NCPIRG Wins Phase-Out Of Toxics In Gasoline

On June 21, Governor Easley signed into law a measure, sponsored by Reps. Joe Tolson (Nash) and Verla Insko (Orange), to eliminate the toxic additive MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether, in gasoline, thanks to NCPIRG advocacy.

“We applaud the NC General Assembly and Governor Easley for leading the Southeast in banning this unnecessary toxic additive,” said NCPIRG State Director Elizabeth Ouzts.

MTBE is a suspected carcinogen, and contaminates groundwater supplies through leaking underground petroleum storage tanks.

There are 1,100 sites contaminated with MTBE in North Carolina, and communities like Wrightsboro have won high-profile lawsuits against petroleum companies for contaminating water supplies with the toxin.

Senate Budget Supports Clean Water Trust Fund

Senate budget writers fully funded the state’s largest open space protection program, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, to the tune of $100 million for the state’s fiscal year, which begins July 1.

North Carolina’s forests, farmlands and other open spaces are disappearing at almost three times the rate of its population growth, according to NCPIRG research. In 1999, the NC General Assembly pledged to preserve one million acres of open spaces, and required that the Clean Water Management Trust Fund receive $100 million annually to meet this goal. Since then, however, lawmakers have failed to meet that requirement.

House lawmakers awarded $36 million less to the state’s premier open space preservation trust fund, and House and Senate budget writers are still resolving differences in their budgets. NCPIRG, along with allies at Land for Tomorrow, a land conservation initiative, is also pushing for the state to establish a permanent, dedicated source of funding to protect the state’s open spaces.

Research Shows Voter Paper Trail Needed

According to NCPIRG research, more than 10,000 votes were lost, either temporarily or permanently, in the 2004 elections.

“The 2004 elections showed that while every vote counts, not every vote got counted,” said NCPIRG’s Elizabeth Ouzts. “That’s why we need a voter-verified paper trail on electronic voting machines.”

Sens. Ellie Kinnaird (D-Orange) and Austin Allran (R-Catawba) and Reps. Verla Insko (D-Orange) and Jean Preston (R-Carteret) and have filed bills to require paper trails.

NCPIRG, Attorney General Seek Privacy Protections

Following the security breach at Atlanta-based Choicepoint, which put data for 6,900 North Carolinians at risk of theft, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have approved bills requiring companies to notify consumers about security breaches. The move came after advocacy from NCPIRG along with Attorney General Roy Cooper.

The bills would also drastically cut back the use of Social Security numbers and make it easier for victims to file police reports when their identity is stolen. Approximately 286,000 North Carolinians are victims of identity theft each year.

Lawmakers Back Limits On Campaign Spending

Across the country, the 2004 elections were the most expensive in our nation's history. The high costs of elections allow big moneyed special interests to have more influence over who runs for office and who wins, diminishing the voice of the average voter.

But state Reps. Fisher and Insko have filed a bill to limit campaign spending in state races. The measure would limit spending to no more than 75 percent of the median amount spent in recent elections.