Protecting Our Majestic Cape Fear River from Fracking

Protecting Our Majestic Cape Fear River

Vice Chairman Gary A. House

Harnett County Board of Commissioners

I have often paddled length of the Cape Fear River in Harnett County.  We have the most scenic section of the river right here in Harnett County.  I have often described it as majestic or pristine.

The Cape Fear River is formed by the confluence of the Haw River and Deep River at Jordan Lake.  Soon, after you enter the river on the Chatham County line, you paddle through a rock garden, a maze to 1000’s of rocks that quickly lets you know that you are in the Central Piedmont.  I have seen Bald Eagles towering above in the sky, perched in trees, and even taking a break on the rocks.

Later downstream, Lanier Falls and Fish Traps offer a paddler a fun ride through Raven Rock State Park.  Further downstream on the way to Erwin, there is many more rock formations including Narrow Gap and Smylie’s Falls. Much wildlife is seen along the Cape Fear River including Bald Eagles, blue heron, osprey, turtles, vultures, deer, carp, catfish, long nosed gar, and bass among many other species.

I love to spend time on the river observing nature and navigating the rapids that we have in Harnett County.

Recent environmental mishaps or disasters have raised my awareness of our need to protect our majestic Cape Fear River in Harnett County.

Recently in Rockingham County, an open, earthen water pit had a pipe that broke and leaked coal ash into the Dan River.  Coal ash comes from burning coal. It is waste water stored in pits and contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and other metals.  Much of this byproduct is toxic.

Also, recently, nearly 500 barrels of hydrochloric acid was released in Kingfisher County in Oklahoma when there was an issue with a holding tank.  The incident was a fracking related accident.

Recently in British Columbia, a breach of a wastewater pit from a copper and gold mine polluted Hazeltine Creek, Quesnel Lake and Polley Lake with over five million cubic meters of toxic waste.  The effects of this spill will likely spread beyond these bodies of water. 

I am sure the politicians in these three areas thought these methods of holding wastewater from mining type operations were safe and told the public they were safe.

A few weeks ago the chairman of the NC Mining and Energy Commission and Lee County Commissioner Jim Womack told over 100 residents from Harnett County that the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) industry are trade secrets and could not be revealed to the public. 

Fracking is expected to begin in Lee County in 2015.  Any breaches would likely end up in the Deep River which becomes part of our Cape Fear River.  Such breaches as described above have the potential to be devastating to Harnett County.  Twenty-four percent of North Carolina’s water is supplied by the Cape Fear River.  Over 90% of Harnett residents get our water from the Cape Fear River.

I do not want to wake up one morning and see hydrochloric acid, arsenic, or other unnamed chemicals floating through Harnett County destroying our wildlife, fish, and environment.  Our residents do not need to live in fear of the activities upstream.  The health, safety, and welfare of our residents need to be protected.

Mr. Womack claimed that we could not entice the fracking industry to come to North Carolina if the regulations were too stringent.  We should put the people first not the lure of fracking companies.

When fracking does occur in North Carolina and it will, the rules and regulations should be stringent enough to protect our majestic Cape Fear River and our people.

We should hold our politicians accountable to ensure we have no environmental disasters in our future.