SCNRB; sounding off like they have a pair...

[Moatsy]

C&P:

Cooper River freight plan faces opposition

The S.C. Natural Resources Board on Friday declared its opposition to a proposal to move freight up the Cooper River and through the Santee Cooper lakes to an inland port near Santee.

The board voted unanimously to show its opposition to the plan because of the impact barge traffic could have on recreation on the lakes and on the natural resources.

The board is not against plans for a freight distribution center near Santee, just the concept of bringing freight to that center through the lakes.

CaroLinks, a Charleston-based company, has floated a proposal to push barges laden with freight through lakes Moultrie and Marion to a port it would build near Santee.

While the company has yet to seek permits from state and federal agencies, the board, which directs policy for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, decided to go ahead and weigh in on the project.

[BOGSTER]

Are the supporters of Carolinks that blinded by their own greed that they can't see the enviromental damage??
This will be detrimental to all fish and wildlife that live and use the area.
And it will flat ruin the Cooper River.
This is an issue that needs to be voted on, it will Completely unfair to not do so.

[DUCKMAN]

This is a very well oiled machine that is far ahead of the game.

They have addressed almost every issue and have an answer.....This obviously has been on the drawing board for a long,long time and has been hush, hush.

Interesting points - The locks were built for barge/commerce traffic and paid for/maintained with those earmarked funds.

The Coast Guard has maintained the channel.

Each barge would haul 40 containers and only at night. They have calculated the cost of 40 tractor trailer trucks - the fuel consumption - the pollutants from emissions from 40 trucks, the highway congestion in and around Charleston, and manpower cost.......It is extremely cheap and safe to use the barges verse the trucks.

Barge commerce is the cheapest and most environmentally safe method to transport goods. This comes from the US Commerce Dept.

Wave action in the lake would be a non issue BUT not so on the Cooper - This may be the only avenue of attack - the erosion of properties along the Cooper!

Take a look at their board.......heavy hitters....they have done their homework!

[MDman]

What about water levels?? if they go through with the inland port, wouldnt they have to maintain a certain level in for the barges to come up??