Published Friday, June 13, 2008
Heard leaders oppose plant
The Times-Herald
The Enon Grove Community Association, a citizen group that's fighting a power plant proposed near the Heard-Coweta line, met Thursday night to re-galvanize, and did so with the backing of four of Heard County's six county commissioners.
The power plant, called Greenway Renewable Power and proposed by Charlotte, N.C.-based Rollcast Energy, is slated for construction off Highway 34 in Franklin near Enon Grove Road. The 50-megawatt plant would be about two miles west of the Heard-Coweta line at Powers' Crossroads. It's designed to burn waste wood and operate like a small steam plant. The electricity it generates would be sold to Georgia Power.
In attendance to support the blocking of the plant were Heard County Chairwoman June Jackson and fellow commission members Larry Hooks, Frank Crook and Sandi Allen, all incumbents who are seeking re-election.
The protest group's organizer, Carolyn Bell of Franklin, told the approximate 30 people who gathered at the Enon Grove fire station on Joe Stephens Road that she had "good news and bad news" to share on the plant's recent developments.
The "good news" was that while the Heard County commission could not consider setting a moratorium on the building of power plants, it will be considering a zoning amendment that would require a special use permit for the construction of power plants. Under the revision, applicants would go before the county's zoning and planning commission and the board of commissioners with each of the boards' reviews subject to public notice and hearings.
One of the community's initial complaints about the power plant was that citizens affected by it were not aware of the company's plans. Commissioners also claimed they were not told of the plans until they were asked to discuss the proposal with some county development authority members or when they read about it in the newspaper.
Bell said her "bad news" was that the general manager of Rollcast, which has an Atlanta office, approached Coweta for its water supply needs.
"The bad news is that Mr. John Campbell went to the Coweta County Water Authority, and they have water to sell and want to sell it," Bell told the small crowd.
Jackson and the other commissioners reassured the crowd that if Rollcast's proposal came before the Heard commission for a vote that the commission would not agree to buy the water or enter into an agreement with Rollcast. Jackson clarified that she is not allowed to vote unless there's a tie, but Hooks, Crook and Allen all indicated that they would not vote in favor of Heard getting another power plant.
The Enon Grove area is home to two natural gas-fueled power plants built by Tenaska and Dynegy, which generate about 944 and 539 megawatts of electricity, respectively. The plants, which operate only during peak demands, also met opposition from area residents when they were built in 2001. In addition to those plants, Georgia Power operates it Wansley facility in Heard County.
Jackson added that while Heard's and Coweta's water authorities have a inter-county connect system, the connection between the counties is intended for emergency services as needed, such as in the event Coweta or Heard needs additional water for fire protection.
Hooks added that Heard is not interested in worsening its air quality, not when it's promoting a $12 million sports complex for the benefit of Heard's youth.
"You just can't keep putting power plants in and turn around and say 'I'm all for the kids,'" he said.
Allen, whose district does not include the Enon Grove community, noted that she also is not in favor of a fourth power plant in Heard.
"I let my people know I don't just represent my district. I represent Heard," she said.
Rollcast is expected to open in 2010.
Crook warned the residents not to minimize the company's will and desire to build the plant.
"Don't underestimate Mr. Campbell," he said. "He's got the land ... When we first heard about it, he come over to the development authority and said we'll even finance individuals in the county to go out and buy chainsaws and grinders to supply the plant with wood."
Bell invited community residents to sign a circulating petition and to join her in front of the Piggly Wiggly on Highway 34 in Franklin on July 5 to get others to sign the circulating petition.
She also encouraged residents to attend the Heard County Water Authority's next meeting on June 23.