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N.C. Governor Vetoes Leachate Spraying Bill
Cooper vetoed the bill saying, “Scientists, not the legislature, should decide whether a patented technology can safely dispose of contaminated liquids from landfills.”
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North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a bill that would have allowed spraying of leachate wastewater from landfills into the air.
One environmentalist attorney called the process “garbage juice in a snowblower.”
The measure would have required the permitting of an untested technology to spray leachate from landfills into the air. The theory is the harmful contaminated particles will drop to the surface of the landfill. But some studies of waste sprays show that viruses and other contaminants can travel for miles.
Cooper vetoed the bill saying, “Scientists, not the legislature, should decide whether a patented technology can safely dispose of contaminated liquids from landfills.”
NC Policy Watch has more:
Sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Dixon of Duplin County, the bill was controversial from the get-go. Environmental advocates and many Democrats opposed the bill because of safety concerns. Dixon repeatedly said the technology was safe, but offered no pertinent data or proof.
The leachate spraying system was invented by Kelly Houston of Cornelius. Last year, he contributed $5,000 to the campaign of Trudy Wade when the bill language was being inserted into an omnibus measure. That provision failed in the waning days of the 2016 short session.
This year, Wade carried water for the bill on the Senate side, which passed it 29-14. The House also passed it 75-45. Lawmakers could vote on an override, which requires a three-fifths majority, when the first special session convenes Aug. 3.
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