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Last night’s public hearing on Titan’s draft air permit could not have made me prouder of my community. Our rough headcount tallied 1,500 people attending the two public hearings held at the North Campus of Cape Fear Community College, with about 80 to 90 percent opposed to Titan’s permit. A virtual red tide of citizens demanded that DAQ reject the weak draft air permit on numerous legal, technical, and environmental grounds.
Titan has so little local support they had to bring in dozens of ringers, employees, and contractors from Virginia and South Carolina, who took up enough speaking slots from local residents that the DAQ hearing officer limited public comments to two minutes—which we later learned from Duke law professor Michelle Nowlin was a violation of North Carolina’s public hearing laws. Many people waited for more than an hour to get a seat in the packed auditorium which was standing-room only for both hearings.
I guess it’s not surprising that a dirty industry would pull such dirty tricks. About a dozen local residents and former Ideal Cement plant workers expressed legitimate concerns about the need for jobs in our area. Then there were the usual suspects associated with the WID/Committee of 100 that lured Titan here in the first place, including County Commissioners Bobby Greer and Bill Caster who gave them $4.2 million of our hard-earned money. This is the group who is convinced that a net of 48 jobs for the county is worth turning our airshed and aquifer into a toxic tailpipe. Most of the pro-Titan speakers, however seemed to be either on Titan’s payroll, on Titan’s bus, or represented companies that stood to gain financially if Titan’s plant is built.
But what can you expect from a company whose officers have misled the public about their toxic emissions, broken promises to our elected officials, refused to attend public forums, told us we need to eat less seafood because of mercury--but their mercury wouldn’t harm a thing, and used their high-paid hockey team of lobbyists to prevent legitimate debate before our general assembly? If this is the kind of underhanded, dirty pool they’re playing before they are even here, just imagine what they’d be like as neighbors.
Since we love numbers, here’s a rough breakdown of the speakers: 2 – 5 pm hearing An estimated 80 speakers About 50 local citizens opposed Titan’s draft air permit, including County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Riverkeeper Doug Springer, Coastkeeper Mike Giles, representatives from NC Sierra Club and Conservation Network, local physician Bob Parr, and a charming steel magnolia named Belle Lanier, age 80, who told DAQ officials exactly why Titan does not belong here.
Of the 30 pro-Titan speakers (we can’t remember one of these who actually addressed the air permit or air emissions), most were ringers bused in from out of state or represented companies that work for Titan. The dozen or so locals in favor included NHC Commissioners Caster and Greer, Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Connie Marjorette and Pender County Commissioner Norwood Blanchard. 6:30 – 9 pm hearing About 89 speakers 76 opposed to Titan’s draft air permit 13 in favor (Only Titan’s environmental guy specifically addressed the air permit). Of these, at least five were Titan contractors and one was from Martin Marietta, whose mine Titan will buy if they are allowed to set up shop. Only about seven or eight were unaffiliated with the company, one being Bob Warwick from WID/Committee of 100.
But you know what? It didn’t matter. Despite the company’s best efforts to tilt the table, their voices were drowned out by scores upon scores of local doctors, lawyers, businessmen, scientists, mothers, fathers, retirees, university students, and several incredible children—all who told DAQ officials in no uncertain terms that Titan’s emissions were unacceptable and that the industry was simply incompatible with our community and local environment. The night was full of great comments and great signs (my favorite: “Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Breath!) And speak we did. Here are just a few choice bits that I jotted down on an envelope. If I’ve misspelled your name or jumbled your quote, please forgive:
1. Derb Carter of the Southern Environmental Law Center—who represents the North Carolina Coastal Federation and Cape Fear River Watch--read a legal opinion from one of DENR’s own top officials saying the State Environmental Policy Act—which would hold all state permits until the federal EIS is finished--clearly applies to Titan—and that issuing the draft permit is in complete violation of the state law. He got a standing ovation.
