Wednesday, August 15, 2001
|
Wednesday, August 15, 2001 |
| New environmental
study for power plant pledged by Fulton commissioner
By JOHN THOMPSON
Before any action is taken on a proposed power plant in south Fulton County, a more comprehensive environmental impact study will have to be completed. That's the word from Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards after attending a community meeting last week in south Fulton about the plant. Many residents question the validity of a study compiled by Williams Company, who wants to build a plant on 288 acres next to the Fayette border on Peters Road. Mari Jo Paladino, president of Safeguard South Metro, a community group of Fayette and Fulton residents opposing the plant, referred to the environmental impact report that Williams has already submitted as "a self-serving document that basically says nothing, containing what-ifs, maybes and things like that." Paladino asked Edwards if he would require Williams to do another environmental impact statement that would be done by an independent company. "Absolutely," Edwards said. "I think that would be very fine. I think that if I took something from them that was paid for by them it's gonna say what they wanted it to say. So you would absolutely have to have an independent outside source to do that kind of thing. We need to get some real information like that," said Edwards. He was adamant that he would not rely on information provided by Williams and said all the information would have to be in place before he made up his mind on rezoning the Williams site from residential to industrial. While he would not comment on how he would vote on the issue, he told the audience to remember how he voted on the fifth runway at Hartsfield. Edwards cited environmental concerns and voted against expanding the airport. All of Fayette County's governing bodies have formally asked the Fulton County Commission and the Union City Council to require the impact statement before deciding on the rezoning. Prevailing winds would bring most of the air pollution from the plant directly into Fayette County, according to County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn.
|
||