SYLVA, N.C. (828newsNOW) – The sounds of splashing water along the banks of the Tuckasegee River may soon be interrupted by sounds of cars refueling at a gas station. Residents are having none of it.
A petition has begun to halt construction on a gas station at N.C. Highway 107 and South River Road. Garnering over 2,300 signatures already, the protest seems to have struck a nerve.
Jackson County residents have various concerns about the project including:
- Environmental destruction.
- Effects on the local tourism-centered economy.
- Inability to trout fish in the area.
- Making an already dangerous intersection even busier.
- Potential for pollution in the waterway.
“The water quality of the Tuckasegee River is vital to the economic health of the County,” writes the petition organizer who goes by “NC 107 Safe.” Putting a gas station on this stretch of the river, the creator of the petition explains, could negatively effect the fishing tourism industry in W.N.C., worth “$1.38 billion” annually. “We cannot afford to hard the crown jewel of Jackson County tourism,” the organizer pleads.
“Currently, this section of river is a popular destination for fisherman, kayakers, rafters and tubers with locations upstream for putting in and locations downstream for taking out,” the petition states. “A gas station in the center of this popular section would change the aesthetics, increase noise, smell and light pollution and negatively impact the experience for those seeking solace in our natural spaces.”
Concerns were also raised over what another storm like Helene could do to a 25,000 gallon gas reservoir underneath the gas station. A leak of gasoline into the river would be devastating to the river in Jackson County and further downstream.
Click here to learn more about the reasoning behind the petition or to sign it.