for clean and renewable energy. Our N.C. legislature and state officials need to take action on this issue, and they need to do it now.
And I hope former Rep. Heath Shuler, who now works as chief lobbyist for Duke Energy, takes his kids on vacation this summer to play in the Dan River in Virginia. Maybe they can dig around in the muck and find some turtle shells or fish skeletons. And maybe Mr. Shuler can reflect on what he is doing with his life and how it impacts his children’s future.
— Susan Oehler
Asheville
How long has this been going on?
http://www.tubechop.com/watch/2083645
.
“These issues have been known for a long time. To talk about them as a surprise to anybody…I don’t think any of them are much of a surprise. Coal ash failures are going to happen…It ‘s inevitable with this kind of design of ash ponds…In the first six months of the year, we had over 300 unpermitted spills in the Catawba Basin. These are common issues.” -Richard Gaskin, Executive Director, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, Environmental Review Commission, Dan River and Haw River spills, Mon, February 17, 2014 (2:20:40)
http://voterradio.com/audio/leg/2014/senate/2_17_14_enviro_review.mp3
Consultants raised red flags on ash basins
http://m.godanriver.com/news/coal-ash/consultants-raised-red-flags-on-ash-basins/article_a09cc156-a1ab-11e3-b010-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm
Companies like Duke have been giving to both parties
http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/companies-like-duke-have-been-giving-to-both-parties/article_0a4c5860-d8cb-5d5d-a478-156d55c401c8.html
EPA Proposes National Safeguards on Coal Ash, May 4, 2010
http://www.southernenvironment.org/newsroom/press_releases/epa_proposes_national_safeguards_on_coal_ash/
In Harm’s Way: Coal Ash-Contaminated Sites
http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/in-harm-s-way-coal-ash-contaminated-sites
Yeah, they have been known for a long time. And we have repeatedly FAILED to take appropriate action, instead the authorities (and people like you Tim) go after the activists! You do it by criticizing, while the authorities do it by harassing and arresting them.
I think the Greenpeace activists are heroes. I think you are a waste of time.
By the way, you failed to retract your claim that I was “partisan” and letting the Democrats off the hook. As you can clearly see in this letter, that claim was a lie.
Yes, it has been known for a long time, WHICH IS CLEARLY EVIDENT WHEN YOU SEE ACTIVISTS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME.
Those activists are heroes in my eyes. You are a creepy time-waster. (Creepy comes from your tendency to stalk people.)
By the way, you forgot to mention that your claims that I was a Democratic party partisan (on the comments at the ACT) WERE COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY WRONG!! This is clear since this letter was written well before your comments were posted. It certainly is far from being the first thing you are wrong about.
And stop recommending that people read your links. It is a waste of time to read things that you already read years ago. We are not all as poorly informed as you are, and furthermore, we are working for solutions, not working to waste other people’s time.
Poisoning one’s planet does not mix with runaway cancerous free market capitalism (no gub’ment in my bi’ness).
Mutually exclusive goals.
One must be able to drink clean water, breathe fresh air and eat untainted food to reap the benefits from economically enslaving the other 99% of the world.
Please quote me- “You can’t breathe money”.
Susan, I hope you don’t have any electric appliances working for your comfort or benefit…as that would make you a huge hypocrite. The only answer is POPULATION REDUCTION, which nobody seems to be discussing.