Air permit for coal-fired plant to be reviewed Feb. 12

The air permit approval from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control for the Santee Cooper Pee Dee Energy Campus will undergo review Feb. 12.

DHEC spokesman Thom Berry said a number of conservation groups banded together and requested a review of the approval shortly after the permit was approved.

The S.C. Board of Health and Environmental Control met Thursday in Columbia for its monthly session, and the review will take place during its next regular meeting, Berry said.

The 600-megawatt coal-fired generation facility would be located on a 2,709-acre tract in Kingsburg, scheduled to become operational sometime after 2012 at a cost of about $1.25 billion to build.

Santee Cooper officials have said the energy produced by the plant is necessary to South Carolina to prevent a power shortage in the next five years. And although they say the plant will be one of the cleanest coal plants in the state, many citizens and conservation groups disagree.

On Wednesday, conservation groups from around South Carolina announced in Columbia the formation of a coalition called “South Carolina Says NO to Dirty Coal” to stop construction of the plant.

The day before, local and state business leaders met on the Statehouse grounds to discuss the need for a statewide energy policy, citing the controversy over the proposed plant.

DHEC announced Dec. 16 its approval of the air quality permit for the plant, saying “... the South Carolina Pollution Control Act is clear that DHEC must issue an air permit if an application meets all currently applicable regulations and standards.”.

Santee Cooper officials have said many other steps must be taken before the company can begin construction of the plant. Among them are the Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Impact Statement and the 401 Water Quality Certification.

Terry Cook, a Pamplico resident whose land is adjacent to the location of the proposed coal-fired plant, said the review is one step in the right direction for DHEC.

“I think that’s great,” she said. “Although I still can’t put a whole lot of faith in DHEC. They’re going to say whatever (Santee Cooper President and CEO Lonnie Carter) says, but I am very glad they are at least going to make a show and listen to the appeal.”

Berry said the review conference is just the first step in the appeal process. One that the review board said was necessary to give the people involved in the process adequate chances to be heard, he said.

“They felt it was of significant importance to the people of South Carolina, to hear the case,” he said.

Santee Cooper spokeswoman Laura Varn said the company is happy to see the process continually moving forward.

“This is another step towards being better able to meet the energy needs of South Carolinians,” she said. “We think that the DHEC board will be thorough in its review and we will work through whatever decisions they (make).”

Varn said she is confident that DHEC was thorough in its initial review of the permit requirements since “it is one of the most stringent (permits) in the United States.”

On the Web:

S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Santee Cooper page, http://www.scdhec.gov/santeecooper