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Mar 29 - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News - Pete Delea The
Star, Shelby, N.C.
Environmental watchdog groups plan to swarm the Carolinas in coming years as Duke Energy moves forward on plans to construct its fourth power plant just outside of Earl in Cherokee Falls, S.C. Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League has already started its campaign to stop the power plant with a mass e-mail alert sent out to activists throughout the region. "I think they're (opponents) out of line," said Austell, who has served on the town's council since the 1960s. "We need to go with progress." Mrs. Zeller said her group will launch an educational campaign regarding the organization's concerns. She said her main worry is the potential health risks a power plant would create. She said power plants cause adverse health conditions by producing ionizing radiation that causes cancer, birth defects and premature deaths for babies. She also said power plants are not financially sound. "A nuclear power plant makes no economic or environmental sense," said Mrs. Zeller. Mrs. Zeller said there are cheaper and safer ways to produce energy such as solar and wind power. "If you have a windmill, you don't have to have an emergency evacuation plan," said Mrs. Zeller. Campaigns Director Lisa Finaldi in Greenpeace USA's Raleigh office said the organization opposes all nuclear power plants and will be helping grassroots organizations stop the construction. "The nuclear waste problem has yet to be resolved," said Ms. Finaldi. "There is a lot of information that shows that nuclear power plants are not economically viable." Austell said he disagrees. He said with energy costs continuing to rise, nuclear power seems like a good option. "I think we will have to go to nuclear power," said Austell. "If it's handled right, nuclear power is the way to go."
FAST FACTS: Duke Power operates the following: --3 nuclear power plants (Catawba, Oconee and McGuire) --8 coal-fired stations --31 hydroelectric stations --Numerous combustion turbine units --Total production: 19,900 megawatts
5 PROS: Here are five good things about nuclear power, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute: --It's the largest source of clean-air energy in North America. --Nuclear power plants produce no controlled air pollutants such as sulfur. --The use of nuclear energy in place of other energy sources helps to keep the air clean and avoid ground-level ozone formation. --Nuclear power plants provide low-cost, predictable power at stable prices. --The commercial nuclear energy industry has ranked among the safest places to work. Source: Nuclear Energy Institute, a policy organization of the nuclear energy industry
5 CONS: Here are five bad things about nuclear power, according to Public Citizen: --Despite its promise more than 50 years ago of energy "too cheap to meter," the nuclear power industry continues to be dependent on taxpayer handouts to survive. --Nuclear power plants are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. --Workers are afraid to raise concerns about safety to the National Regulatory Commission. --Nuclear power is not a clean energy source because it produces highly radioactive waste. --It's not a solution to global warming. Source: Public Citizen, a non-profit public interest organization
TIMELINE OF PROPOSED SITE: --1970s: Duke Power begins investing in South Carolina site --Early 1980s: Duke Power abandons plan and sells property to Earl Owensby --1989: Movie "The Abyss" opens, with most of its scenes filmed at the S.C. site --2006: Duke Power announces plans to build another power plant on the site --2008: Duke Power applies to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission --2012: NRC decision expected --2015: Power plant could be up and running |