Friday, August 17, 2001

Christian City launches campaign against power plant

More than 200 Christian City residents gathered Wednesday to kick off a petition drive and letter writing campaign to voice their concerns about the potential impact of constructing a 1,230-megawatt electric power generating plant next to their retirement homes and health care facilities.

Williams Company is proposing to build the plant on a 288-acre site on Peters Road between Ga. highways 138 and 92. Company officials say they are sympathetic with neighborhood concerns and have delayed a rezoning request that would allow the plant in order to gather more information for residents.

Christian City CEO Robert L. Crutchfield met with the residents from the independent homes, the children's home, the convalescent home and the assisted living facility to update them on the status of the proposed power plant.

Crutchfield encouraged residents to voice their concerns about the plant to their local, county and state representatives through letters and a petition drive.

"Christian City residents need to voice their concerns about this power plant to their elected officials. We have encouraged them to write to their representatives in Fulton County, Fayette and to Governor Barnes," said Crutchfield.

"We can't rest on our laurels and hope this goes away. This power plant will have catastrophic impact on the health of both our senior residents and our home for children."

Residents asked questions about how the power plant would affect their health and quality of living. Rezoning issues were discussed as well as the possible expansion of the power plant. Williams is developing only 30 acres of the 288-acre site, but has 59 available for future development.

Christian City's own health care officials fear that the plant represents a health risk that could lead to acute respiratory problems, aggravated asthma, inflammation of lung tissue, and an increased rate of heart attacks, according to Crutchfield.

Residents of Christian City's nursing home, assisted living/personal care facilities are particularly at risk, he said.

According to an environmental impact report prepared by Williams' consultants, the plant's four 21-story smoke stacks will pump as much as 500 tons of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere directly over the 1,100 residents of Christian City.

Company officials say, though, that the height of the smoke stacks will help disperse the pollutants and reduce their impact.

"Our residents have invested their life savings in their housing and do not have the option of relocating to a more suitable location. Williams has that option," said Crutchfield.

"They need to find a location that isn't next to a residential area populated with seniors and children."

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