[Durham INC] The Bull City a bully...or DENR Dominating Durham?

Fri Mar 27 15:48:03 EDT 2009

The protection of Jordan Lake is too important to ignore. As a way to 
engage in this critical issue, I would like to suggest that residents 
do a couple of things to assist your elected and appointed officials 
in our fight for Jordan and the watershed surrounding it.

First, learn more about the proposed Jordan Lake rules. I appreciate 
Melissa sharing the Environment NC site. However, the information 
presented there is not balanced, and the tone is pejorative and 
exaggerated. On the website you will read: "Even more dismaying, city 
officials are arguing that part of the lake shouldn't really have to 
be clean." Where's the documentation to support that wild claim?

And even the original subject of this email ("The Bull City a 
bully?") is grossly unfair.

Please take time to familiarize yourselves with the City Council's 
position on this issue. Here is a website that provides a lot of information:
<http://durhamnc.gov/departments/wm/jordan_lake_rules.cfm>http://durhamnc.gov/departments/wm/jordan_lake_rules.cfm 

I've pulled out these three paragraphs as a summary:
"The Durham City Council, which has many members who are consistent 
supporters of environmental groups and initiatives in the region, has 
determined that not all of the Jordan Rules are in Durham's interest. 
The Council has endorsed many of the rules -- for example, the "new 
development" rule. That rule will raise the cost of stormwater 
controls for new housing and commercial and institutional 
construction in Durham to the highest in the state. However, the 
Council opposes some of the rules, particularly the "existing 
development" rule, given the outrageous costs which will fall on 
Durham citizens. This would force the City to pay an estimated $570 
million, could require condemnation of private property, and take 
property out of the City's tax base. The "science" behind Jordan 
Lake's condition can certainly be argued both ways, but it is a fact 
that the lake is successfully serving uses that many experts thought 
would be impossible when it was constructed.

"In fact, the water in the lower New Hope arm of the lake is now used 
as a source of drinking water for a number of communities, and Durham 
is working with other local governments to make Jordan Lake a 
regional water source. Thus, the City is invested in the water 
quality of Jordan Lake.

"A compromise approach is needed to strike a reasonable balance. The 
"existing development" rule is prohibitively expensive and should be 
substantially modified. Some rules need to be fine-tuned and others 
should remain as is. The result of such a compromise will continue to 
protect Jordan Lake at a more reasonable cost for citizens."

Even Environment NC acknowledges Durham's leadership ("The Bull City 
has been an environmental leader over the years.."), and the City has 
worked hard to be ahead of many of the issues raised with the Jordan 
Lake rules. However, as proposed, the rules are punitive, especially 
for a community that has been so far ahead of our neighbors on water 
protection.

On Monday evening, there will be a presentation on the Jordan Lake 
rules at City Hall, in the Committee Room on second floor. It begins 
at 7 PM. Please come join me (and a lot of other folks from across 
the region, I suspect) to learn more from the various groups who will 
be represented.

Second, once you've gotten a handle on these issues, please contact 
the City Council, the County Commissioners, and our legislators. All 
of us have pieces of this issue we're wrestling with. Let us know how you feel.

The myriad issues around Jordan Lake are complicated and deserve 
informed conversation.

Mike Woodard
One of the City Council members cited above as a "consistent 
supporter of environmental groups and initiatives in the region"

At 12:58 PM 3/27/2009, Melissa Rooney wrote:
>FYI --
>
>Melissa (Rooney)
>
>
>--- On Thu, 3/26/09, Elizabeth Ouzts, Environment North Carolina 
>State Director <ElizabethO at environmentnorthcarolina.org> wrote:
>From: Elizabeth Ouzts, Environment North Carolina State Director 
><ElizabethO at environmentnorthcarolina.org>
>Subject: The Bull City a bully?
>Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009, 9:43 PM
>
>Hi
>
>
>The Bull City has been an environmental leader over the years -- on 
>curbing global warming, on recycling.
>
>But now, Mayor Bill Bell isn't just opposing new rules to protect 
>Jordan Lake and New Hope Creek, he and the city council are trying 
>to recruit other local governments in the Triangle to join him. [1]
>That's not just bad news for Jordan Lake -- it's also bad news for 
>New Hope Creek, which feeds into the part of the reservoir that 
>Durham officials contend isn't worth protecting [2].
>Isn't worth protecting?
>
><http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/action/clean-water/durham?id4=ES>Send 
>an e-mail to Mayor Bell. Let him know you support protecting Jordan Lake.
>
>This just isn't right. Durham officials have long known that they'd 
>need to reduce pollution from their wastewater treatment plants, 
>since both state and federal laws require them to do so.
>
>The Mayor's actions simply don't jive with his history, and with 
>Durham's history, of leading when it comes to the environment.
>
>Send an e-mail to Durham Mayor Bill Bell. Let him know you support 
>protecting all of Jordan Lake.
>
><http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/action/clean-water/durham?id4=ES>www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/action/clean-water/durham?id4=ES
>
>Sincerely,
>Elizabeth Ouzts
>Environment North Carolina State Director
>ElizabethO at environmentnorthcarolina.org
><http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/>http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org
>
>P.S. Our records show that you're a resident of Durham. If you're 
>not, you can still help! Send this message to your friends that do 
>live in Durham. And if you haven't already, send an email to your 
>legislator to let them know you support protecting Jordan Lake.
>
>1. 
><http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/mayor-seeks-jordan-lake-accord>http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/mayor-seeks-jordan-lake-accord
>2. 
>http://townhall.townofchapelhill.org/agendas/2009/03/26/4/a/4a8-durham_letter_and_resolution.pdf
>
>
>
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