News from Charleston
Utility gets draft coal plant permit
State health officials gave Santee Cooper a preliminary permit Tuesday for its proposed $1 billion coal-fired power plant in the Pee Dee, a move that drew criticism from environmental groups.
The draft permit is just one of many regulatory hurdles Santee Cooper must clear before construction on the plant begins. The state-owned utility says it needs a new electrical generator by 2012, or coastal areas could face a serious electricity shortage.
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Coal plant clears first hurdle
Santee Cooper gets DHEC air permit despite calls from environmentalists to wait for study
By SAMMY FRETWELL
Santee Cooper won the first round Monday in its fight to build a nearly $1 billion power plant in rural Florence County.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said it will issue a draft air pollution permit for the coal-fired plant, despite calls by conservation groups for more study.
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Mayor Summey urges close examination of plans for expansion
By Katy Stech
The Post and Courier
Friday, May 18, 2007
North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey is urging state regulators to closely examine a proposal that would quadruple the capacity of a coal terminal on the Cooper River, saying the expansion could harm the environment, jeopardize public health and create traffic problems
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Vigilant citizen confronts Kinder Morgan
Citizen Watch: Calling out Kinder Morgan's polluting habits earns one man a visit from Homeland Security
BY STRATTON LAWRENCE
If marine mechanic Ken Bonerigo had it his way, he'd live peacefully on his sailboat and not bother a soul. That easy living is made difficult, however, by black dust that occasionally fills the air around his boat during the coal unloading process at Kinder Morgan's Shipyard Creek facility, 100 yards by water from the Cooper River Marina at the south end of the old Navy base.
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Kinder Morgan's expansion is beneficial to the community
The Post and Courier recently has covered Kinder Morgan's local expansion efforts, and we think it's important that the public hears directly from us that the safety and security of our community, our neighbors and our customers are our utmost priorities. Our employees are members of this community, too, so it's important for us to do the right thing and to correct problems when we find them, and to make sure they never happen again.
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Kinder Morgan: DHEC Hearing
Last night, August 7, DHEC held an informal public meeting to answer questions from the public regarding Kinder Morgan’s proposed expansion of its Shipyard Creek Terminal importing capacity. There was a good turnout, approximately 80-100 concerned citizens attended, and many of those present asked questions. Ample time was given to all who wanted ask questions, and the DHEC moderator, Nancy Whittle, did a nice job ensuring that all questions were addressed, although we weren’t always satisfied with the answers.
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Posted on Fri, Sep. 07, 2007
By ANN TIMBERLAKE - Guest Columnist
The State’s recent story about the Department of Health and Environmental Control’s regulatory negligence at the Barnwell nuclear waste dump raises a troublesome question: Why don’t the seven DHEC board members, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, demand that staff fulfill the mission of “promoting and protecting the health of the public and the environment”?
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DHEC not allowed to consider past violations by Kinder Morgan
SEPTEMBER 5, 2007
A Deficient DHEC: S.C.'s lack of "bad boy" legislation makes it easy to get a permit to pollute
BY STRATTON LAWRENCE
Following efforts to clean up their act, DHEC has said they will likely issue a permit for Kinder Morgan to expand at shipyard creek, despite a history of violations
Following efforts to clean up their act, DHEC has said they will likely issue a permit for Kinder Morgan to expand at shipyard creek, despite a history of violations
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DHEC: No decision made on Kinder Morgan permits
Update (sort of) on Kinder Morgan Coal Company’s request
Thursday, September 6th, 2007
By Dan McCue , Staff Writer
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control officials asserted that no decision has been made on Kinder Morgan’s request to expand its coal-trafficking operations in North Charleston and that no timetable has been established for announcing such a decision.
