 "Photo: DTH/Jessica Springer")
What seemed to be one of the worst droughts North Carolina had ever seen, starting with water shortages last summer, turned out to be just the start of an unfortunate environmental trend that the governor's office says might be alleviated, in part, with legislation.
Gov. Mike Easley sent one of his chief spokesmen, Deputy Press Secretary Seth Effron, to UNC on Tuesday to explain the proposed bill and press the N.C. General Assembly to take action.
Effron discussed the bill's key provisions, which include the registration of large industrial water withdrawals and transfers.
The bill also would prohibit communities from charging less for increased water usage and require them to develop water shortage plans involving water audits.
Incentives are part of the package for those who follow the guidelines.
"If communities met certain restrictions, they would receive a better opportunity to receive safe water loans from the state and tax breaks for big businesses that traditionally use a lot of water but choose to cut down," Effron said.
Effron was on campus to address the N.C. Scholastic Media Association's Summer Institute and also talked about his transition from journalism to politics.
But it was the drought that was on his mind Tuesday, from lesser shortages to the heaviest droughts in western North Carolina.
"I like to think of it as just 'drought,'" Effron said as he showed off the drought meter - a map indicating by color code which parts of the state are in which level of water distress. "If you're in one of the colors, you're in bad shape."
As of June 10, the state had seen 2.5 inches less than the previous year's rainfall total, which starts the state in a water deficit just as the dry season begins.
Effron called the current environmental state "news that oozes" - an issue that's hard to see until it's at the peak of its destruction.
In March, Easley publicly recognized the drought and called for the General Assembly to pass his legislative plan to modernize water systems, mandate conservation and upgrade emergency response.
Now, with summer here and the drought spreading again across the state, Easley is pushing for urgent action, even though there have been drier times.
Ryan Boyles, director of the state climate office, said that despite the current shortage, N.C. droughts are nothing new.
"From looking at tree rings we can see that there have been worse periods of drought in the past," he said.
Easley has persisted in his campaign to deal with the water issue.
"The legislature has been in town five weeks and still has not taken up our request on authorization to deal with this drought," Easley admonished legislators in a press release June 12. "We have a drought this year, and the legislature needs to act this year."
Effron said the bill is complex and will require significant input from legislative committees and staffs now focused on passing a state budget.
Some lobbyists and legislators have questioned whether the governor has the power to enact his water conservation plan and whether legislation is needed.
N.C. law states that the governor can declare the drought an emergency only if there is a threat to health and safety.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
