BRUNSWICK COUNTY AMONG SPONSORS
Space Still Available In Sewer, Siormwater Symposium December 2-3
BY LYNN CARLSON
It's not too late to register for a symposium Dec. 2-3
in Wilmington on the issues of combining stormwater
runoff control with central sewer systems, a spokesman
for one of the organizers said Monday.
Brunswick County is among sponsors of the planned
gathering of government officials, policy-makers, scien
tists. engineers and citizens to discuss a topic with possi
ble long-range implications for local communities.
The event has been titled "Integrated Coastal
Wastewater Management in North Carolina: Protecting
Coastal Water Quality Through Planning for Centralized
Sewers and Growth Management."
Nine Brunswick County governments, led by Sunset
Beach and Calabash, original participants in the South
Brunswick Water and Sewer Authority, have asked Gov.
Jim Hunt's help in studying the possibility of a sewer
system which would eventually be integrated with a
stormwater runoff program.
In a letter to Hunt several months ago, the boards
said. "Due to the extremely fragile shellfish water re
source we have, we feel that stormwater runoff control
must be integrally addressed simultaneously with sani
tary waste disposal for us to achieve the desired level of
environmental protection."
The upcoming two-day symposium will also serve as
the third meeting of the governor's newly appointed
Coastal Futures Committee. The CFC has been charged
by Hunt to "evaluate the state's coastal management
program and offer recommendations to strengthen pro
tection of coastal resources through administrative and
legislative changes in the Coastal Area Management
Act."
The CFC's final report is to be presented to the gover
nor by September 1994. The committee, which includes
>-MWB
Eugene Tomlinson of Southport, chairman of the N.C.
Coastal Resources Commission, says it will focus its ini
tial efforts on the need for water quality protection
through "more effective growth management."
Tomlinson also said amendments might be required to
the Coastal Area Management Act to strengthen land
use plans to include carrying capacities in such areas as
water, sewer, public safety and roads.
The symposium will include two full days of presen
tations and discussions to "explore how to develop
wastewater and stormwater management strategies in
the context of each other so that coastal water quality is
protected," its brochure states.
Scheduled presentations include:
H"Why Traditional Strategies for Water Management
are Not Working," by Dr. Richard T. Barber, Duke
University Marine Laboratory and former member, N.C.
Environmental Management Commission."
? "Legal Imperatives for Effective Integrated Coastal
Wastewater Management," by Derb Carter, Southern
Environmental Law Center;
K "Elements of an Integrated Coastal Wastewater
Management Strategy for Coastal North Carolina." by
Dr. Dan Okun, Kenan Professor of Environmental
Sciences and Engineering, UNC; and
? "Can Engineered Stormwater Controls Achieve
Enough Pollution Reduction to Maintain Coastal Water
Quality Standards?" by Dr. Bill Kirby-Smith. Duke
University Marine Laboratory.
Sessions begin each day at 9 a.m. at the Coastline
Convention Center. The $30 registration fee includes a
catered lunch each day.
For more information or registration, call Lauren
Kolodij at the N.C. Coastal Federation, 1-800-232-6210.
Property Owners'
Meetings Saturday
In Beach Towns
Property owner groups will meet
Saturday morning at Holden Beach,
Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach.
The Ocean Isle Beach Property
Owners Association holds its annual
general membership meeting at 9:30
a.m. at the Museum of Coastal
Carolina.
The group will elect several mem
bers to the board of directors and
discuss the organization's new flag,
said director Ken Proctor.
The Sunset Beach Taxpayers
Association will meet for refresh
ments at 10 a.m. at the fire station.
The business meeting begins at
10:30 a.m.
The Holden Beach Property
Owners Association meets at 10
a.m. at town hall. The board of di
rectors will meet at 9 a.m.
Friday Is Deadline
For Parade Entries
Church groups, civic organiza
tions, beauty queens and others in
terested in entering tit? annual
Shallotte Christmas Parade have un
til noon Friday to sign up at town
hall.
The parade will be Saturday, Dec.
4, at 10 a.m. on Shallotte 's Main
Street. The registration fee is $25 for
beauty queens and $35 for business
es. Non-profit groups may enter
free.
