NEWS
Coal doesn't deliver on promised jobs
Washington EMC and Power4Georgians have promised about 120 jobs if Plant Washington is built. An independent study shows that coal plants don't deliver on the jobs promise.
In response to the report A Fraction of the Jobs, the American Mining Association said in the Chattanooga Times Free Press that coal plants tend to, "round up on direct and indirect jobs, and underestimate plant construction costs."
FACE Presentation to Washington County Board of Education focuses on health and new job development
June 2, 2011
FACE Executive Director Katherine Cummings made a presentation to the Washington County Board of Education about Washington County's health status, new reports on high rates of asthma among African-Americans. The growing demand for employees trained in energy efficiency and conservation for new and existing buildings was also presented. No members asked any questions concerned the health problems resulting from exposure to coal plant emissions.The powerpoint is here.
The daily 16 million gallons of water Plant Washington will use was not a primary part of the FACE presentation, but Board member Paul Turner asked several questions about the aquaifer and any strain that could be created from such significant withdrawals. Turner's only source of information that he referred to is what P4G has released.
Ms. Cummings referred Turner to a presentation made by United States Geoligic Survey geologist Chris Leath concerning the numerous problems which could develop with local groundwater and recharge capacity from such significant withdrawals. (That information was presented to the community during a public meeting three years ago. Mr. Leath is not a consultant to FACE nor affiliated with any FACE partners).
Turner even asked Ms. Cummings how deep her familiy's household well near Warthen is. She recounted a conversation she had earlier this year with EPD Watershed Protection Branch Assistant Branch Chief Kevin Farrell when he d asked what her concerns are about local water resources.
Her response to Farrell was, "IF my well water comes from the upper layers of the local aquaifer, shouldn't I be worried about coal ash waste dumped directly above it on a liner projected by P4G and the EPD to last no more than 30 years?The EPD says the liner must be checked for leaks. Coal ash waste will be about 1/4 mile from Williamson Swamp Creek, which feeds the Ogeechee. We know the Ogeechee already has high levels of mercury and other toxins. Why should we make it worse? I have every reason to be worried."
New Jobs, Savings for Businesses, Churches, and Households Shared by Middle Georgia Business and Church Leaders
Middle Georgia business leaders, elected officials, and church leaders met with state and national experts on Friday, March 4, 2011 on energy efficiency and job creation to discuss innovative ways businesses, churches, and families can save money and energy through energy efficiency and conservation.
“Local congregations are getting Energy Audits that identify ways they can reduce energy costs for their churches,” said Reverend Alexis Chase, executive director of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL). The money these faith communities are saving on their energy bills is being used to advance their mission and fund outreach programs.
Lori Quillen, a Policy Analyst with the Ochs Center discussed new research findings comparing jobs created by energy efficiency and new coal fired power plants. The research found that the projected jobs for coal fired power plants fell short of the number promised by developers. More jobs were developed in fields related to energy efficiency, and those jobs were less expensive to develop. Our analysis has shown that new coal plant construction is rarely the economic panacea proclaimed by its proponents.”
Read more here.
Reports from the meeting:
Comparing Job Creation from Energy Efficiency and Coal Plants
Review of Dr. Marilyn Brown's research on Energy Efficiency in Georgia
EPD withheld public comments from DNR Board. How much trust can we place with them in their decisions effecting us?
Letter to the Editor, Sandersville Progress
February 14, 2011
Many of our local elected officials and business leaders have said, “I trust the EPD to protect me and my family” when it comes to Plant Washington. Last week Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Board Chair Earl Barr gave all of us reason to wonder how much trust we should place in EPD decisions.
The DNR Board adopted a rule on transferring water from one river basin to another (Inter Basin Transfer, IBT) at the end of January. The IBT rule is crucial in water management, especially for those of us living south of Atlanta. Last week newspapers in Georgia and Alabama reported that the EPD staff didn’t tell the DNR Board that it received letters from the U.S. Department of fish and Wildlife, Alabama's Department of Environmental Management and Department of Economic and Community Affairs, and the Chamber of Commerce in Rome and Augusta.
According to newspaper reports, the EPD told the Board before it voted that it had received 1000 “form letter” public comments from an environmental web site urging a strong rule. The Atlanta Journal Constitution quoted Chairman Barr on the EPD staff’s decision, “You would think that a letter from some federal agency would get some consideration.”
He went on to also say, “I think it would have been fair for us to have seen that and had those discussions in committee meetings.” (newspaper articles can be found at faceenvironment.org). Instead the DNR Board voted on lenient rule language allowing the EPD to make water transfer decisions because they trusted EPD staff decisions.
The two state departments in Alabama are still waiting on responses from the EPD about their public comments. Officials there thought their letters had been lost in the mail.
The decisions made about how our natural resources will be managed will impact us for a long time. I urge anyone concerned about these decisions to speak up, and follow up, with decision makers to be sure your ideas and concerns are heard.
Bobby Strange
Oconee, GA
Energy efficiency is better choice for jobs, local community
Letter to the Editor, Sandersville Progress
Dear Editor,
As we wait to hear whether Power4Georgians will appeal the reversal of their air permit or go back to the drawing board to redo this permit, we can explore the possibility of creating energy-efficiency (EE) jobs in Washington County. You’ve heard about the hazardous pollution from the proposed Plant Washington stack, the 100-acre ash pile, and the 120 open cars to rail coal through town daily, all for the alleged 1400 jobs for 4 years and 120 permanent jobs, many of which will go to parties outside Washington County.
The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies, a Chattanooga-based economics research organization, reports that 1,241 jobs per year for 14 years could be created in the P4G EMC counties by implementing energy-efficiency measures. And they say EE activities would pump more than $3 billion into the local economies over a 14 year period. Read more here.
Did you know?
Letter to the Editor, The Sandersville Progress
January 10, 2011
DID YOU KNOW . . .
That the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) reported on Jan. 6 that Cobb EMC CEO Dwight Brown was indicted on 31 charges including racketeering and theft?
DID YOU KNOW . . .
That the AJC and the Marietta Daily Journal reported that the indictment of Cobb EMC CEO Dwight Brown includes charges related to the creation and operation of Cobb Energy? That the theft includes the theft of MILLIONS of dollars from the member-owned EMC ?
DID YOU KNOW . . .
That Cobb EMC CEO Dwight Brown signed the original air permit application for Power4Georgians’ Plant Washington Coal fired power plant as “Management Committee Member”?
DID YOU KNOW …
That Cobb EMC CEO Dwight Brown filed the original corporation registration for Power4Georgians, signing as “organizer”?
DID YOU KNOW . . .
That Cobb Energy subsidiaries include Allied Energy Services, headed by Dean Alford, who is also the developer and spokesperson for Power4Georgians’ Plant Washington?
DID YOU KNOW . . .
That WASHINGTON COUNTY CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS??!!!!
Tell the Washington EMC and our county leaders that Plant Washington isn’t a done deal, and we don’t do business this way. Check the FACE web site at http://faceenvironment.org to support our work and get updates throughout the week.
FACE Board of Directors