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Groups file suit against DHEC

Pee Dee coal plant's mercury focus of suit

By Tony Bartelme
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, April 14, 2009



Conservation groups filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that South Carolina government regulators illegally gave Santee Cooper a green light to build a new coal-fired power plant on the Great Pee Dee River that would pump 31 times more toxic mercury into the air than the legal limit.

photo

AP

An artist's rendering of Santee Cooper's proposed coal-fired power plant in Florence County.

The lawsuit against the state Department of Health and Environmental Control moves the Pee Dee plant debate to the courtroom.

Officials with DHEC declined to comment, but Laura Varn, vice president of corporate communications for Santee Cooper, said the utility had been expecting the suit. "We remain focused on meeting the growing energy needs of South Carolinians in a balanced, affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive manner," she said.

The suit follows a split vote last month by DHEC's board to OK the plant's air pollution permit. Several DHEC board members, including those who sided with Santee Cooper, said they were troubled about the plant's mercury emissions.

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For more about coal ash, read the paper's special series Toxic Ash

The suit also could generate debate over carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. The groups contend that DHEC should regulate carbon dioxide, citing a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court case that said carbon dioxide was an air pollutant under the Clean Air Act.

In the past, Santee Cooper has argued that carbon dioxide isn't regulated now, so it wouldn't make sense for DHEC to base its decision on rules that don't exist. The conservation groups argue that given the Supreme Court's decision, DHEC should have required Santee Cooper to identify ways to reduce carbon emissions.

The Post and Courier's on-line center for investigative reporting.

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"This plant would add mercury pollution to an already contaminated region of the Pee Dee, but DHEC waived the maximum mercury controls required by law," said Blan Holman, an attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. "The tragedy of DHEC's decision is that we have far cheaper and cleaner options than a $2.5 billion coal plant, and those options would generate thousands more jobs than this dinosaur ever would." The groups argue that demand for power could be met with natural gas plants and conservation.

In the lawsuit, the Southern Environmental Law Center represents the Environmental Defense Fund, League of Women Voters of South Carolina, the Coastal Conservation League, Sierra Club and South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Reach Tony Bartelme at 937-5554 or tbartelme@postandcourier.com.

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Comments

zoomru (anonymous) says...

TONY......!!!!

This ran yesterday in The Sate..............!!!!!

You mean you could NOT get in someone's FACE for a response....!?!?!
Its fair to conclude that the CCL would love to have an INK spread to further detail all the ramifications....and SOLUTIONS that we as citizens HAVE concerning energy !!

Your no....MORON !@!! My GOD...did Charles or Mr "POP" Tart put you DOWN for this....!?!?!

You little "Three Amigos" ......are.....FAILING !!!!!

(Fist POUNDz!)

WE.....ARE .....FED ...UP !!!!

April 14, 2009 at 7:51 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

zoomru (anonymous) says...

lcsaint03...........

LOL...!

SAINT....you have been EDUCATED !!

As for LAURA VARN.......????

Mrs. LAURA VARN, we here on the frontlines highly suggest that you READ this article..
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/13/techn...

...(..and you too SAINT) and give some quite contemplation before going into Mr. Lonnie Carter's office and grabbing him by the EAR for setting you up to look like a FOOL....!!!! Laura....the next thing you need to say to Lonnie "BOY" is look him in the EYE and ask him if he knows WHAT is being launched into ORBIT in 2012.....???? Ask spit wad ....if he knows ANYTHING about orbiting SOLAR power generation stations....!?!?! Ask spit wad ....if he knows what is CHEAPER; launching rockets or sending AMERICAN BLOOD to protect the diesel that his precious COAL is railed BY....!?!?!

LAURA VARN......are you going to send your SON or DAUGHTER to protect a freakin' OIL WELL when we have the technology to have COMPETITION in the market place ....?????

Laura VARN.....at least JANE FONDA had the guts to stand up...for SOMETHING !?!?! Its time for you to be JOAN of ARC for ENERGY AWARENESS around our whole state....!!!!

