DNR opposes PeeDee Powerplant

[GMAC]

Oh, my goodness. We absolutely MUST accomodate growth. Has it ever occurred to anyone that constantly ramping up infrastructure to accomodate growth might actually be causing growth? That the cycle might be feeding itself? Of course it has. The growth cheerleaders understand this. That's why they always campaign for new highways, power plants, dumps, etc. And their favorite catch phrase is always: "Growth is coming. We can't stop it. So we need to be prepared". Bullshit. Growth comes to where its welcome.

[BigBrother]

GMAC, congratulations. You just won Bigbrother's favorite post of the week.

Curious, how do we make the carpet baggers unwelcome?

[duckduckdog]

Big Brother - every coal burning plant is a "coal dust burning plant".... it is all pulverized to a pwder finer than talcom power before it ever enters the boiler. This is a much cleaner plant than the coal plants of the 70's. Half of the buget on these new plants go into emissions control. The folks that work at Santee Cooper live here too. I agree that long term nuclear is a great choice and one that Santee Cooper is persuing. The problem with nuclear is timing. You cannot build a nuclear unit and have it online within the timeframe that it will be needed. As nuclear units and a newer and cleaner coal plant come online, the older, dirtier units will run less. DNR and Sanford are both wrong for commenting at this time. Public comment time has ended on this and if you or I sent in a comment now, it would be ignored. Sanford and DNR should be no different.

[Poppa Bear]

And will cost twice as much, take longer to build, permits will have to be resubmitted and the 2013 completion date will be pushed out even further. The fact that the costs are rising more and more as time passes it will probably be a higher price tag..

The population is growing rapidly in this state and this plant is needed to be able to keep lights on for future growth or we can buy power from other utilities at a much, much higher cost, which will roll over to you...

And whether you know it or not... Santee Cooper supplies power to ALL of the electric cooperatives in this state, which supply power to you !(SCE&G, DUKE, PROGRESS ENERGY doesn't) ..If this plant doesn't get built and the summer peaks go over the capacity, you will see blackouts like those in other states... ..... and most of those who oppose this plant are not provided electricity by Santee Cooper.

[BigBrother]

Public comment time has ended on this

It is a full year and a half from it's Environmental Impact Statement for it's final permits. Hardly.

Do you have vested interest in it's inception ddd?

[Chuck the Duck Slayer]

I will gladly pay more for my power

Careful what you wish for. In 4 years you maybe changing your mind.

[BigBrother]

Furthermore, those of you suggesting that more research into this, how about reading, (then considering) that our very own DEHC gave the permits without the required EIS.
(translation: bought and paid for) <---just my humble opinion.

Also, google "coal burning plant and Tennessee". Read about what happened just a month and a half ago.

Also consider for just a moment that this is the only undammed river left in our state.

[DeltaDucks]

Careful what you wish for. In 4 years you maybe changing your mind.

No I won't,

Sorry but the prospect of higher energy cost doesn't outweigh my concerns.

[duckkracker]

When Santee-Cooper first proposed this plant they had planned to fuel it with natural gas, but have changed to the cheaper source of fuel at the expense of the environment.
Finally we have some leaders speaking out, but I'm afraid it's too late. They rode the fence and stayed quiet too long.

[duckkracker]

The Pee Dee may not be dammed in SC, but the river system has been severly damaged from the dams upstream in NC.

[SCTIMBER]

Blewett Falls dam controls a lot of water that is sent downriver. Wednesday is usually the low day

[duckkracker]

I had rather live closer to a coal fired plant than a nuclear....I prefer a slow death...not a quick one when the core melts down.

[BigBrother]

For arguments sake...

The plant is built. Growth happens. They keep the rivers clean for 20 or so years. Everybody is happy. The bluebirds sing cute songs.

Then we get the hurricane we are due. The hundred acres of retention ponds that hold the ash from the coal plant, their dikes collapse. This spills hundred of thousands of tons of toxic shit in a waterway that dumps water from shallow NC all the way to almost Charleston.

For a list of that toxic shit, google coal ash.

Coal is a cheap, available resource. Yeah, we should utilize it. It is under our sovereign dirt. It is simply beyond irresponsible to put that shit at the headwaters of such a significant watershed.

