Power Kite Forum

SULFUR PLANT planned for the OUTER BANKS! CANCELED BY GOV! :)

bigkahuna - 26-7-2011 at 03:44 AM

A Canadian owned company is planning to build a sulfur melting facility right on the Morehead City waterfront on the Outer Banks. I just learned about this a few days ago and everyone here is up in arms about it. Apparently the state of North Carolina was able to keep the whole thing secret until just over a week ago when a neighboring marina owner was able to find out about it.

This plant, if built, will be directly across the street from restaurants, yacht clubs, vacation condos and directly upwind and within site of some of the best surf and kitesurf spots in the US. This area is also home to one of the most productive fisheries on the East coast and the plant will be literally yards away from protected islands where wild horses still roam. Anyone who studied chemistry in high school or college will tell you that sulfur is nasty, toxic and poisonous and releases a very strong "rotten egg" smell. PCS Phosphate wants to burn / melt 5,000 TONS OF IT A DAY directly in sight of our beaches and dunes!

The residents have banded together and are trying to get the word out to everyone. All the local and county governments have spoke out against it. Even conservative groups, like the economic development agency and board of realtors are against it. Apparently this plant is a done deal unless the Governor pulls the plug on it. Our only hope to saving the Southern Outer Banks from becoming an industrial wasteland is a huge public outcry!

If you kite on the banks, hope to kite on the banks, or care at all about the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I encourage you to learn more about it and email or call Governor Perdue and tell her to STOP THE SULFUR PLANT!

More info here: http://www.cleancounty.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clean-County-Coalition/1736858...

Latest news articles here: http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/news-times/front/

Governor Beverly Perdue's email: governor.office@nc.gov

ragden - 26-7-2011 at 04:20 AM

Wow... what a shocker...
And this.. after the fiasco last year with the Audobon Society trying to shut down all access to the banks... Seems like the pendulum has come around full swing...

bigkahuna - 26-7-2011 at 04:34 AM

What's most disturbing about this is that the entire approval process was done in secret. None of the local government officials were notified of the plan nor was the public. We would have never even found out about it had it not been for an inquisitive marina owner. The fellow who owns one of the marinas in town was given a notice that the channel was to be widened, when he investigated it he learned it was for a sulfur factory! He then notified the Carteret County News-Times and then all hell broke loose. An article appeared in the Raleigh paper this weekend that touches on some of the details on how the state was able to keep this whole thing secret. Scary stuff, government conspiring with big business. Screw the taxpayers and screw the environment!

PHREERIDER - 26-7-2011 at 05:20 AM

now that sucks.

treasure to trash

bigkahuna - 26-7-2011 at 06:23 AM

Yeah, everyone here is either in shock or enraged over this. Please, if you have a moment. Just send an email to the governor and tell her how you feel. Our biggest source of income here is tourism and if this plant is built, that'll come to an end. Even if you don't live here and just visit here to kite, please email the governor. WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

mukluk - 26-7-2011 at 08:37 AM

Keep the bastards honest down there!

I sent some info to the saskatchewan cbc in case it had slipped under their radar...there's at least a chance they will pick up the story in Sask as potash corp is a big deal there.

bigkahuna - 26-7-2011 at 09:44 AM

@mukluk - Thanks. The story's been picked up by the Associated Press and has already appeared in Business Week, Forbes and just about every news organization in the state. It's been on the front page of the local papers every day for over a week and has been in the "big" papers in Raleigh since the end of last week.

This, unlike some of the other issues the banks has faced recently, could effect people from all over. That's been one thing that has been interesting about this issue, it seems to have -universal- support. Everyone, rich or poor, conservative or liberal, democrat or republican have all spoken out against it. The issue at present is that this is all but a done deal. All the required approvals have been signed. They were in the final stages of notifying neighboring property owners when the public finally found out about it. The only thing that can stop it at this stage is Governor Perdue. Last Friday the Governor issued a "stand still" order, essentially pausing any future action on the plant, giving her time to "evaluate her options". That's why it's so important for everyone who cares at all about the banks to take one minute and send her an email.

md2pigeon - 26-7-2011 at 02:03 PM

Big

Why dont you post the email address for the people to contact about this i would gladly send an email. The obx is where i learned to kiteboard!

bigkahuna - 26-7-2011 at 02:54 PM

@md2pigeon - I did, at the end of the first post. Here it is again: Governor Perdue, email: governor.office@nc.gov

Jaymz - 26-7-2011 at 08:46 PM

Gotta wonder WHO is getting paid off/ kickbacks to allow this?!?!?! Sounds like a shady deal going on behind closed doors.

bigkahuna - 27-7-2011 at 01:07 AM

@Jaymz - Yea, you're right, something STINKS about this deal. ;) Seriously though, the more I read about what has happened so far the more I feel that some sort of collusion was going on in the background to keep this deal secret for so long. We're a small community, less than 10,000 residents, and for a $95 million deal to happen in the middle of town without the mayor, city council, county commissioners, or state representatives knowing about it? Sounds pretty far fetched to me. Whatever the outcome, I feel that our attorney general needs to investigate this. Without an official investigation I don't think we'll ever really know what happened. Once the facts start to see the light of day things will start to pull together fast. Anyone here remember WATERGATE?

I updated the first post to include a link to the coalition's Facebook page. That's where all the latest info ends up being posted.

bigkahuna - 27-7-2011 at 09:26 AM

I've just learned that Governor Perdue will be here to announce her decision later this afternoon. Let's hope for the best!

bigkahuna - 27-7-2011 at 04:11 PM

BREAKING NEWS: I just returned from a meeting with the Governor and she met with PCS and they have voluntarily abandoned their plans for a sulfur plant here in Morehead City. She also signed an executive order to add additional safeguards and public involvement in future port planning.

WAY TO GO BEV! THANK YOU!!!

Frathouse - 28-7-2011 at 09:41 AM

I'm glad to hear that the plant is cancelled. I can't imagine why anyone would a) want to build something like that there and b) would think they could do that to such a pristine vacation spot. Now if we can just keep the fanatics at the audoban society from kicking humans off the beachs and sound we will all be happy. :)

sunset-Jim - 28-7-2011 at 10:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bigkahuna
BREAKING NEWS: I just returned from a meeting with the Governor and she met with PCS and they have voluntarily abandoned their plans for a sulfur plant here in Morehead City. She also signed an executive order to add additional safeguards and public involvement in future port planning.

WAY TO GO BEV! THANK YOU!!!


Obviously my phone call to her did some good... lol...j/k

Great News

bigkahuna - 28-7-2011 at 03:49 PM

@sunset-Jim - Yes, I believe -everyone's- call's and emails helped enormously, thanks to everyone who helped! :)