20140957 Ver 2_I OPPOSE THE ATLANTIC COAST PIPELINE_20170818

Strickland, Bev
From:Anne Schrader <[e-mail]>
Sent:Friday, August 18, 2017 7:11 PM
To:SVC_DENR.publiccomments
Subject:I OPPOSE THE ATLANTIC COAST PIPELINE
Atlantic Coast Pipeline Lumberton Public Hearing
Aug 17, 2017
Our planet is in a severe environmental crisis and The proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline will certainly further
contribute to:
1. Pollution:
Leaking methane into our air and toxic chemicals into our water and soil.
2. Natural Resource Depletion:
Through aggressive over fracking instead of transitioning to renewable energy such as solar, wind, and tidal.
North Carolina is already a leader in the nation in renewable, truly clean and free energy! It's insanity to force the people of North
Carolina into 30 years of unhealthy fossil fuel dependency !
3. Waste Disposal Disasters: North Carolina's precious waterways, soil, and air is already being overwhelmingly polluted and harmed
by some of the largest chemical and agriculture Industries in the nation. Why add to this with the unnecessary, toxic Atlantic Coast
pipeline?
Let us be very clear and recall that in:
February 2014: Duke Energy illegally and criminally dumped a massive 82,000 tons of toxic coal ash into the Dan River,
resulting in the largest and most disastrous federal criminal fine in North Carolina History! According to the DENR, this
illegal toxic dumping was the result of repeated failures and ignored warnings by duke Energy to exercise controls over
coal ash facilities.
Among Duke’s most glaring failures there, prosecutors said: twice refusing to spend $20,000 on internal pipe inspections three years
before a 48-inch storm water pipe failed under a 27-acre coal ash pond.
The Dan River watershed is home endangered species; Livestock has access to the river; and the river is used for crop irrigation. It is
also a recreational water body; and most importantly is a source of drinking water to residents in North Carolina and Virginia.
The coal ash that was released into the Dan River contains unburned carbon and various
metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium and
zinc.

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There have been no exceedances in human health screening in the surface water and sediment samples collected from the Kerr
Reservoir for the contaminants of concern and no maximum contaminant levels established to safeguard human and wildlife health and
safety.

A GOOD INDICATION OF A CORPORATION'S FUTURE BEHAVIOR IS TO LOOK AT THEIR PAST BEHAVIOR.

My point is proven because that same year, North Carolina regulators cited Duke Energy for illegally and deliberately
dumping 61 million gallons of toxic coal ash waste into a tributary of the Cape Fear River, which provides drinking water
for several cities and towns in the state.
According to The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), This incident marks
the eighth time in less than a month that the Duke Energy has been accused of violating environmental regulations.
Moreover, Duke Energy's proposed Atlantic Coast pipeline would further contribute to:
4. Climate Change: . Directly affected by burning harmful fossil fuels such as those from the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline and also
contributing to severe flooding like last years Hurricane Matthew--the largest and most economically devastating environmental disaster
is North Carolina's history.
5. Loss of Biodiversity: Clear cutting, dynamiting, and decimating land and waterways involved in the ACP construction leads to the
further extinction of species, habitats and Eco systems in our beloved state of North Carolina.
6. Deforestation: Our pristine forests along the Blue Ridge Parkway, scheduled for clear cutting by the ACP, are not only beautiful and
home to thousands of animals; but these precious trees purify and provide the very air we need to live...
7. Ocean Acidification: Theis proposed pipeline fossil fuel and methane trap heat into the earth's atmosphere forcing our precious
Atlantic ocean to absorb it killing sea life.
8. Acid Rain: the combustion of the ACP fossil fuels is a leading contributor to acid rain which has serious effects on human health,
wildlife and aquatic species.
9. Water Pollution: WATER IS LIFE and Clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. Industrial development and the fossil fuel
industry are filling our rivers seas and oceans with toxic pollutants which are a major threat to human health.
Finally, we are already in a global and statewide environmental crisis.
Now is the time to say NO to Duke Energy's Criminal and repeated disregard for human and environmental health and wellbeing in its
own state of North Carolina. Now is the time to say NO MORE to polluting the air, water, and land that we need for LIFE and future
generations.
Now is the time for courageous and transparent leadership who stand up for what's right, good, and true.
The citizens of North Carolina demand a clean environment for OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT. We demand that our human interests be
put before Duke Energy's corporate interests by stopping this pipeline.
Thank you.
Anne Schrader,
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Fayetteville NC

--
Anne M. Schrader

REACHING...TEACHING...INSPIRING...EXCELLENCE...

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