Bartram Group Sierra

Proposed Nuclear Power Plants in Gaffney

Thursday, May 1, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) held a meeting as part of the formal process of considering the 2-unit nuclear power plant, Lee Station, proposed by Duke Power for Gaffney. The stated purpose of the meeting was to get input from the public on what the scope should be of the environmental impact statement (EIS) as prepared by the NRC.

Briefly, NRC process and procedures were explained, repeating and emphasizing the desire for input from the public. Following a few questions on the process, the floor was opened to general comments that were supposed to focus on suggestions on what the scope of the EIS should be. Supportive comments ranged from how badly Cherokee County needed jobs to how wonderful a neighbor Duke Power has always been.

More critical comments were highlighted by Sara Barczak, with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (www.cleanenergy.org ), who pointed the full range of environmental issues in her brief statement, particularly focusing on asking why Duke’s application failed to mention a number of key issues (e.g. using baseline water availability figures from rather “wet” years, and not considering the possibility of drought years such as now). Another group active in this is the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (www.BREDL.org)

Opportunities for the present opening for input continue until May 20, by contacting the NRC (by email: lee.colaeis@nrc.gov; or by mail: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mailstop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001). There will be more opportunities for public comment on the actual EIS, and there is a process to be a formal part of the hearing (though a bit more complicated to get into).

More information can be had at www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/col/lee.html for the NRC process, or from the organizations listed above. Of course, Sierra Club has an interest, and general information can be found at http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/energy.pdf (both Bob Guild and Trey Fouche have been watching this issue).

Bottom line….yes, momentum for big investments is a tough force, particularly as the slow but real shrinking availability of a finite resource, oil, enters the psyche of everyone. However, it is even tougher if nobody stands up to ask appropriate questions of a legacy that will be here through our stay (that is, Homo sapiens).

Chip Green

Spartanburg

Volunteer Coordinator Needed for May Events

We need a volunteer coordinator to help with some of the planning for the Cleveland Park picnic on Wednesday evening, May 21. These are annual events that are fun and require only simple, well-established preparations. This is a quick, easy way to get involved and make a difference.

Please contact Fletcher Mann at sierra-mann@att.net or (864) 232-7629 if you can help. Thank you.

Six people have committed to looking at their energy consumption and will work to reduce the CO₂ emissions for themselves and their families. Each person has already made some lifestyle choices that reflect a commitment to a cleaner environment but all are ready to take a closer look at what pollution they produce.

Let’s take a look at these folks: B built an energy efficient home which involved upfront costs for long term energy savings. L lives in an apartment and faces the challenge of limited control over the physical structure and appliances. A is an urban professional who chose to live in the city and has the option of biking to work. M is a busy mother of two who lives along the Saluda and wants to protect the river and keep her kids in clean clothes. T and R live in the suburbs, with a commute to work, a lawn to mow, and a lot of square feet to heat and cool.

Follow these folks in the months to come as they face the reality of their environmental foot print and try to reduce their energy consumption.

On March 12, EPA announced new 8 hour standards for ozone. The old standards (1997) set allowable ozone levels to 0.08 ppm (0.084 ppm before rounding). The 2008 standards set ozone levels at 0.075 ppm. Any decrease in ozone levels is good news for air quality. Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson counties are listed as nonattainment under the 1997 ozone standards and are participating in an EAC (early action compact) to reduce ozone levels. The new standards will require more work in these counties.

What can you do? According to the EPA, lawn and garden equipment account for 5 percent of all ozone-forming emissions. Gas powered lawn mowers on average produce in one hour as much carbon dioxide as driving a car 200 miles (87 pounds of carbon dioxide per year). Mowers account for 5% of our overall air pollution. On April 26, Greenville County will sponsor “Spare The Air” at Greenville Technical College, McKinney Regional Automotive Technology Center, 227 North Pleasantlburg Dr, 29607 from 9 to 1. Greenville county residents can trade in their gas powered lawn mower and buy a Neuton electric lawnmower (cordless, battery powered, MSPR $450) for $189 (first 60 participants). Or without trade in, you can get a voucher (unlimited number) to buy a Neuton for $289 (shipped to you free of charge). Gas mowers can produce 95 decibels of noise (85 decibels is considered harmful to hearing) whereas electric mowers are much quieter.

A gas powered string trimmer emits as much air pollution in an hour as driving a car for eight hours. I have used an electric (battery powered) string trimmer for several years. It is not as powerful as a gas trimmer but has been adequate for my needs. Bur this year, Black & Decker has released a new 36-Volt trimmer which is just as powerful as a gasoline powered trimmer without the pollution and noise. So for those of you who want more power, now there is an alternative.

Remember: when you need to replace that battery, recycle it. rbrc.org/call2recycle/ is a website that will help you find where you recycle your used nickel/cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion and small sealed lead batteries.

If you want to go a step further, human powered lawn mowers are also available. I used one last summer but unfortunately (or fortunately) it broke before I did. If anyone knows of a reliable non-motorized lawnmower, I am ready to try again.

Bartram Sierra would like to welcome our newest Executive Committee member. Chip Green from Spartanburg, a geology professor from USC Upstate, has accepted a 2 year position on the committee.

The final decision on the DHEC permits for the Cliffs at Mountain Park to discharge 175,000 gallons of treated sewage per day into the North Saluda River has not been made.

On third reading, Greenville County Council passed a tree ordinance which is somewhere between the original proposed ordinance and the one submitted by Councilman Meadows. We hope to strengthen the ordinance in the future.

We have not officially received the report on the Tyger river dam project. There was an excellent write up on Dennis Chamberlain’s efforts in the Greenville Journal.

Check the Bartram Web Page for updates and ways for you to get involved and take action: http://www.southcarolina.sierraclub.org/williambartram/
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