Debate over proposed regs raises question of trust

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One of government’s jobs is to make sure our air and water are as clean as possible, that companies are following regulations for both and not spewing illegal amounts of toxins into the environment.

Government’s other job is to create an attractive environment for businesses, so that new companies move in and existing ones grow, making our economy nice and healthy, too.

Sometimes, those jobs conflict, a dilemma facing governments in North Carolina today as they face new air-quality regulations and new water-quality standards.

In response, government appears to be siding with industry.

Jacqueline Jarrell, supervisor of Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities’ Environmental Management Division, is among those critical of the new — and stricter — water standards the state is considering.

The new standards would lower the amount of pollutants the city’s wastewater-treatment plants could accept from industries. CMU says the regulations would cost it as much as $3 million during the first five years, an expense that Jarrell says would have to be passed on to CMU’s customers while the economy is still recovering.

But that’s not the only argument that CMU is making against the new standards. CMU also says the city would not be able to recruit businesses or allow expansions of existing ones if they discharge the regulated pollutants.

At the same time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing more stringent air-quality standards. If the standards were adopted, the entire state of North Carolina would be out of compliance with them right off the bat.

Some are worried about what impact the new air-quality standards would have on industry in Mecklenburg County, which has the unflattering distinction of having the worst ozone levels in the state.

Alan Giles, spokesman for Mecklenburg County’s air-quality division, said the county “just met the 1997 standards and now we’re turning around a facing an even lower standard.”

All of this debate raises a very important question: who to trust?

Do we trust that the federal government isn’t being overly cautious in calling for tougher air- and water-quality standards, that if the standards aren’t implemented our health would be seriously jeopardized?

Or do we trust those government leaders in North Carolina who say the standards would hurt businesses more than they would improve health?

As residents, we can only trust that our government is doing what’s best for our health, that Jarrell is not lying when she says the county’s streams can accept higher levels of pollutants without threatening public safety. We can only trust that she is telling the truth when she says the new standards would come with a lot of costs without really making our water much safer.

It all just underscores the faith we put in our government to do what’s right for the public despite personal agendas and/or pressure from industry, lobbyists and special-interest groups.

It’s kind of scary when you look at it that way.

I think I need a hug now.

Editor Deon Roberts can be reached at [email protected].