Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

A recent article by Taylor Lamb about kayaking on the Oconee River contains some significant misinformation about the impact Plant Washington – a proposed coal-fired power generation facility being developed near Sandersville – would have on the river. Had he taken the time to research the facts, Mr. Lamb could have used this article to assure GCSU kayakers that their fears about Plant Washington depleting the river are unfounded; rather he only demonstrated his ability to make wild and unsubstantiated claims.

First, no one who uses the Oconee River for recreation, fishing, agricultural irrigation or any other purpose is going to “lose” the river if Plant Washington is built. According to publicly available U.S. Geological Service (USGS) records, the average daily flow of the Oconee River is 1.9 billion gallons. The 13.5 million gallons of water Plant Washington would use each day – and even the 16 million gallons per day it may need at peak usage – represents less than one percent of the Oconee’s average daily flow.

Further, publicly available information from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) shows that Plant Washington will return 1.5 million gallons of water to the Oconee each day. If the river flow does become low, the plant has a back-up source of water and will not need to withdraw any water from the river until adequate flow levels resume. Even on those days when Plant Washington does not withdraw any water from the river, it will still continue to discharge 1.5 million gallons of water into the river – thereby actually enhancing downstream river flow.

But perhaps the most irresponsible statement in the article is the assertion that the Oconee River could be “dried up within the year.” This is simply false – and the author provides no data or other evidence to support his claim. The fact is, the EPD would never issue a water withdrawal permit to any entity whose water use would cause one of our state’s rivers to go dry. To suggest otherwise demonstrates a lack of both critical thinking and common sense.

Plant Washington will be most one of the most environmentally-responsible coal-fired power generation facilities ever developed, and the cleanest coal plant in Georgia. In making this $2.1 billion investment in Georgia’s future, POWER4Georgians has made every effort to balance concern for the environment with our state’s need for affordable and reliable electricity. Plant Washing will comply with all state and federal laws and will be fully protective of human health and the environment.

In closing, POWER4Georgians supports the responsible use of out state’s natural resources for a variety of purposes – including both recreation and energy production – and respects conservation efforts that aim to ensure these resources remain available to everyone. Plant Washington will in no way diminish the quality of recreational opportunities on the Oconee River. Mr. Lamb would do well to research the facts of a story prior to publishing that story.

Sincerely,

Dean Alford
POWER4Georgians

Posted by gcsunade on Apr 2 2011. Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.