With his head in the coal ash sands, Dr. Charles Steele wrote an incredibly backward editorial regarding electricity costs to the poor and no-such-thing-as-clean-coal!
Where has Dr. Steele been during the mega-coal ash spill dumping tons of toxic chemicals into the Dan River and poisoning people’s drinking water in the Charlotte area? What about the billions of dollars in fines and cleanup costs that electric customers will ultimately end up paying? Doesn’t he know that solar is now cleaner and cheaper? www.cleanerischeaper.com Rich or poor, everyone should be made aware that LED light bulbs will cut their electric bills in half immediately! Corporations can save thousands, which can be reflected in the costs of their products.
As for the poor bearing the brunt of electric costs, that is exactly who gets dumped on with the coal ash wastes. The Charlotte Observer June 6, 2015 article, “State Issues Permits for Coal Ash Landfills,” explains how poor Lee and Chatham counties are about to be inundated with 2.9 million tons of the total 150 million tons presently contaminating local groundwater. Residents protest these landfills fearing toxic dust clouds, potential water contamination from leaky plastic liners and other violations already being experienced in Chatham!
Watch out, Anson County is likely next. Contact Governor McCrory, your local state representative, Mark Brody (919-715-3029) and Senator Tom McInnis (919-733-5953) and tell them NO thanks! Ask legislators to rebury the stuff properly where it was created near the no-such-thing-as-clean coal plants!
Contact your power company and ask them to switch ASAP to really clean sunlight as they phase out coal, gas and oil. Or better yet, get your own solar panels if you can afford them or participate in Community Solar. Purchase LED light bulbs at your local hardware store and watch your electric bills go way, way, down although the bulbs initially cost a little more.
We are not “powerless” when we know the truth!
Deb Arnason
Wadesboro