Despite facing tough odds, Wilmington Democrat pushes environmental bills

The numbers aren't in her favor, but that's not stopping state Rep. Deb Butler.

Despite the political landscape in Raleigh not having changed, the Wilmington Democrat has reintroduced a pair of bills aimed at helping the state gradually move to a greener future.

The push comes as the world's leading climatologists say the planet is edging closer to the tipping point of irreversible environmental and ecological damage due to human-induced climate change.

“Humanity is on thin ice – and that ice is melting fast,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month at the release of the latest alarming report by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “Our world needs climate action on all fronts – everything, everywhere, all at once.”

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But with Republicans in the majority in both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly and both proposals generating little GOP support last session, why would Butler push the legislation again − especially since they would have minimal direct impact on the world's global warming woes?

Because every little bit helps, and small actions here and there can add up to make a significant impact toward a healthier and more sustainable future, she said.

"It's important we keep these issues in front of the public mind and remind the people what could be, and frankly what should be," Butler said.

Getting more EV friendly

The first "old" environmental bill championed by Butler, House Bill 318, would require all new single-family homes and duplexes be built with a 240-volt electric circuit - similar to what's used to power a dryer - capable of accommodating an electric vehicle charger.

The idea isn’t to spark consumers to ditch their traditional combustion-engine vehicles, Butler said, but to make a transition to an electric vehicle (EV) a little bit more affordable and attractive. In surveys, price and charging concerns are often the two biggest worries of potential EV buyers.

Emissions from transportation are North Carolina's and the country's biggest source of greenhouse gas pollution.

Last year EVs represented about 5% of the vehicles sold in North Carolina, and were growing quickly year over year.

The cost of pre-wiring a garage for a charger would run about $300 while the house is under construction. That compares to potentially several thousand dollars retrofitting it to accommodate a charger after everything is already in place.

The bill has three other primary sponsors and 14 other sponsors, all Democrats. The similar bill introduced during the 2021-22 session had nearly 30 co-sponsors, including two Republicans.

The bill has been sitting in the House Rules Committee since March 13, according to the General Assembly's website.

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Less waste, more recycling

House Bill 279 is another attempt to limit the amount of waste headed into the state's limited landfill space.

The proposal would add a special fee on certain packaging materials to promote the use of recyclable materials in their products along with using less of the material overall. Similar programs, dubbed extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, are often used in the paint, battery, tire, carpet and mattress industries to promote producers to make their products more recyclable and not just more trash entering the waste stream.

Where to put all of our trash is a growing concern for a number of North Carolina municipalities, including New Hanover County.

In November 2019, county officials opened up an additional 90 acres at the New Hanover County landfill off of U.S. 421 north of Interstate 140. The thinking was the expansion would meet the county's waste needs until the 2090s.

But a survey last May found that figure is now down to an estimated 28 years. And if the county landfill has to close, New Hanover residents could be on the hook for much higher trash bills if waste has to be trucked to an out-of-county or even out-of-state landfill.

The legislation also would ban the production of packaging materials that include certain toxic substances that have been found to be a danger to public health, including "forever chemicals" like GenX that have contaminated drinking water supplies for residents across Southeastern North Carolina.

The bill has 18 primary and co-sponsors, all Democrats. It has been sitting the House's Rules Committee since March 7.

What's next?

With neither bill likely to move past the Rules committee, not much.

But Butler said that's fine.

She said she didn't see the push for action on either bill as a sprint, but more like a marathon.

"What I've learned in this business is that things don't always happen overnight, especially when you're in the minority," Butler said, noting that it took a decade for the General Assembly to approve Medicaid expansion after it was first proposed by Democrats.

She said that unlike last session, she's heard from the packaging industry about her waste-reduction bill, and they support it.

"That's progress, a starting point," she said.

Butler added that if neither bill passes this session, she will reintroduce them next session.

"This is a patient person's job, and I'm a patient person," she said laughing.

Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full  editorial control of the work.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Despite tough odds, Wilmington Democrat pushes environmental bills