Town hall will be closed Thurs
day in observance of Thanksgiving.
For more information, call Phebie
McLean at 754-4032.
Rosemobile To
Visit Nov. 30
The mobile office of Congress
man Charlie Rose, D-7th District,
will return to Brunswick County to
provide curbside service.
A member of Rose's staff will be
available for conferences at the fol
lowing post offices Tuesday, Nov.
30:
?Longwood, 9-11 a.m.
?Ash, noon-2 p.m.
If you have a problem with a fed
eral agency or questions or opinions
about federal legislation, you are in
vited to visit the mobile office, ac
cording to Rose spokesman Wayne
Jackson.
Problems relating so Social Sec
urity benefits, disability, veterans
benefits, Internal Revenue issues
and federal rules are typical of the
questions brought to the mobile of
fice.
Another mobile office stop in
Brunswick County has been tenta
tively scheduled for mid-December.
IffffT'
Walking With Grandpa
STAFF PHOTO BY ERIC CARLSON
Jessica Marie Hill, 5, of Staley gets a loving hand from her grandfather, Hampton Pike, as they stroll
the pier at Holden Beach Sunday afternoon.
Mine Opponents Want Uses
Removed From County Zones
(Continued From Pag^ 1-A)
ically designating each as a "prohib
ited" use. He said the land uses pro
posed for the heavy manufacturing
zone are not compatible with the
county's current development
trends, which depend heavily on a
clean environment.
"We have a very rare and unusual
piece of property here," Quinn said.
"We want Brunswick County to re
main as it is now. It shouldn't be ap
proached as the Pittsburgh of the
South."
Boiling Spring Lakes Mayor
Mark Stewart was more blunt in his
remarks. He charged that the plan
ning board would be avoiding "its
constitutional obligation" to pro
mote public safety if it failed to
make the proposed changes.
"Either you live up to your
promise by rezoning or admit to the
public that you can't fulfill your
obligation to protect the health, safe
ty and welfare of Brunswick
County," Stewart. "Otherwise, you
should admit that you can't handle
the pressure of the job and resign
tonight."
But not all of those who voiced an
Nurseryman Sues Farmer;
Says Pesticide Hurt Plants
The owner of a nursery business
in Ash has filed a lawsuit claiming
that pesticide used on a neighboring
cornfield washed into the plant
farm's irrigation system and ruined
his entire crop of ornamental shrub
bery.
Mitchell Williams, owner of
Williams Plantworks on Route 2. is
seeking more than $20,000 in dam
ages from Ash farmer Lyle Ray
King in a complaint filed Nov. 12 in
Brunswick County Superior Court.
The suit claims that on April 11,
1992, King applied "an excessive
amount" of the pesticide Bicep 6L to
a cornfield "immediately adjacent"
to the nursery when he knew "that a
large washing rain was imminent
that day."
King is a licensed pesticide appli
cator and should have known that
the pesticide would be dangerous to
plant life downstream from his
fields, the lawsuit claims.
On April 27, Williams alleges he
"discovered that his entire crop of
Red Tips and other plants were
showing signs of chemical burns,
discoloration, shriveling and were
generally and rapidly deteriorating
in quality and marketability." The
suit claims that Williams contacted a
state pesticide inspector to investi
gate.
He alleges thai King admitted to
the inspector that he had applied the
pesticide on the day in question "and
that it rained that evening and the
next day."
As a result, Williams claims his
entire inventory of plants was dam
aged and rendered unmarketable by
the effects of King's pesticide.
The suit also claims that King's
field "drained directly into the
Waccamaw River." It charges King
with violations of federal laws in
cluding the Clean Water Act, the
Drinking Water Act, the Insecticide,
the Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
and the Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Preservation Act.
Williams' complaint seeks a judg
ment against King in excess of
$10,(XX) "for all actual damages and
losses caused to plaintiff's inventory
of plants as a result of defendant's
improper and negligent application
of the pesticide to his field." It asks
for a second judgment in excess of
$10,(X) "as punitive damages as a re
sult of the defendant's intentional,
wanton and willful disregard of
plaintiff's property.''
King was not at home Monday
night and could not be reached for
comment on Williams' lawsuit.
opinion did so in opposition to the
proposed mine.
