Carney, the Born Again Environmentalist
Aug 1st, 2010 by David Anderson
Delaware’s former Lt. Governor, John Carney is CEO of a green energy concern that as of now seems not to have produced green energy. Off of his great success of the last two years, he wants to be launched into Congress. Astute observers do not need me to review all of the environmental failures of the Minner administration. Mr. Carney claims not to have been in any decision making capacity on those issues. I can buy that. It is all Aunt Ruth Ann’s fault. He sought to redeem himself by plunging head long into the green industry.
Now we have found out about polluted ground water that we had been led to believe was successfully contained. The Wilmington News Journal found some reports and has published a summary of the alarming findings.
Tainted groundwater is spreading across thousands of acres in northern Delaware and has reached the Potomac Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to people across much of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey.
In some areas of the upper Potomac near Delaware City and New Castle, concentrations of benzene, vinyl chloride and chlorinated benzenes are so high that exposure poses an immediate health threat. Elevated levels of these industrial byproducts significantly increase the risks of cancer. Sustained exposure could kill.
Mr. Carney quickly responded by calling for a federal and state study group. He did it so quickly that he didn’t even have time to shoot a cc to the Governor’s office. Let’s get a working group to find a solution. This sounds very good, Mr. Carney.
My question is where was the call for a study group in 2005 when the first well samples prompted a ground water ban. How about when DENREC found 160 times the legal limit in 2006? Where was his staying alert when he had maximum leverage as the heir apparent in 2008 and Motiva issued a statement that there was contamination and they didn’t know in what direction or how bad it was?
Could he not have formed a Lt. Governor’s commission to study the issue? Why is it that when he had power, he did nothing? He claims not to have known what was going on in his own government even when there were public reports. Sadly, I believe him. The Minner Carney administration presided with 8 years of blind neglect. The policy for the well connected campaign contributors was see no evil, hear no evil, I don’t care if they do evil.
Instead of directing resources to legitimate needs, Mr. Carney wants to support diverting resources to problems that at best we would have no impact upon and at worst create sever harm to our economy such as cap and trade (tax) and energy rationing schemes which will raise our rates again and destroy jobs. They want us to feel good about ineffective efforts to stop global warming which is more nature than man while ignoring poison seeping into our water supply which is all us. An investment in protecting our water supply will save us billions in future clean up, health costs, moving residents, building a new water infrastructure, keeping water dependent industries from leaving, and not having to have a huge class action law suits.
Government is suppose to protect our life, liberty, and property. Minner and Carney failed to protect our health and property when the evidence was in their hands. Neither of them deserve a second chance so soon.
I will get some hate mail but in the 2008 campaign I found John to be sincere and knowledgeable about environmental issues.
We debated at Ashland Nature Center and the JCC with the Sierra Club.
His record or lack of record as Lt Gov is fair game I agree but the best thing for us to do is to be out in front of sensible solutions.
Mike Protack
Big deal, no story here.
More evidence that John Carney has neither the intelligence, courage or passion to fight for us. He’ll just be another cog in Nancy Pelosi’s machine hoping to pick up a fat Congressional pension in ten years.