Washington County Commissioners Continue Disappointing Course of Action

This morning FACE members attended the Washington County Commissioners meeting to discuss the proposed closing of Mathis Rd and re-routing of the Mayview Rd. I was on the agenda and discussed the similarities between the concern over county's household garbage landfill and the dangers of a coal ash landfill with much more dangerous toxins.

Additionally I discussed the limit on future jobs that the plant will create via degraded air and water quality. The lack of permits and enticement of jobs in the distant future were also part of my comments. I urged the commissioners to not put the cart so far in front of the horse by approving the road request.
 
Another point I made was that the county, and the county attorney, refused to accept the information concerning landfill privatization which citizens had presented to them in the last few weeks when the possibility of selling our landfill was announced. I think it is fair to say I chastised them about refusing to acknowledge the due diligence local citizens have done to be better informed about issues. I managed to make the Commission Chair Tommy Walker so mad he said he is glad this is his last meeting (he was defeated in the primary by returning chair Horace Daniel). I concluded by giving them 435 signatures of people who opposed the road re-routing, the issuance of water permits, and the plant in general.

Dean Alford followed me on the agenda and explained that construction traffic coming south on Hwy 15 will turn and go east on Hwy 102, then south on Sparta Davisboro Rd. Coming from the south toward the site traffic will go east on the Fall Line Hwy, turn and go north on Sparta Davisboro Rd.


Melton Jones made a motion to accept, Larry Mathis seconded, and approval was
unanimous.


During the public comment period after the items on the agenda were completed, Lyle Lansdell made several points about the health impact and her career experience in health outcomes related to toxins. She then discussed the new jobs being created via EE and conservation, and suggested that
the tech school should focus on that type of training rather than the power plant.

Lyle also raised the increased rail car traffic and pollution resulting from coal dust from the rail cars, and the highly populated areas where the rail traffic will be.


Pat Daniel spoke well about her family's decision to leave Atlanta decades ago because they preferred raising their family in a rural setting. The investments her family has in their land and homes is considerable. She told a story about a real estate deal falling apart here due to the plant. She
also said that the plant will make our county a "cesspool" of waste. Tommy Walker was surprised when she said that.

Pat also talked about the dust and soot that people living at Lake Sinclair experience.Both spoke about the fear that people have in speaking out publicly about that there is considerable opposition to the plant.

We didn't expect that the road issue would go our way, but nevertheless it is disappointing that our elected officials continue to clasp onto a mere 120 promised jobs with our health, local natural resources, and future economic development given away in the trade.

Katherine Helms Cummings
FACE Executive Director