Patrick Newton, a member of the
county health board, charged that
mining opponents had falsely ac
cused the health department of giv
ing Martin Marietta preferential
treatment in granting a septic tank
permit. Health officials last week
denied the allegations and provided
documentation supporting their
claim that the company's application
was processed like any other.
"That has nothing to do with
planning, mister," Snyder called out
from the audience, after which
Planning Board Chairman John
Thompson instructed Newton to re
strict his comments to the issue in
question.
Newton cautioned that a total pro
hibition of mining would shut down
numerous small existing operations
that extract "fill dirt, top soil, peat
and coquina" for use in construction
and road building.
"Some of those borrow pits have
been around here longer than any
one in this room," Newton said.
"I'm sure similar operations in other
counties are eagerly awaiting their
prevention here."
Newton also spoke against the
proposal to ban junk yards, which he
described as "a type of recycling"
that provides an economical alterna
tive to purchasing new car parts.
"It's hard to imagine a more be
nign use of land," he said.
Quoting from the Fifth Amend
ment, Newton warned that denying
Martin Marietta the right to mine
would constitute "a taking" of its
land without just compensation. He
also dismissed environmental ques
tions about the mine site as non
sense," saying mine opponents were
merely concerned "that a woodpeck
er might have to move (o another
tree."
The N.C. Department of Environ
ment, Health and Natural Resources
has identified "eight rare plant
species, three rare animal species,
two rare natural communities and
one significant natural area" at the
proposed mine site, according to a
letter the agency sent to Congres
sman Charlie Rose, who has asked
the state to deny Martin Marietta's
application for a mining permit.
Louie Lewis, who operates a
commercial junk yard in Supply, al
so spoke out against the idea of ban
ning such operations from the coun
ty
"We've still got some working
people in Brunswick County who
can't afford to buy new parts,"
Lewis said. "Not all of us are re
tired."
In his rebuttal, Quinn said he was
one of Lewis's customers and as
sured that such existing junk yards
would be "grandfathered" and al
lowed to continue operation. He said
the proposed zoning amendments
are aimed specifically at mines that
use explosives and would not pro
hibit borrow pits and other types of
surface extraction.
Quinn also dismissed Newton's
claim that the county could be suc
cessfully sued for preventing Martin
Marietta from mining on its proper
ty, citing recent court opinions to the
contrary.
"The courts have ruled that caus
ing a property owner to lose income
due to a change in zoning does not
constitute a taking of the land as
long as it can be used for some other
purpose," Quinn said. "A loss of
value is a misfortune, but not a tak
ing."
Thompson said after the meeting
that he had heard "a lot of signifi
cant concerns" expressed about the
proposed mine. But he would not
voice an opinion on whether or not
the board should endorse the pro
posed zoning amendments.
"It will be at the top of the list for
discussion at our next meeting,"
Thompson said.
State regulators have scheduled a
public hearing for Tuesday, Nov. 30,
at 7 p.m. in at the county govern
ment complex in Bolivia to receive
comment on Martin Marietta's ap
plication for a mining permit.
Susanne Osborne, president of the
Brunswick County Anti Mining
Alliance, said last week that she ex
pects 1,000 people to attend the
hearing. The group has not gathered
more than 4,000 signatures on peti
tions opposing the mine.
Citizens' Association Sponsors
Third Annual Banquet Friday
The Brunswick County Citizens
Association will sponsor its third an
nual Scholarship Banquet on Friday,
Nov. 26, at the Brunswick County
Government Complex Assembly
Hall.
The program will begin at 7:30
p.m., and tickets are $10.
Dr. George L. Saunders, whose
medical practice is in Calabash, will
deliver the keynote address.
Proceeds from the annual event
will assist high school students who
are continuing their education to the
next level.
Tickets can be purchased by con
tacting Thurman Gause at 579-6388.
Volunteers Sign On To
Help Temporary Library
(Continued From Page 1-A)
to remain open at a temporary loca
tion, but does not have funds to
lease a building or to pay for the ad
ditional staff needed to keep the fa
cility open.
