“We eventually quit working with Julie [Mayfield] after it became clear to us that it was more important to her to protect her relationship with the ‘good’ Republican on the environment, Rep. Chuck McGrady, than to fight really hard for the city of Asheville.”
State representatives Chuck McGrady, Tim Moffitt, and Nathan Ramsey have filed a bill to take control of Asheville’s water system and transfer it to the Metropolitan Sewerage District.
A proposed compensation settlement of $57 million by the Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County for the proposed Asheville water system merger was officially endorsed on Friday by the MSD board’s planning committee, and moves to the full board on December 12.
In the furor over the fate of the city’s water system, one important aspect has escaped notice: in July, Henderson County is due to transfer an 137-acre property near Bent Creek to the city of Asheville. Lawyers for both acknowledge the deadline, but are staying mum about its relation to the current dispute.
The state’s handling of environmental contamination surrounding the former CTS of Asheville plant on Mills Gap Road is about to get some concerted attention in Raleigh, thanks to a special committee chaired by Rep. Tim Moffitt. See a detailed timeline of the long-standing CTS case after the jump. Photo by Katie Damien.
