Friday, March 28, 2008

The Week in Florence

The coal debate is heating up in Florence. Not only do concerned citizens continue to ask tough questions about this exceedingly dirty venture, but Florence now has a mayoral candidate who is opposed to the multi-billion dollar project, expected to bring less than 100 jobs to the 9 counties of the Pee Dee.

Group holds meeting concerning proposed power plant

Tuesday, Mar 25, 2008 - 10:31 PM Updated: 12:58 PM
By Mackenzie Taylor
Florence Morning News

Florence County Citizens In Action held the second of two public meetings Tuesday night concerning Santee Cooper’s plans to build a coal-fired power plant near Kingsburg. The meeting was held at Florence Bible Chapel.

Santee Cooper’s senior vice president and general counsel, Jim Brogdon, spoke to the group. He said the power plant is needed to meet growing population demands.

"I believe the numbers that you hear fairly frequently is that by 2025 we will grow by another million people here in South Carolina. So, those folks will come and they’ll expect to have electricity when they get here," said Brogdon.

Some, however, disagree.

"If they increased their use of renewables and combined that with efficiency, there would be no need for a new coal plant and the impacts of this coal plant on the water, on the air, on the health of the citizens of this state would never then happen," said Nancy Cave of the Coastal Conservation League.



I wonder how many of those million folks moving to South Carolina will be choosing to relocate to the Florence area in order to live near a coal plant, a non-attainment area for ozone, or a mercury contaminated river?

I think the northerners are moving down here to get away from all of that.

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