Governor still backs ban on coastal groins

During the 2008 gubernatorial campaign, Gov. Bev Perdue told the N.C. Conservation Council she supported retaining the state's longtime ban on groins, jetties and other hardened structures such as seawall on the N.C. coast. The policy is meant to prevent the beach erosion at other sites near such structures. The question whether Perdue still supports the longtime ban, first imposed by the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, arose in recent days after a study of proposals to allow "terminal groins" to be built at the terminal ends of coastal inlets to keep the inlet from moving. The study found that such groins can help stabilize inlets, but they require inlet management plans and also require beach renourishment -- pumping or bulldozing sand from other sources -- to rebuild and maintain beaches.

Coastal Resources Commission Chairman Bob Emory said the study showed no compelling reasons to do away with the ban on hardened structures or to amend it. But, he said in a letter last week, if the General Assembly -- which required the terminal groin study last year -- were to insist on altering the ban, then the commission should be given specific authority to do so with tight controls on their placement and power to require their removal. Additional alternatives to the ban have developed in recent days, prompting speculation that the Perdue administration had backed off on its support of the ban or was pushing a different view.

Not so, said Perdue's spokesperson, Chrissy Pearson. She said the governor continued to support the ban on hardened structures -- "Her position has not changed " -- and that she trusted the commission to study the data and make its own decision based on the study.