R.B. Sloan, Jr -- Speech Against Hazardous Waste Incinerator -- May 31, 1990

In 1990, the State of North Carolina identified several potential sites for construction of a hazardous waste incinerator. A final candidate site, dubbed SA-9, straddled the border of Iredell and Rowan Counties.

The State threatened the use of eminent domain to seize the necessary property. This, combined with a healthy fear of the potential negative environmental and economic impacts on the two agricultural Counties, resulted in a spirited grassroots resistance and pitted local authorities against the State.

In response, the State set out to curb fears and convince the locals to accept the planned project through a series of Public Forums where the State's Hazardous Waste Commission was to listen and respond to questions and concerns from the citizens.

R.B. Sloan, Jr, Chairman of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners at the time, gave this speech against the incinerator to close out the Public Forum in Statesville, NC on May 31, 1990. Ultimately the resistance succeeded in repelling the attempted land grab by the State, and plans for building the incinerator were shelved.

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