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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT
WHQR will host and broadcast four candidate forums as part of the 2012 Election Season in the MC Erny Gallery, 254 N. Front Street, #300.Each forum will feature two local journalists asking prepared questions during the first half of the event. The second portion will be dedicated to questions from voters. A live studio audience will be invited to ask questions during this segment. We'll also use questions sent in from listeners.If you have a question for the candidates, please email us (newsdirector@whqr.org) or submit via Twitter with the #whqrforums hash tag and tell us which slate of candidates you'd like to address. We reserve the right to edit the questions for clarity, brevity, and objectivity. Each question must be addressed to all candidates in a particular race. If you can't attend the live event, Tweet along while you tune in or listen or watch the webcast online at 7 PM each night to hear the candidates! (WWAY will also broadcast the forums live on Time Warner Cable. RTV is channel 106, on ATMC, channel 903, on Charter Cable, channel 145 and over-the-air at 3.2.)Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7 PM- New Hanover County CommissionersJonathan Barfield (Current Vice Chairman)Beth DawsonRobert MurrayDr. Derrick HickeyWoody WhiteRob Zapple Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 PM- NC House District 18Representative Susi Hamilton (D)Louis Harmati (R) Monday, Oct. 8, 7 PM - NC Senate District 9Senator Thom Goolsby (R)Deb Butler (D) Thursday, Oct. 18, 7 PM - NC House District 19 & NC House District 20 NC House District 19Ted Davis, Jr. (Current NHC Commission Chair)Emilie Swearingen (Current Kure Beach Councilwoman)NC House District 20Rick Catlin (Current NHC Commissioner) (R)Tom Gale (D)

NC District 18 candidates near agreement on fracking

Republican Louis Harmati is challenging Democratic Representative Susi Hamilton for the seat in House District 18.  The two candidates came together last night in the WHQR Gallery. As WHQR’s Rachel Lewis Hilburn reports, the predictably divisive issue of fracking turned out to be yet another area of near-agreement between candidates.

The question about fracking came from WECT’s Jon Evans.  Should North Carolina embrace fracking as a good source of energy and jobs?  Republican Louis Harmati says the state should look at it, study it, but not wait so long that other states corner the market and North Carolina loses out. 

“Now some environmental people have said that there might be problems with the groundwater contamination, risk to air quality, and surface contamination from spills and flow-back, but I haven’t seen any evidence of that nature yet.  And I’m sure if those things develop, then the state environmental protection agency will look into that and we as a Legislature will maybe change our minds on it.” 

During the last session of the General Assembly, Representative Susi Hamilton voted to override Governor Bev Perdue's veto of a bill that would allow fracking the state.  The move shocked Hamilton’s environmental supporters.  Hamilton explained it as a part of a deal she brokered with Republicans to keep film incentives for the region. 

During last night’s forum, Representative Hamilton called natural gas a clean energy source, pointed to WAVE Transit’s plans for a natural gas-powered fleet of vehicles, and praised Progress Energy’s Sutton Steam plant for switching from coal to natural gas – which – once online – says Hamilton -- would reduce air emissions by 60 percent.      

“The issue is can natural gas be extracted safely from the earth?  Not just in North Carolina where we have a very limited supply, I might add, but can it be done safely nationally?  And if it can, there’ll be substantial potential for us to have energy independence in this country while we are continuing to pursue and make economical solar and wind.”     

Rachel hosts and produces CoastLine, an award-winning hourlong conversation featuring artists, humanitarians, scholars, and innovators in North Carolina. The show airs Wednesdays at noon and Sundays at 4 pm on 91.3 FM WHQR Public Media. It's also available as a podcast; just search CoastLine WHQR. You can reach her at rachellh@whqr.org.