Wednesday, July 25, 2001 |
State rep. to Williams: Send experts to meeting By DAVE
HAMRICK
South Fulton state Rep. Sharon Beasley-Teague is asking Williams Corp. to bring plenty of experts to a meeting she will host Aug. 7. "There have been three meetings [with Williams representatives] and we haven't gotten answers," said Beasley-Teague. "We've got to have answers to make good, sound decisions." Beasley-Teague Monday attended a meeting of Safeguard South Metro, a group of Fayette, south Fulton and other residents organized to oppose the company's plans to build a power plant in south Fulton on the Fayette border. In an earlier meeting last week, Brian Rubenstein, a spokesman for Williams, presented information on the company's plans. The firm is seeking to change the zoning of 288 acres on Peters Road at Old Jonesboro Road from its current agricultural/residential category to a heavy industrial one. The land is between Ga. highways 138 and 92 north, and the company plans to use the 30 acres closest to Fayette for the plant, leaving much of the property as green space. Residents say the plant shouldn't be built in such a heavily populated residential area, and cite concerns about air pollution and noise. Williams officials say the pollution will be mitigated by improving another plant, and the noise will be lower than residents think it will be. They need to use that particular site, they say, because it has access to a natural gas pipeline. The plant will run on gas. One of the complaints from residents is that, during previous meetings, they haven't been able to get all their specific questions answered about the plant's environmental impact and its effects on the neighborhood. Beasley-Teague said she has asked the company to have experts attend her meeting who will be able to answer all those questions. The meeting will be 7-9 p.m. at Burdette Park gymnasium in College Park.
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