Orange County NC Website
WHEREAS, on September 13, 1984, the Board of County Commissioners, recognizing the risk <br /> of the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Orange County affected by the conditions <br /> stated above found that an emergency existed which warranted the issuance of Orange <br /> County of Net Debt Reduction General Obligation Bonds in connection with and for the <br /> purpose of repaying $200,000 from the Farmer's Home Administration, which loan has been <br /> approved in principle by FMHA, along with a grant of Orange County in the amount of <br /> $589,300 for the construction by Orange County of a sewer collection and treatment system to <br /> serve the area of Orange County identified in principle source the risk of health, safety, and <br /> welfare of people of the County; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners now has agreed on the conditions under <br /> which the sewer collection and distribution system will be constructed..... <br /> Point#11: Orange County will appropriate annually to the Operating Revenue of the system <br /> operating budget the difference between annual expenditures and revenues received from <br /> users, fees, investments, and other income of this system." <br /> Michelle Laws acknowledged Robert Campbell, who has been invited to the White <br /> House in reference to his civil rights support of the Rogers Road area. She said that it is <br /> unfortunate that they are at this point today again. She said that there is a terrible stench in <br /> the air, and it is not from the trash. The terrible stench smells like racism and classism. She <br /> said that people that have contributed a lot to this community are not among the professional <br /> class and rich, but are the public servants. She said that these people have given a lot with <br /> their lives in order that the community can dump its trash. She asked the Board to consider <br /> the EPA's definition of Environmental Justice: "The fair treatment and meaningful involvement <br /> of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the <br /> development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and <br /> policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socio- <br /> economic groups should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental <br /> consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution <br /> of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policy." She said that the Rogers Road, <br /> Eubanks Road, and Millhouse Road communities have shared a disproportionate brunt and <br /> share of the waste in Orange County. She said enough is enough. <br /> Allison Coleman is a resident in Mebane and spoke about the Efland sewer. She said <br /> that this community has an old system that needs to be updated. There are 213 on the sewer <br /> and they needed 212 to be able to get sewer in 1984. She said that the people in this <br /> community cannot afford the sewer and they live in a Habitat for Humanity community. She <br /> said that they will have to take second and third jobs to pay the water and sewer bills. She <br /> said that businesses could be put on this sewer system to help pay for it. <br /> Mark Marcoplos lives in Bingham Township and said that there is a secret UNC animal <br /> research facility greatly expanding across the street from him and he cannot find out anything <br /> about it because of the laws. He said that he would like a commitment from the County to <br /> address these issues and he wants to know when the State will not notify the citizens about <br /> facilities like this. Regarding the waste transfer station, he said that no one is happy about <br /> sending trash somewhere else in someone else's community. He does not think that the <br /> County leadership is happy about becoming beholden to a giant waste corporation that will <br /> have us by the short hairs when they want to raise the hauling rates. He said that fuel costs <br /> are only going to rise. He said that the current plans for a transfer station will be increasingly <br /> expensive and that the best bet is to avoid getting hooked into the unpredictable system by <br /> siting a landfill in Orange County. He said that solid waste represents an economic <br />