At the library board's last meet
ing, Friends of the Library meeting
were told a supervisor could be as
signed to oversee volunteers at a
temporary branch if the group can
arrange to set it up. At Friday's
meeting, Friends leaders said they
were pleased to learn that if they
work out a temporary facility, that
supervisor would be West Bruns
wick Librarian Felecia Hardy.
But first, Twomey said Friday,
"what we need are ideas on how to
find space and ways to raise money
for rent, electricity, heat, phones and
moving expenses. We're talking
about a fairly sizeable sum, especial
ly if (renovation) goes on into
September."
Bechtle estimated the effort
would require $10,000. "I think we
can do it for that."
Among suggestions from the au
dience at Friday's meeting were:
? asking the South Brunswick
Islands Chamber of Commerce to
get behind the effort;
? canvassing civic organizations,
clubs and businesses;
? organizing a large fundraising
event centered around a reading by a
well-known author; and
? compiling a list of empty com
mercial buildings and approaching
owners about renting or donating
about 2.000 square feet of heated
space.
"It would not be possible to stay
open the same 40 to 50 hours a
week we're currently open, but we
would be able to give some service
to the area." said Librarian Hardy.
"That's what we're after."
Otherwise, she added, residents of
this area would be forced to travel to
Yaupon Beach or Leland to use a li
brary while the West Brunswick
branch is closed.
Many volunteers are still needed.
Friends leaders say. For more infor
mation about helping, call Blanche
Bechtle at 579-7826 or the West
Brunswick Branch Library at 754
6578.
Congressman Supports Effort
To Postpone Mining Hearing;
Seeks Data From Agencies
" ' (Continued From Page t-A)
Service and the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.
The Congressman's letter to Secretary Howes supports a request to
delay the hearing made last week by John Snyder of the Brunswick
County Anti-Mining Alliance. In it, Snyder claims that Martin Marietta
has not submitted enough documentation about the
project for the state to make an informed decision
on the company's permit application.
"While containing hundreds of pages, these
documents fail to provide adequate information by
which to judge the environmental consequences of
the project," Snyder's letter said. "For example, the
company has not submitted detailed information
about the impacts of the mine on the adjacent estu
ary. The company has not made an application for a
permit to discharge 10 million gallons of fresh wa
ter each day into the Cape Fear River Estuary." ROSE
Rose's letter to the also notes that "the estuarine creeks next to the
mine are classified as Primary Nursery Areas by the N.C. Division of
Marine Fisheries."
Noting that Rose has requested extensive information on the mining
proposal from five federal and state agencies, Snyder told Howes it
would be "unrealistic" to expect the reports to be completed and sent to
the Congressman by Nov. 30.
"Your department has provided inadequate time, particularly with
the Thanksgiving Holiday, for us to fully prepare to be productive par
ticipants in the public hearing," Snyder wrote.
In a telephone interview Monday, Snyder said he contacted Howes'
office and learned that the secretary was out of town and has not re
viewed the request. So for now, he expects the meeting to be held as
scheduled.
"We certainly hope that the hearing can be delayed, especially since
it would not cause any great hardship to do so," Snyder said. "But if we
have to have it, we'll do the best we can.
According to Gardner, no permit decisions will be made at the hear
ing, "but we will consider comments and information presented during
and after the hearing in our review of the application by Martin Marietta.
Those wishing to speak are asked to bring written copies of their
statements. Speakers will be allowed five minutes each to make their
points. Gardner said comments "should be relevant to the state's Mining
Act, which will be explained at the beginning of the hearing.
Anyone wishing more information should contact the N.C. Mining
Program at (919) 733-7574, Gardner said.
Near Normal
Weather Due
For Holiday
Near normal weather is expected
for the area over the next few days.
Shallotte Point meteorologist
Jackson Canady said the forecast
calls for temperatures to average
from the mid-40s at night into the
mid-60s during the daytime, with
approximately one-half inch of rain
fall.
The period of Nov. 16 through 21
was warmer and drier than average.
A daily average high of 73 de
grees and a nightly average low of
53 degrees combined for a daily av
erage temperature of 63 degrees,
which Canady said was about 9 de
grees above average.
He recorded no rainfall.
Canady recorded a high for the
period of 83 degrees on Nov. 16 and
a low of 33 degrees Nov. 21
THE BRUNSWICK^BEACON
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
Al 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY
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