Laura VARN ....do you have ANY idea what is being tested at the HANFORD test site....!?!?! DOES your boss ....LONNIE ??

Laura VARN....it is time for SANTEE COOPER to lead this NATION......not just our STATE !!!! YOU ...."Missy" ...need to WAKE UP because if you don't a company alot like SIRIUS will coma along and cut your customers off the GRID....ONE by ONE by ONE...by ONE..........by ONE ! (Fist POUNDz!)

Stop being idiots and OPEN YOUR FREAKIN' EYES....!!!!!!

LAURA....in this day and age .....when historians look back and ask certain questions and see YOUR Name in the paper as being the MEDIA Face for Santee Cooper....WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM AND YOUR CHILDREN TO THINK OF YOU....?????

GET BUSY.........!!!

April 14, 2009 at 9:57 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

gencon1 (anonymous) says...

Cut the libs lights off.

April 14, 2009 at 10:11 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

drkralc (anonymous) says...

"The suit also could generate debate over carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming."

What specific "scientific" evidence can you provide to support this "claim"? Even if you could I would then find two references to rebut it aside from providing evidence that would crumble the foundation on which your argument rests. Anthropogenic Global Warming is a fallacy. A fear mongerer's power grab. By simply referencing it you've displayed poor objectivity as a reporter and revealed the true intent with which you've reported this, and further, you've demonstrated a despicable use of your medium.

April 14, 2009 at 10:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

outrage (anonymous) says...

"The suit also could generate debate over carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. The groups contend that DHEC should regulate carbon dioxide, citing a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court case that said carbon dioxide was an air pollutant under the Clean Air Act".

This reporter is a genius. CO2 is the main cause of global warning. Thank you, YOU WINGNUT!!

What do you exhale, Einstein? answer CO2!
Bartelme, shut your mouth - you are contributing to GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"In the lawsuit, the Southern Environmental Law Center represents the Environmental Defense Fund, League of Women Voters of South Carolina, the Coastal Conservation League, Sierra Club and South Carolina Wildlife Federation".

All these enviro-nuts do is increase the cost of doing business for alot of companies. Costing the PUBLIC more money. They have a tax-exempt status, yet they have a political agenda! hmmmmmm
Write about that you Liberal Fool!

April 14, 2009 at 10:33 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mb300sl (anonymous) says...

One day these "conservation" groups will have to make their protest signs by candlelight...there won't be any electricity!

April 14, 2009 at 11:43 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Numba10 (anonymous) says...

Global warming caused by a gas all plants exude(what!!!), remember your biology. Global warming is more likely caused by all of the heat generated by auto exhaust pipes. air conditioning units, concrete highways retaining and emitting heat at night, along with roof tops, heat from all the factories, heat from ground exposed to the sun thru deforestation and the list goes on. Oh yes let us not forget that with each passing moment the earth inches closer to the sun. With each inch closer to the sun, by what amount does the earth's temperature rise????????????

April 14, 2009 at 12:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

lobombre (anonymous) says...

Bartleme - CO2 the MAIN cause of global warming?!? Please do your research. It is not proven and if you've noticed even the liberal media is beginning to quiet down a lot about the subject. As a matter of fact, since 2000 the earth has been COOLING.

Blan Holman - Like it or not, coal is not a dinosaur. And, to demonstrate the irrationality of these green groups they want to install Natural Gas plants AND THEN use the CO2 arguement to stop the coal plant. I have news for you: natural gas combustion releases CO2 and water vapor. Both are greenhouse gases. The following paragraph is from the naturalgas.org website.

Natural gas is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels. Composed primarily of methane, the main products of the combustion of natural gas are carbon dioxide and water vapor, the same compounds we exhale when we breathe.

April 15, 2009 at 1:40 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Numba10 (anonymous) says...

lets put as many wind turbines as possible on lakes Marion and Moultrie---thats what the lakes original purpose was, electric generation---so lets use that surface area for a wind farm---the legs in the water will create fish habitat which should improve fishing also

April 28, 2009 at 3:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

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