Contaminated facts
Published August 12, 2016
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, August 12, 2016.
Drink at your own risk?
A steady drip of accusations and counter accusations became a tainted overflow Wednesday when the state epidemiologist resigned in protest of what she says has been a series of “half-truths” from top officials about the safety of well water near Duke Energy coal ash storage ponds.
Dr. Megan Davies, section chief in the Division of Public Health, announced she was stepping down from her $188,000-a-year job in reaction to what she described as unfair and inaccurate responses to allegations from another state scientist, Ken Rudo, that Gov. Pat McCrory and other officials pressured him to downplay the possible contamination of the water. The wells are located in areas where residue created by coal-fired power plants is stored in unlined pits.
Davies said she decided to resign after state Health Director Randall Williams and Department of Environmental Quality Assistant Secretary Tom Reeder sent a letter to media that accused Rudo, a toxicologist, of misstating facts. Davies, who was Rudo’s supervisor, wrote in her resignation letter: “I cannot work for a Department and an Administration that deliberately misleads the public.” Davies and another state scientist agree with Rudo and have testified under oath that they believe the water contains enough of the cancer-causing chemical hexavalent chromium to make it unfit to drink.
State officials had originally designated the water in 330 wells as unsafe but reversed that decree earlier this year. Rudo disagreed, and said administration officials summoned him to a meeting in an attempt to persuade him to soften safety warnings about the water in letters to affected residents.
That’s not how it happened, Williams and Reeder wrote, calling Rudo’s conclusions “questionable and inconsistent” and contending Rudo has “created unnecessary fear and confusion.” They also say prevailing research favors their view.
In at least one respect Williams and Reeder are absolutely right: “Scientists do and should continuously question the status quo, and disagreement among them is to be expected.” But the heavy-handedness of the administration doesn’t help its case and could have a chilling effect on state scientists in the future. The governor’s chief of staff, Thomas Stith, even convened a late-night news conference to call Rudo a liar.
One thing’s for sure: This looks bad. McCrory, a Republican, worked for Duke Energy for nearly three decades and critics have questioned whether the state has loosened its reins on environmental protection on his watch.
State Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat, has suggested a better way forward: Have a third party investigate to help ferret out the facts. That probably means the U.S. Justice Department rather than Attorney General Roy Cooper, who is running against McCrory, or the State Bureau of Investigation, which is a link in the governor’s chain of command.
Obviously, somebody’s lying and the biggest casualty (so far) has been the public’s trust.
August 12, 2016 at 9:16 am
Norm Kelly says:
Yup, one thing IS for sure. Except it's not what is pointed out in this editorial. Which means there may be 2 things for sure.
First, McCrory DID work for Duke. This fact can not be argued, and for once a fact that Demons are willing to admit is true. Demons admitting facts exist is quite a rare thing. But, at this point, what difference does that make?
The second thing FOR SURE is that the coal ash debacle isn't new. This was stated as fact by the always fair-minded, never biased, center-of-the-road, almost-never-unfair to conservatives/Republicans, Noise & Disturber. So, if we take the statement from the N&D that the coal ash debacle existed FOR DECADES, why do demons continue to insist this is a McCrory problem? And it's not me saying FOR DECADES, those words are extracted directly from the unbiased N&D story. How slack would regulation need to be under the McCrory administration in order for the coal ash debacle to be worse than was created under decades of demon rule? What part of demons ruling Raleigh, knowing the coal ash ponds were leaking, knowing the coal ash ponds were polluting close by wells, covering up the problem FOR DECADES is missed by demons and their media allies?
Used to be that media types could be assumed to be news reporters. Over the same DECADES that the coal ash ponds were KNOWN to be leaking, news people stopped being news people and started being media people. Worse than simply failing to do their jobs as news reporters, media types also became staunch allies of demon pols. Media allies are carrying water for demon pol allies. Media types are making excuses for demon pol allies. Media types are covering up disasters within the demon party, butt-buddies of the highest degree. And with the current White House occupier, 'highest' degree refers to his admitted marijuana use, as well as the tight relationship between demon pols and media types. Media types have become so brazen in their relationship with the demon party that they don't even try to appear neutral or unbiased or fair. Need proof? Check out NBC 'news', most of the time WRAL news, and always the local N&D. The N&D never hides their support for demons, never hesitates to endorse a demon pol, covers-up for demon pols, doesn't run stories negative toward demon pols, and almost always refuses to endorse a Republican pol. When the N&D can't unequivocally endorse the demon pol, the N&D simply refuses to endorse ANY pol for that office. They've done it before, they will do it again. If demon not worthy of N&D support/endorsement, no pol gets that endorsement.
So, the majority of this editorial is simply another example of media bias, an ally doing what's necessary to cover for demon pols, attempting to support Roy without naming Roy specifically. What's important to note, other than the debacle existed FOR DECADES, is that Roy was the Attorney General for a great portion of the FOR DECADES period. What did Roy do to protect NC citizens against coal ash pollution? Why has the Attorney General NOT prosecuted people in government who were tasked with protecting NC citizens, but instead covered-up the coal ash disaster while it was festering? Why isn't Roy holding ANYONE responsible? Worse than Roy failing to do his job AGAIN is that one needs to wonder why Roy isn't being held responsible? Of course, with media bias in favor of Roy, it's obvious they won't hold Roy responsible for failing NC citizens!
