SCGA against barges

[JABIII]

Posted on Sun, Dec. 03, 2006


Group opposes lake barge

Santee Cooper Guides Association votes unanimously against commercial port

By PAT ROBERTSON
patrob@upthecreek.net

As expected, the Santee Cooper Guides Association voted unanimously recently to oppose a plan for commercial barge traffic on the Santee Cooper Lakes.

Carolina Linkages, a Charleston company, has announced plans to build an inland port below the I-95 Bridge on Lake Marion and run tugboats up the Cooper River and across the lakes to the port, pushing barges holding 50 shipping containers each.

“There was a unanimous motion in opposition to any barges on the lake,” said guides association president Doug Allen of Bonneau. “They feel that the barges would be a detriment to the environment, not only with wake damage, but with possible oil spills, and it would change the entire fishing dimension of the lakes.”

Allen said the guides asked why, “with all the money spent around the lake and businesses operated for fishing, would they dare give up everything they have for the sake of something that could be equally well done with railroads and/or trucks?”

Allen said the guides do not oppose an inland port “as long as they use the railroad system or trucks to do it. But we are unanimously opposed to barges on the lake.”

Also, a group calling itself Friends of Santee Cooper has written the Santee Cooper Counties Promotion Commission a “letter of concern” about the proposed inland port near Santee and barge traffic on the lakes and in the Cooper River below the Lake Moultrie Dam.

Friends of Santee Cooper will appear at the Jan. 15 meeting of the promotion commission, which works with the five counties bordering the lakes. Carolina Linkages president and CEO Lucy Duncan-Scheman of Charleston also is expected to attend and make a presentation on behalf of the company.

[rp]

This is something I would expect the SC Wildlife Federation should rally against but they will probably be scared they are stepping on someone's (a politician's)toes and wiggle out of working on it. They are so damn worried about being polically correct.

Maybe Dana Deach and his crew at the Coastal Conservation League will do something.

[Claimer]

I'm glad other people don't like it. You all should call your reps NOW. This is gonna' suck if it passes. Just imagine , a nice night of striper fishing, no jet skis , no worries, then a tug whistle and GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY.

[DUCKMAN]

This is going to be a tough one too! They can show in great detail the socio/economic and environmental advantages of barge verse r/r and or truck. This has been around for years and they have done their homework with the Coast Guard, the politicians and the COE. This will really suck!

[Claimer]

go to carolina linkages . com. Look at the heavy hitters on the board.