A statement from the Southern Environmental Law Center:

Today the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission decided to grant a request for an Interbasin Transfer (IBT) Certificate to transfer 10 million gallons of water per day from the Catawba River Basin and 10 million gallons from the Yadkin River Basin to the Rocky River sub-basin of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin. The IBT certificate was requested by the by the cities of Concord and Kannapolis to meet projected growth needs. The state of South Carolina, a downstream user of the Catawba River, as well as several upriver municipalities in North Carolina and the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, are expected to file suit against the decision.

Raleigh, NC -- “You can not take 20 million gallons of water out of two rivers and give them to another without all water systems suffering serious side effects. In the Catawba and Yadkin River basins, everything from wildlife and fish, to flood and drought control will be affected by today’s decision by the EMC. And in the Rocky River sub-basin, the growth that could accompany such water resources is likely to bring with it toxic chemicals, sediment and bacteria into our waterways. Instead of taking a strong stand against such a future, the EMC today made a decision that will hurt North Carolina’s natural resources for years to come. We are evaluating our legal options in light of today’s decision,” said Michelle Nowlin, Senior Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.