Permiso Si!
Over the objection of S.C. Governor Mark Sanford and his top natural resources advisor, the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) approved a key permit for the construction of a coal-fired power plant in the rural Pee Dee area of the state yesterday.
The vote was 4-2 among DHEC’s board members, all of whom were appointed by the governor, ironically.
The day-long hearing drew about thirty protesters to Columbia, but many were from out-of-state and at least a half-dozen of them showed up to oppose a “mega-dump” in Marlboro County, which wasn’t even on the board’s agenda.
About 100 people attended the meeting – which was held in DHEC’s shoebox-sized boardroom but telecast via closed circuit to a mostly-empty spillover auditorium.
It was a poor showing for the environmentalists, who had boasted that their crowd would exceed a thousand people after they sent out e-mail blasts to thousands of protesters across the Southeast in the days leading up to the hearing.
The environmentalists were joined by Frank Knapp of the uber-liberal S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce (i.e. these guys) and some guy with a huge inflatable coal plant, although sadly the inflatable coal plant didn’t double as a “bouncehouse.”
Small in numbers, the protesters were plenty vocal though.
In fact, one angry environmentalist stormed out of the auditorium shortly after the meeting began, irate over being asked to watch the proceedings on the closed circuit feed.
“This is bullshit,” she yelled, slapping a ‘Coal Kills’ sticker on the wall of the DHEC elevator as she made her way out of the building. “This is not a democracy, this is a plutocracy!”
If only the hearing itself had been so entertaining.
During several hours of monotonous, mind-numbing testimony, DHEC board members heard excruciatingly-detailed data from all sides of the debate – with most of the speakers running well over the time they were allotted.
“This is PowerPoint hell,” one of the attendees told us.
And it was, unless of course you’re like our founding editor and are up to speed on your “flue gas desulfurization vessels” and “continuous emissions monitoring systems.”
Simply put, it was some of the densest material we’ve ever been exposed to, but the takeaway was pretty simple – coal is the only option available to bridge the current “demand gap” until nuclear and other alternative sources of energy are able to come online.
That position was endorsed yesterday by former S.C. Gov. James Edwards, and has overwhelming legislative support.
Yesterday’s ruling is by no means the end of the line, though, as environmentalists have vowed to appeal DHEC’s decision to the state’s Administrative Law Court.
They’ve also indicated a willingness to pour millions of dollars from national special interest groups into the state to block this project and two proposed nuclear power plants.
Comments
By Mike Honcho on February 13th, 2009 at 2:02 am
I’m Lewis Gossett and I approve this ad.
By Ron on February 13th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Great article Will,
These “environmental wackos” are as radical as the “spend every dime for the children” educrats. If closely examnined, they’re probably the same “wacko liberales” in both settings.
It’s probably the same crowd that wants the kazilian dollar stimulus packages and a return to the “welfare nanny state”. I’m afraid “free enterprise” is done (is over) in the good ole usa. I like Mark, but I’m glad they “bucked him on this”. This is the gov’s liberal side showing. The “environmental wacko side”. It’s amazing that gov Mark is generally a fiscally conservative aside from the enviro issues.
By John Hartz on February 13th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Greetings from a “Radical Environmental Wacko!”
As long as the power elite of this state continue to worship at the Altar of the Almighty Dollar, they will never acknowledge the true costs of using a 19th Century technology to generate electricity. Perhaps these people and their families actually reside in a parallel world where air pollution and global warming/climate change do not exist. Since the Industrial Revolution, the human race has used the air as a free dump. We all should keep in mind: “Mother Nature always bats last.â€
John Hartz, Chair, Conservation Committee of the SC Chapter of the Sierra Club
By Old Bike Dude on February 13th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
“19th century technology”…are you on crack?? Air quality standards will be adhered to and we will have the power we need. Mother Nature may bat last, but A-Rod has been caught taking steroids, Strawberry has a new book, and my Fantasy Baseball draft isn’t until the 20th.
What say you take your bs pollution message to say….Mexico City or maybe New Delhi.
By lou on February 14th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Theatre…. ticket please.
By The Truth on February 14th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
You have got to love SC..we rank last in education, last in just about every benchmark in the country and yet you get posts like Rons, talking about wackos and spending money on education. Well Ron here is why people spend money on education; a more educated population leads to a higher standard of life, job creation as employers prefer an educated population, hence why the states with the highest education stats also have the highest standard of living stats. Obviously Ron went to a SC public school same as old Biker Dude. Biker Dude you really need to STFU as you obviously are a complete jackass. “BS air pollution†gee how can you argue with something even you could see with your own eyes if you have ever been to a coal plant before? Gentlemen take a moment, put down the Budweiser, step out of your double wide trailer if you can get the door to open with all the trash and old tires piled up next to it, and take a breath of fresh air. Or if you are going to live next to the coal plant, maybe not so fresh. The bottom line is that it is plain stupid to invest billions of dollars on outdated energy like coal. It is the dirtiest of all energy, there is no such thing as “clean coal” it doesn’t exist. This is a fact, clean coal is a vision of some future process to use coal, but it doesn’t exist. Coal truly is 19th century tech and when you factor in pricing, It is going to be increasing in price and honestly the waste from coal energy is significantly higher than any other energy source, Nuclear power is prob the best alternative for SC in the long run..gee i wonder how much money they put into the coffers to get this one approved? God do I hate ignorant, red neck, opinionated know it alls who have probably never left the state or the country and yet are so firm in their beliefs, you rednecks are truly why the south is the wasteland of the United States.
By The Truth on February 14th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Ron, I bet you are one of those guys who drives a huge truck with huge tires and throws your hardees bags out the window because only liberal, enviornmental “whackos” think its wrong to just throw your trash out the window? come on..be honest..you know im right..