[duckduckdog]

What happened at the TVA plant in Kingston was a result of piss poor construction. The dike that failed was actually built out of bottom ash, which makes a creat fill material and has characteristics similar to sand all the way up to 57 stone depending on particle size. It is not, however suitable for construction of dams and dikes. This material should have never been used for this purpose. This is not how ash ponds at Santee Cooper are constructed. Don't fall into the trap that the media has set and continued to promote against this and all other coal plants. Think for yourself.

[BigBrother]

Think for yourself

I refuse to do that. If I was thinking for myself, I would be all for it. I am thinking of my son, who one day will own some acreage downstream from that facility. I would like for him and his children to be able to actually drink the well water or use the land for agriculture.

It is a fix for a problem sure. But, the long-term impacts far outweigh any short term solutions it provides.

I read into the coal dust steam generating power plants, yes you are correct, they are much cleaner...for the air and "green house" emissions. However, they still produce the same volume of ash. Ash is where all those heavy metals and toxins reside.

Good point on the dikes. However, it befuddles the hell out of me, that upstream from me, DHEC has authorized this facility because it will have no impact on the watershed...but wont let me build additional hog houses because of the potential impacts of the hog waste escaping the dikes. Dikes built exactly like those you describe for this facility.

[Chuck the Duck Slayer]

For arguments sake...

The plant is built. Growth happens. They keep the rivers clean for 20 or so years. Everybody is happy. The bluebirds sing cute songs.

Then we get the hurricane we are due. The hundred acres of retention ponds that hold the ash from the coal plant, their dikes collapse. This spills hundred of thousands of tons of toxic shit in a waterway that dumps water from shallow NC all the way to almost Charleston.

For a list of that toxic shit, google coal ash.

Coal is a cheap, available resource. Yeah, we should utilize it. It is under our sovereign dirt. It is simply beyond irresponsible to put that shit at the headwaters of such a significant watershed.

I hate to disagree with you but it depends on if the power plant has a gypsum plant right beside them taking the coal ash and making it into wallboard. At Santee Cooper's Winyah plant in Georgetown they are supplying American Gypsum with the coal ash so that AG can make wallboard. In years past yes the coal ash went into rentention ponds but now it is being used as a snythetic gypsum for sheetrock.

Even if this power plant doesnt come on line I have a feeling that energy costs will rise greatly.

[BigBrother]

Chuck, do you think American Gypsum will purchase the bottom portion of the ash that is ripe with arsenic, mercury, et. al. to build products to go into people's homes? Good gravy, think of all the potential lawsuits.

That is the part that is stored in the retention ponds...at least that is my understanding from the reading I have found.

[JABIII]

I had rather live closer to a coal fired plant than a nuclear....I prefer a slow death...not a quick one when the core melts down.

Fuck that. I will take the lights out over the years of living on a respirator because you have been breathing in the nasty shit. Every evening and morning when you walk out on the deck in Wateree and turn on the deck lights, you get to see the "snow" falling down all over you. Ever since they put in the new "scrubber unit" at the Wateree Station, the air has been full of the nasty shit. We are breathing it in 24/7 down there. There will be a price to pay for it and it will be steep...

[Chuck the Duck Slayer]

took a tour of the Winyah plant Monday morning. Aundry Evans led the tour from start to finish and the "slurry" that is used to clean the stack and such is pumped over to a dewatering system that takes all the water out of the "slurry" and the remaining material is what is used for the wallboard. They have 4 modules and with the weather the way it was on Monday they only had to run 2 if I remember correctly.
Prior to American Gypsum coming on line with Santee Cooper YES the coal ash was put in retention ponds but now it is used in wallboard. if the coal ash does not meet the specs set forth by American Gypsum Santee Cooper has to go over at their expense and retrieve any out of spec material.
I also learned that the main mode of transportation at the Winyah plant for employees in the plant is bicycles with a small basket on the front for tools.

[Jozie & Me]

What do you fellas think is laying in the bottom of the lagoon at Stone Container? They have been running that powerhouse and pulp mill since '62. With the probability of Smurfit Stone filing bankrupcy, who will look over the dikes if they go belly up?

You are worried about a grenade that is 20 years in the future when you already have a bomb in your lap.