Written by: Dan Besse
2/20/2007

Does everyone recall the infamous "Environmental Quality" hazardous waste fire in Apex (NC) last fall? Over 10,000 residents were evacuated, and for days no one knew precisely to what chemicals or health hazards they and their community were being exposed.
That disaster pointed out the gaping holes which remain in North Carolina's hazardous waste regulatory setup. As a direct result, Governor Easley appointed a task force to study ways to prevent or reduce the severity of such incidents in the future. In December, they reported a strong set of proposals to fill the gaps in our state's laws.
Last night, I moved—and my colleagues on the Winston-Salem City Council unanimously agreed—to endorse those recommendations. We're calling on our General Assembly to adopt legislation to prevent future debacles like the one suffered by Apex.

You can check out my full comments at http://www.bluenc.com/protect-north-carolina-from-hazardous-waste-disasters. At your convenience, please take a look and feel welcome to add your thoughts to the thread.

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