Environmental lawyers who want a full review of a proposed New Hanover County cement plant have asked Gov. Bev Perdue to put a hold on an air emissions permit the state is considering.
In a letter to Perdue, lawyers with the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic asked the governor to halt a permit that would allow Titan America to build a kiln. The lawyers want the process stopped until the conclusion of an inquiry by the State Bureau of Investigation.
Additionally, no permits should be issued until a court decides whether a comprehensive state environmental review is required, the letter said. State officials have said such a review is not required for Titan.
If an air permit is issued, the letter said, it should have stiffer pollution control requirements than are in the draft permit. The environmental lawyers maintain that the draft would violate federal law.
In its comments on the state's draft permit last fall, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency questioned why limits on some pollutants were less stringent than proposed guidelines.
In response, Titan said it could not comply with limits that are not final.
Perdue rejected an earlier request to put a 90-day freeze on Titan's permitting.
War chests count on Rove
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is hoping Karl Rove will raise him some campaign money this week. One of Burr's Democratic challengers, Cal Cunningham, is also using Rove to raise cash.
Rove, who was the chief political adviser for President George W. Bush, will be in Raleigh on Thursday night for a Burr fundraiser.
Cunningham on Monday sent e-mail also trying to cash in on the Rove visit, with the headline "Help us fight back against Rove & Burr." The message asks for a $5 contribution.
Details of the Burr event have not been made public. It will be closed to the news media.
Senate primary's a tossup
North Carolina's Democratic Senate primary is wide open, and most voters are undecided, according to a new poll.
In a head-to-head matchup, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has the most support with 14 percent, followed by Chapel Hill lawyer Ken Lewis with 7percent and Cunningham with 4percent, according to a survey conducted for The Civitas Institute.
But 75 percent of likely voters were undecided.
Only Marshall has run statewide. None of the candidates has begun any TV or radio advertising for the May 4 primary election. The winner will challenge Burr.
Lewis' support comes primarily from younger, African-American voters in the Triad and the northeastern part of the state. Cunningham is strongest with younger voters.
The survey of 390 likely Democratic and unaffiliated voters was conducted Jan. 19-21 by Tel Opinion Research of Arlington, Va. The margin of error was plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Clements has a new party
Durham City Council member Howard Clement will host a State of the Union viewing party at his house tonight.
Clement used to be a serious, national-convention-going Republican, but he told a political action committee last year that he changed his registration to unaffiliated a few years ago.
He told Dome that he changed his registration to Democrat on Monday.
Just in time for the party.
By staff writers Lynn Bonner and Rob Christensen