2. Michelle Nowlin of the Duke Law Clinic, who represents PenderWatch and Conservancy, listed so many state laws and mandates that were violated by the draft permit that I lost count, from not addressing cumulative and secondary impacts of Titan’s emissions, to failing to address impacts on threatened and endangered species. In sum, a clear violation of SEPA and the federal NEPA process (and another standing ovation).
3. Patrick Duggins, a Duke law student calculated that based on Titan’s emissions per ton of cement, it would be the dirtiest new cement plant in the U.S., and that there are 11 old cement plants that emit less pollution per ton than Titan. I guess that’s why they’ve changed their slogan from “the most environmentally friendly cement plant in the world” to “one of the safest.”
4. Dr. Lydia Wright—one of the stars of the StopTitan doctor’s billboard and a widely respected neo-natal specialist, noted the increasing number of research studies linking mercury emissions to autism and premature births.
5. Dr. Fred Opper—another star of the doctor’s billboard and the mover and shaker behind the 240 local doctor’s names on the petition opposing Titan, mentioned that there is no safe level of mercury exposure for children.
6. Dr. Ed Horger, the first pediatrician to stand up and publicly oppose Titan, reiterated his strong belief that it is likely the greatest health threat to the children of this community.
7. Carlyle Gee, a local carpenter, made a passionate plea for our local air and water, and told hearing officers to “Go back to Raleigh and tell the people at DAQ that there are a lot of ticked of folks in Wilmington.”
8. Bill Vinyl, calculated that Titan’s mercury emissions over the next 40 years would be the equivalent of breaking 4.5 billion compact fluorescent light bulbs in the skies over our area.
9. Ben McCoy, a candidate for Wilmington city council promised that if DAQ issued Titan a final draft permit, “We will go totally Erin Brockovich on you!”
10. Local businessman and former WID member Chuck Agnoff said we should heed Virgil’s warning and “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”
11. Local ENT surgeon, Dr. Stuart Hardy, recounted a tale of listening to Titan’s paid consultant from Intertox tell a roomful of doctors that Titan’s mercury emissions were harmless. “He had to be the biggest (male donkey) I have ever met,” Hardy said to deafening applause.
12. And toward the end, a young mother whose name I didn’t get, stayed at the meeting with her young son until long past his bedtime to say that she had kept an open mind, read both sides of the issue, and had come to the conclusion that the costs of this cement plant were simply not worth the benefits. She ended by saying, “Since it’s my son’s bed time, I’ll leave you with this. I am the Lorax and I speak for the trees.” It was one of the best lines of the night.
I could go on, and on, and on, but the bottom line is this community stood tall last night, and did itself proud. And it should be a clear signal to DAQ chief Mr. Overcash that if he ignores the voices of the local citizens who will have to breathe Titan’s emissions for the next 50 years and issues Titan’s final permit anyway, we will, indeed “go totally Erin Brockovich.” And we now have a few good lawyers to back us up (your tax-deductible donations kindly accepted here for lawyers).
Now, to drive home our point, let’s flood DAQ with our comments via email and hand-written letters (crayons are acceptible, kids) to make absolutely sure they know exactly how we feel about Titan’s permit.
Again, feel free to use any of the talking points on the StopTitan.org website, or create your own. The NC Coastal Federation and Cape Fear River Watch have hired an air expert to review Titan’s permit as well, and when he’s finished we’ll post it on the web for those who would like to make more technical points in their comments. You can also contact the Coastal Federation or Cape Fear River Watch for additional specific points for your comment letters. Anyone who read or submitted written comments last night, please also send them via email or snail mail to:
Donald van der Vaart at:
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Make sure you cc: Governor Bev Perdue at:
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And cc us at
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and we’ll create a file on the website for all the comments for everyone to see.
If you prefer snail-mail, the address is:
Donald van der Vaaart Chief, Air Permits Section N.C. Division of Air Quality 1641 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699
A huge thanks to all the people in red who came out to speak for their kids, their family, and their community. Now that’s the Old North State I remember. As for Titan…
Esse Quam Videri! (For all you Virginians, it’s our state motto: “To be rather than to seem.”)
Your Friends and neighbors at
StopTitan.org / Friends of the Lower Cape Fear
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