Vibrant Village ™

"Again the inconceivable and monstrous was showing its grizzly head. It was grotesque, impossible. I refused to believe it."

-- Jack London,Voyage of the Snark

Green, clean and happy

That's just how the citizens of Carteret County felt when they caught the foul scent of an almost completed deal to sully their home with a molten sulfur facility in their backyards.

Molten Sulfur on the Crystal Coast?  Only one remaining permit needed to make this horror a reality??

Would it come to pass?

No.

Fearless, capable, tireless, victorious

Last night, a group of Clean County Coalition and involved citizens gathered in Morehead City, North Carolina, to quietly celebrate their intensive three-week long battle to protect their communities from an incompatible smoke stack industry of molten sulfur smelting.

Wearing lime-green t shirts bearing the slogan "Sulfurious," citizens shared smiles and memories of a twenty-day siege of putting their lives on "fast-forward," a hyper intensive three weeks marked with strategy, formation of a grass-roots citizen organization--Clean County Coalition (www.cleancounty.org), thousands of e-mails, letters to editors and political contacts, and face-to-face meetings--and even a swim-in demonstration.

But most of all,  this group of concerned and involved citizens shared a hope--a hope that they could successfully challenge a giant multi-national corporation and prevent an incompatible, potentially harmful,  dangerous sulfur melting facility smack in the middle of their community's vibrant tourism locale.

Two towering smoke stacks to greet us and visitors at the entrance of our historic waterfront towns?

Grotesque, impossible.

Armed with little more than their voices, their determination, their faith that their voices could make a difference, the "sulfurious" citizens of Morehead City, Beaufort, Bogue Banks communities--and beyond-- forged an amazing Esprit de Corps of strong will and boundless enthusiasm for their cause.

Town meetings were held.  Town Councils drafted proclamations against the sulfur facility.  County Commissioners were shouted into amending their proclamation into a "No" instead of a request for more information.

Environmental experts and chemists had already given the Sulfurious citizens all the information they needed to know that this facility did not belong so close to population centers and infra-structure of bridge and major highway.

Dave wants action

We knew it was inconceivable and monstrous.

No, the  Sulfurious citizens didn't want more rhetoric--they wanted action. And they got it, for right then, the County Commissioners amended their proclamation to object to the sulfur facility.

And the shouts of "just say no" from the Sulfurious citizens changed into applause and cheers.

Just about every business organization--from the Chamber of Commerce--to the Women's Club lined up to say "No" to this smelting plant being built on their beloved Crystal Coast--a place of diving pelicans, wild horses and leaping dolphin. Where the clean air is spiced with salt.

Molten sulfur?  Here?  Hard by the Cape Look-out National Seashore? By the Rachel Carson Preserve?  By our beautiful and fragile wetlands?

Inconceivable, and yes, monstrous.

Nope, doesn't work, thank you. A few potential jobs in exchange for harming our  900 businesses engaged in tourism and allied industries?  We'll take a pass on turning our towns into The Sulfur Coast.

Then came our answer. Not galloping in on a white horse, but whirled in from Raleigh comes our Governor Perdue in a helicopter.  And our governor announces (at the Port of Morehead City where the facility was to be built) that the corporation, wanting to be a good neighbor, a good corporate citizen, has "voluntarily abandoned plans" for their sulfur facility.

The sighs of relief from Sulfurious citizens could have moved a sailboat miles down the ICW.  We had been heard.  We'd been helped. The inconceivable and monstrous was not to be forced upon us.

We did it for them, future generations

Last night we celebrated a hard-fought victory. But we know our work has just begun. This segment is completed.  Now we begin anew.

How can we forge a partnership with the Port of Morehead City to aid them in growing profits and compatible shipping and cargo?

Do zoning regulations need to be examined to protect the citizens and infra-structure from future industrial threats from "dirty" projects?

Please help us with protective zoning

How can compatible green and clean business be found and attracted to our community?  With a focus on job creation, what industries best fit our heritage, our natural capital and our capable work force?

What home-grown businesses can we foster, nurture and grow?

Those of us who have enlisted in the Sulfurious citizens group are excited about moving forward on these issues--and more.

We're looking for more Sulfurious citizens with ideas and concern and wisdom--we need more positive contributions on keeping our county clean and working.

We want your ideas and wisdom

Vibrant Village wants to hear from you.  Your ideas can be shared and posted here, if you like--or forwarded on to those who want to hear from you.

Vibrant Village is your progressive, issues-oriented, positive community publication embracing keeping our county clean and working.

Contact us at editor@vibrantvillage.com