coastal

Tomorrow, both scientists and state officials will gather for a two-day conference on the issue of sea level rise on North Carolina's coast. From the Wilmington Star:

"But how much will the water rise, and where and when? And which parts of the North Carolina coast are the most vulnerable?

More important, what can we do today to prepare for a problem that likely won’t become alarming to the public and elected officials for decades, if at all?

Those are a few of the questions scientists and state officials plan to tackle during a two-day conference, organized by the NC Coastal Resources Commission, that starts in Raleigh on Thursday."

With input from NC Sea Grant, NC Coastal Federation, and NC Department of Transportation, it will be interesting to see what the conference brings about since we are in a precarious position with the encroaching sea level--particularly with the Outer Banks. And of course, this is a complex issue that not only involves beach nourishment and planning efforts, but also humankind's climate change plight, which is contributing to the rise.

Hopefully, we can get our heads out of the sand and enact some measures to protect the places we love.

It's been 20 years since the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill tainted Alaska's Price William Sound with over 11 million gallons of oil. I was only 10 when the spill happened, but I remember hearing about it, watching stories on the news, and being shocked by the damage done to plants, animals, and the beautiful coast. I recently came across a question from a reader of E-Magazine who asked, "I haven’t heard much of late about big oil spills like the infamous Exxon Valdez. Has the industry cleaned up its act, or do the media just not report them?"

Their response provides a basic recap of what's been done over the past 20 years in terms of deterring another accident like the Valdez spill, and discusses what still needs to be done. It's a short article and worth a quick read if you have time!

From the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Last year, around this time, I posted on the discharging of human waste into the sounds and oceans near Wrightsville. I was so disgusted by the thought of it all that I couldn't resist posting again, this time regarding a call for public comments on a proposed waste discharge ban in New Hanover county-area waters. From Star News Online:

"The Environmental Protection Agency has determined there are enough waste-pumping stations in New Hanover County to support banning boaters from discharging their waste into the area’s coastal waters.

[...]

The proposed no-discharge zone would cover the entire coast of New Hanover County, out to three nautical miles, plus the Intracoastal Waterway and all the tidal creeks that drain to it. The effort was started by officials in Wrightsville Beach who were concerned about swimming advisories due to high bacteria counts in Banks Channel. Researchers from the University of North Carolina Wilmington found evidence pointing to human waste as the likely culprit."

I did some digging and found the link to the EPA site regarding this issue. If you scroll to the bottom, the public comment details are there. Check it out!

If you have 5-10 minutes, I encourage you to take this online survey that the NC Division of Coastal Management and the Coastal Resources Commission put together on sea level rise in North Carolina. They are seeking input for what concerned citizens feel are the best/most appropriate ways to handle coastal development, beach erosion, etc.

It's pretty quick and also provides some insight on what these agencies are already thinking about. For instance, one of the questions asked about whether they should set aside undeveloped land for wildlife to migrate to, given a change in sea level...I had never even thought of that!

Let us know what your thoughts are once you've taken the survey.

Thought readers might be interested in this article from the News & Observer regarding North Carolina's beach quality as compared to that of South Carolina's. From the article:

"The quality of South Carolina's beach waters and their maintenance fare poorly compared with those off the coasts of neighboring Georgia and North Carolina, a national environmental group said Wednesday."

Hopefully people will see this as sign that regular water testing, strong coastal regulations, and the prompt posting of warning signs work to help maintain water quality and the safety of the public! However, this is part of an ongoing struggle to keep our coast clean. If we condone unfettered coastal development, unenforced or lack of regulations, and the use of hardened structures on our beaches, our fragile coast could find itself at the bottom of the list in future years.

Let's keep up the good work to protect some of our favorite places!

Back in April, I posted an entry regarding NO PORT Southport's contest to determine how a 600 acre track of marshes, wetlands, and woodlands on the Cape Fear River should be used...instead of as a giant shipping port. The contest rules specified that the proposal "must create jobs and generate revenue as well as be environmentally friendly, fiscally responsible, and generally enhance the quality of life in our area."

