Update on the gas plant

I should have been posting about this all along, but have really busy trying to organize opposition in the community.

Last night was the 2nd reading of the FILOT (fee in lieu of taxes) to be awarded to the "company." It passed 4-3 to go on to a 3rd reading an public hearing.

Some of us spoke last night in the public comments. I had prepared a 5-minute comment, but got pared down to 3 min 30 seconds as there were more than 6 speakers. 

You can watch the actual meeting at the Kershaw County Council website. But below is basically what I had planned to say, but had to edit due to the time constraint.

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Good Evening.

My name is Jim Curley. My family and I stay on Timrod Road about 2 miles outside of town. I am an Adjunct Instructor in Physics and Astronomy at Winthrop U and York Technical College. We moved here from the city for peace, quiet, and rural living.  

I am here today to talk about a plan to rupture the peace, quiet and rural living; which is the Natural Gas-fired power plant proposed and to be located on about 800 acres between Boise Cascade Road and Timrod Road. While I don’t live in the closest house to the proposed plant, I am in the top 3 or maybe 4.

About 2 weeks ago I received a letter from Beaufort Rosemary inviting us to a meeting about a power project in our area. I emailed Beaufort Rosemary and received the information that it would be a Natural Gas fired power plant between Boise Cascade and Timrod Road.

Going to the meeting, Beaufort Rosemary gave us an overview and offered us financial incentives if we signed a letter of support for the project and came to meetings to support the project.

While many questions were asked about safety and logistics, Beaufort Rosemary answers were not convincing. Research with the EPA and numerous other energy and power sources reveal that there are health, environmental, and economic issues with these types of power plants.

I am most concerned with health issues, but I would be lying if I wasn’t concerned about the decline in my property value if this plant happens or the decline in the quality of life for folks in our area. There is another issue. The footprint of this plant is proposed to be about 100 acres. What is planned for the future on the remaining 700 or so acres? Data Center? Solar Panel Farm? Another power plant? I can’t believe it is just a buffer; for now yes. But in 5-10 years?

But I am here primarily to talk about the health risks this poses for the immediate and wider community.

For example, a study (2025) by the Dominici Lab at Harvard University’s School of Public Health issued a report on the newly proposed power plant in Colleton County at Canadys. In part it says, (I quote):

“Emissions modeling revealed that more than two million people would be impacted by additional particulate matter exposure from the gas plant, with the plant emitting annually at least 164.3 tons of particulate matter (also called PM_2.5) – a harmful form of air pollution unsafe at any level of exposure. Colleton and surrounding counties would face the brunt of the air pollution, but it would travel as far as Georgia.

This pollution could result in up to $28M in healthcare related costs annually due to increased disease burden on impacted communities, increasing to $36M annually by 2040 with inflation. “

This plant will be bigger than Bethune’s, but the point is the same. This a brand-new plant with the latest technology in clean emissions, presumably, and yet will still cause many people many health problems.

From the EPA:

“Natural gas fired power plants can have significant effects on the health of members of the close community. Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter (microscopic solid or liquid particles suspended in the air, which can be harmful to health when inhaled) all contribute to respiratory problems (exacerbating asthma and other conditions) and Heart Disease. “

This plant in Bethune will destroy our way of life in the Timrod/Boise Cascade Road community, if not our very lives.

I understand there are financial benefits for the county if this plant goes in. But if you weigh that against the health and very lives of some (even if a minority) of the Kershaw County residents, there is no bargain; there is no scale which balances the results.

Thus I strongly oppose the construction of this plant and any encouragement and financial incentives given to the Beaufort Rosemary in this process.

Finally, I ask how much money the County will lose in tax revenue is they award this FILOT?

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 Oremus pro invicem!