4. Whatever It Takes: How NC Defeated a Hazardous Waste Incinerator

Michael Arnold was front and center in the campaign to halt ThermalKEM’s incinerator.

On May 22th, 1989, North Carolina Senate Bill 324 (Hazardous Waste Management) was ratified by a bipartisan majority of elected representatives. North Carolina joined a five-state compact that would commit the state to site – and build – a hazardous waste incinerator for ThermalKEM, a private company. This occurred against the backdrop of a notorious incinerator that had been allowed to dangerously operate in Caldwell County with virtually no oversight by the state.

In 1990, the State of North Carolina proposed two sites in Granville County as locations for the incinerator. Residents organized with friends and supporters from around the state and – after eight months of marches, fund-raising, lawsuits, public hearings, civil disobedience, and arrests – succeeded in stopping the incinerator from being built.

Whatever It Takes is a pictorial history of the successful protest campaign. The book’s title comes from the protesters’ pledge to do “whatever it takes” to defeat the incinerator.

With Micheal we discuss his experience in this fight, what impacts a hazardous waste incinerator has, actions they did, and what led to this successful victory.

IAP (Incinerator Archive Project)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDir5d8Yy14AA54YeHHxd2w https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDir5d8Yy14AA54YeHHxd2w 

Website

http://fightoftheirlives.com

Whatever It Takes  (eBook...1,900 + pages. 500MB download)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8YiD_nYU28NMEZ6bFNrRU5kVGs/view?usp=sharing

There's more links/information  at the other video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd-xhinazp0&list=PLbfZIkjeDwoNrDYiBsTZmGA89obAMxG76&pbjreload=101

Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd-xhinazp0&list=PLbfZIkjeDwoNrDYiBsTZmGA89obAMxG76