“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work, reporting or approval of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com.
Satire: You Don’t Need Clean Drinking Water
A perspective Andrew Taylor-Troutman
Williams Companies, which operates a network of national pipelines, has applied to build the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP), which, though it would cross 173 wetlands and streams — impacting major drinking water sources for over one million North Carolinians — is very safe and environmentally-friendly. Their website features videos with the little green leaves that everyone knows mean “good for the environment.”
The project would expand the Transco network of high-pressure methane gas pipelines by pumping 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day through a 42-inch diameter pipeline. Gosh, numbers are so much more complicated than videos of little green leaves. But imagine pumping over 18,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools through a hula hoop. Now imagine doing it every single day. What could go wrong?
Additionally, the pipeline would need more compressor stations that dramatically effect air quality. But “spew noxious gas” is not a very nice way of saying “affordable clean energy.”
Transco is a record-setting company, not only in the number of environmental accidents but also in terms of fatalities, cost per incident and gas spills per incident. Everyone loves a winner! Their plan is to create this pipeline with what’s known as “dry-ditch, open-cut methods.” There are safer ways, but they take more time and cost more money not to mention lower their record rates of fatalities and disasters.
Bipartisan efforts by lawmakers in both Guilford and Davidson Counties have passed resolutions against the proposed pipeline, citing multiple concerns for the safety and well-being of their constituents based upon the dubious “science” that all people need clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. Many in the local communities have cited their concerns for future generations — socialists!
Among the one million North Carolinians impacted by this proposal are those whose water supply comes from Jordan Lake. Still, those of us living in Orange, Alamance and Chatham don’t need to worry about any of this because environmental devastation respects county lines just like energy companies respect their bottom lines. We certainly do not need to submit public comments here.
Golly darn, it’s also best to overlook more numbers like the recent four-to-six-billion-dollar damage from Tropical Depression Chantal. Williams Companies admits the pipeline would “temporarily compromise” wetlands that provide natural buffer zones from flooding, but why worry? Isn’t compromise a good thing?
While all of the facts about the SSEP are from the Haw River Assembly and Keeper of the Haw Emily Sutton, I get my alternative facts from social media. There are plenty of healthy drinking options besides clean water. A friend of a friend’s cousin’s stepsister’s high-school classmate’s aunt’s pastor reposted that Coke now uses cane sugar — hallelujah! Maybe I can even use real Coke to brush my teeth. I’ll check the Instagram feed of the U.S. Health Secretary because he is all about “new scientific information.”
Meanwhile, somewhere in the back of my closet is a ratty, spring break T-shirt with armpit stains that reads SAVE WATER, DRINK BEER.
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