I'm happy to announce that the winners have been chosen! From their press release:

"First place went to Frank A. Bausch of Caswell Beach, second place to Robert Mark Santi from Southport and third place was taken by Richard & Kimberly Bandera also from Southport. Cash prizes of $500, $300, $100 were awarded.

[...]

The winning entry focused on creating a state park with renewable energy as its theme. The park is divided up into seven individual sites showcasing or demonstrating renewable/alternative energy production and storage technologies. Called the “Southport Energy Park”, this use of the 600 acres excelled in meeting the criteria established: Job creation, an environmentally friendly alternative to the proposed port, generating revenue, being a positive addition to our unique region and co-existence with a nuclear power plant and an ammunition terminal."

Check out this article from the Brunswick Beacon, and this one from Star News Online for all the details. You can also watch a video about the project by clicking here.

Our congratulations to the winners for their innovative proposals, which will be sent to Governor Perdue.

Take action now!

Under current law, coastal projects need to get approvals under the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). A subset of large, complex projects with the potential for substantial impacts trigger State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA), which requires more detailed environmental analysis before the CAMA process officially begins.

S778, if enacted, would exempt all CAMA projects from SEPA, eliminating vital opportunities for you and other concerned citizens to influence the very biggest development decisions made along our coast. Specifically, S778 would eliminate SEPA pre-review, which includes: explanation of the need for a project, analysis of alternatives, and written assessments of likely environmental impacts and potential mitigation. Without that information, it is much harder for concerned citizens to offer effective comments during the CAMA permit process.

Senate Bill 778 doesn’t get rid of an overlap – it undermines public comment in major decisions shaping the future of our coast. Take action today at http://ncconservationnetwork1.org/campaign/camasepa!

One of our fabulous activists sent us some info about an issue I didn't know anything about--an international port that is being proposed to be constructed in Southport, NC. Below is the press release and a link for more info. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this issue as I'm not familiar with it. I do like the concept of making the solution a contest!

NO PORT Southport is sponsoring a contest called: Public Options Regarding Terminal Site or P.O.R.T.S. The kick-off begins April 1, 2009 and the contest ends June 15, 2009. The winning entries will be presented to Governor Perdue.

This contest is being presented to the public to allow everyone a voice in saying how 600 acres of pristine marshes, wetlands and woods located on the Cape Fear River can be used instead of an international container port. The proposal must create jobs and generate revenue as well as environmentally friendly, fiscally responsible, and generally enhance the quality of life in our area.

Prizes are $500 - 1st place, $300 - 2nd place and $100 - 3rd place. Entries will be independently judged.

Detailed information on the contest is found on our web site www.noportsouthport.org.

North Carolina has over 300 miles of beautiful coastline, thanks in large part to a state law that bans seawalls and other “hardened structures” from being built on our beaches. But a bill just introduced in the state legislature could threaten our strong beach protections that have been intact for over two decades. Senate Bill 832 would open our entire coastline to the construction of hardened structures, like "terminal groins."

Barrier islands are by nature active environments that change with the ebb and flow of the tide. Interrupting the natural flow of sand by using terminal groins can cause erosion and other negative impacts on neighboring properties and beaches. This is not a solution to beach erosion, but rather a quick fix for a few homeowners with destructive consequences for our public beaches.

Use this form to send your legislator an email and urge their opposition to Senate Bill 832. Please add your own comments to the letter. For more info on this bill, please click here.

The Titan Cement Company plans to construct a coal fired cement plant and limestone mine adjacent to the Northeast Cape Fear River in New Hanover County, NC. The plant would emit toxic mercury and the mining operation would destroy over 1,000 acres of NC wetlands.

Alarmingly, Titan has managed to negotiate their way out of a state law so that they can be granted an air pollution permit prior to the completion of their Environmental Impact Statement (a process that determines the public health and environmental impacts of their cement plant).

Help us stop Titan: Send the email to your state legislators here and urge them to support SB 699, an 18-month moratorium on the construction of cement plants in NC. During the moratorium, the General Assembly should study environmental permitting and siting issues related to cement plants, and then decide if Titan should continue its plans to build. Click here to view a fact sheet on stopping Titan from stoptitan.org.

Take action!