One More Night by Brenda Jackson

Author:Brenda Jackson [Jackson, Brenda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-12-16T14:01:11+00:00

Chapter 3

“I’m sorry, Danielle, but I don’t think the River Watchers should push council to oppose Clear Water’s expansion.”

Danielle fought to keep calm as she stared at the board president. Liberty Meyer was only on the board as an attempt to prove the River Watchers were open to voices from all sides. After Danielle had gone for Clear Water and a few other industries like a pit bull on crack, some in the business community had accused the River Watchers of being too biased. Liberty was a vocal member of the manufacturers’ alliance and the River Watchers’ attempt to bring the business community in on the discussions. Much to Danielle’s chagrin, Liberty ran and won a seat on county council after being assigned to the board. Making her a double pain on Danielle’s backside.

“Our organization serves as champions to our natural resources,” Danielle said in a surprisingly calm voice. “If they’re allowed to expand and dump into Springfield Creek it’ll be devastating to the local ecosystem. Not to mention the neighborhood downstream that uses the creek for fishing and recreation.”

“Clear Water expanding will bring jobs,” Liberty countered. “If we don’t bring jobs, that can be detrimental to the population. I care about the flowers and the fish and birds as much as everyone sitting around this table.”

Danielle barely stopped herself from snorting.

“But I care more about the men, women and children that rely on me as a member of the county council to keep our economy strong and vital.”

“I care about the people here, too. This isn’t just about the birds and the flowers, Liberty. Clear Water can’t meet their permit limits. There’s an entire population who’ll be swimming in sewage if they dump into the creek.”

Liberty rolled her eyes and waved a hand. “Oh, Danielle, please. That’s why we have engineers who can design and build a system that can properly treat the waste. People won’t be in sewage. This is why I’ve always said you’re too biased when it comes to these types of decisions.”

Debra’s hand gripped Danielle’s leg beneath the table. The movement effectively stopped Danielle from pouncing onto Liberty. That wasn’t the first time the woman had thrown out the comment. Danielle and Debra both believed Liberty was trying to make a case with the board to remove Danielle as director.

Mr. Springfield, who’d watched the exchange silently with the rest of the board members, rapped his knuckles on the table. “Ladies, ladies, you both make very good points. Since I’m directly affected by the expansion, I have to defer from voting, but I think this is important enough for the board to take both sides into consideration. If Clear Water can truly improve by expanding, it’s better than having a poorly run system out there. If they cannot, then none of us here want them discharging into Springfield Creek. Let’s take a little more time, talk to the people in Environmental Protection and see if Clear Water will come to a board meeting to discuss their plans.

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