Thumbs down to those who organized Monday’s meeting at Wilson High School to discuss concerns about the proposed Santee Cooper coal-fired power plant in Kingsburg. While we applaud sharing information and exchanging ideas about the proposed Pee Dee Energy Campus, it seems this forum was disingenuous. The Coastal Conservation League sponsored the public meeting and its executive director, Nancy Cave, was on hand for it. But to represent those in favor of the plant, only portions of speeches by Santee Cooper CEO Lonnie Carter were read aloud. Rennie Lunn-McAllister, one of the organizers of Monday’s event, said the forum required balance because it was being held at a public facility. It doesn’t appear a concerted effort was made to present all sides of this issue fairly, however. As Cave said, “We feel strongly that people need to be educated to ask questions and make their own decisions.” The 600-megawatt plant, proposed to be located on a 2,709-acre tract along the Great Pee Dee River, is scheduled to become operational sometime after 2012. Although Santee Cooper officials say the plant will be one of the cleanest coal plants in the state, many citizens and conservation groups disagree. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has yet to issue its environmental impact statement regarding the plant.
Thumbs up to the Allstate Foundation in the Southeast Region for awarding a $50,000 grant to the S.C. Chapter of the National Safety Council in support of its “Alive at 25” youth driver education program. The Allstate Foundation grant will provide law enforcement training and scholarships for South Carolina’s young adults to take the “Alive at 25” course as well as fund additional program support throughout the state. The National Safety Council’s “Alive at 25” course, offered to drivers ages 15-24, is designed to be an early intervention program to help prevent traffic violations, collisions and fatalities. The focus is to help educate young drivers to adopt safer driving practices, take responsibility for their behavior in various driving situations and to be aware of many typical driving hazards. The National Safety Council reports that although young drivers only represent 15 percent of all licensed drivers, they are the drivers in 28 percent of all traffic crashes. The S.C. Chapter of the National Safety Council is partnering with several school systems throughout the state so all students who want to park on high school campuses during the 2008-09 school year will be required to complete “Alive at 25” before being issued parking permits. For more details, visit keepthedrive.com online.
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