Environment

Oops, almost forgot to remind y'all, the last community info session on Carolina North is at 4 pm today! Also, the plans reviewed by the BOT last week have been posted online.

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Continuing our community sessions on Carolina North, we will meet on Tuesday, July 31 at 4:00 p.m. in room 2603 at the School of Government at the intersection of South and Country Club Roads, opposite the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery.

Parking is available at either the NC 54 Visitors Lot or the Rams Head deck on Ridge Road. Parking may also be available at the parking meters along South Road. Information on transit service to the School of Government is below.

Earlier today, a draft concept plan was presented to the university's Board of Trustees. It showed both a possible 50-year development footprint as well as a possible scenario for the first 15 years. You can view the Power Point that was presented at http://research.unc.edu/cn/BOT_presentation.pdf. At the meeting on July 31, we will present this plan to the community for your comments and feedback.

Next month I'll be sharing housing in Chapel Hill with a few other low-income folks. The place is nice and recent energy bills have been fairly low. But the place is fairly old, and there is at least one major problem--a very hot attic--so I'd be interested in getting an energy audit if we could afford it. Pointers to providers would be appreciated. Apologies if this is a FAQ, but casual googling and a look at the OC extension service website found nothing. (And apologies if you find this OT, but I disagree: while the personal is not always political, these days personal energy use is very political. But feel free to point to other venues.)

This just in from David Price's office:

GAO to Study Nuclear Fire Safety

Study Requested by Congressmen Price and Visclosky

WASHINGTON – Congressman David Price (D-NC) announced today that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted his request to conduct a review of the enforcement of fire safety standards at nuclear power plants throughout the country.

Price requested the study in May after hearing from local officials in his district who were concerned about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) vigilance in enforcing fire safety regulations. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN), who is chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, concurred with Price that the GAO should undertake such a study, and he seconded Price's request in a letter to the agency in June.