Trash incinerator ignites oppositionBy Diane Knich (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Mic Smith Charleston County officials are considering keeping this incinerator open an extra 20 years. 
The Post and Courier Charleston County's trash incinerator pumps dangerous pollutants into the air and fills surrounding neighborhoods with the stench of rotting garbage, people who live near the facility told County Council members Tuesday. They also said it brings a lot of traffic and noise as trash trucks rumble into the North Charleston neighborhood. County officials call the incinerator on Shipyard Creek Road the Waste to Energy Facility because it turns trash into electric power. It opened in 1989 and was supposed to close in 2010. The incinerator burns about 70 percent of the county's household garbage. But just as people who live near the facility were sure they could soon breathe a sigh of relief, officials announced that they are considering another 20-year contract with the company that runs the incinerator. Councilman Teddie Pryor called the neighborhood meeting at Gethsemane Community Center to hear from residents about the incinerator. "You're infecting us. You're hurting us. You're destroying us. We want to live," said Judy Miller. Victoria Doctor, who lives in the facility's shadow, said, "I hope you take it and don't put nothing else there." She can't sit on her front porch and her grandchildren can't play in the yard because the air around her home irritates their eyes, she said. Some of her family members have a hard time breathing near her home, she said. Special ReportNathaniel Jones, who has lived since 1967 in the neighborhood where the incinerator now sits, said he came to the meeting to learn the status of the facility. It causes pollution, odor, traffic and noise, he said. And he wants to know more about what kind of pollutants are coming out of the incinerator and what kind of harm they might doing to area residents. Gregg Varner, Charleston County's solid waste director, before the meeting said County Council voted last month to develop a "green plan" for the best ways to handle to the county's solid waste. Now, the county burns trash in the incinerator, puts it in the Bees Ferry Landfill and has a recycling program. The first step of the "green plan," Varner said, is to conduct a study over the next six to 10 months on which a 20- to 30-year plan can be based. One of the things council must decide is whether to continue using the incinerator, Varner said. If it decides to continue using the facility, it must also decide for how long and what improvements must be made to make it safer, he said. Montenay, the company now running the incinerator's daily operations, has said that if it gets another county contract, it will reduce dangerous emissions by 70 percent, Varner said. It will also pull out metal that can be recycled and reduce the amount of ash, or particulate, that's released into the air. But Pryor before the meeting said, "These folks were told the incinerator would be shut down in 2010." After 18 years of pollution, noise and traffic, he said, "They were happy and excited." "They're tired of it and saying 'no more,' " he said. |
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Comments
This article has 33 comment(s)
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 12:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by zoomru on June 24, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
WHAT..... a couple HOURS NOTICE!!!
RAVENEL....where ARE YOU????
This effects the whole COUNTY..LOWCOUNTRY???!!!
Posted by zoomru on June 24, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Can you believe this .....STUNNING. This is just as bad as the Sofa SS. Someone is covering their BACKSIDES.
ELSA...BARBARA, .......my GOD LADIES!!!! Are you going to take this quick notice......any thoughts???
Legislators.......you break my HEART!!! I am all for less government; but when shenanigans are pulled like this??? Do you have GUTS???
Charleston County Council......I don't know what your trying to PULL??? You need to come CLEAN and above board..immediately!!?
Mr. Craven...I have a comment to BE asked: I need every member of COUNCIL to raise their hands in front of the camera if they have read about the machines at startech.net and talked to representatives to give them a presentation and price for these machines to be procured by tax free muni bond referendum for voters to decide ON??? I want it on the record and in front of the news camera showing their hands as a TEAM.....TEAM. UP or DOWN?!! I want it to be public record that the incinerator could be closed; the property cleaned up; the LAND sold to help pay for the new plasma Machines to be installed at the Bees Ferry Landfill. I want it on the public record that these plasma machines provide 4 tax revenue streams: 1 is electricity; 2 is hydrogen gas; 3 is silica sand to be sold; and 4 is heavy metals to be recycled and sold for revenue. I want it on the record that every member of council is aware of the 4 revenue benefits???
If all members of COUNCIL RAISE their hands in acknowledgement to reading and following up with startech...AND reveal that they are making plans to close the incinerator and LANDFILL with these gas plasma machines.....I will personally campaign for each one of them ....RICHARD YOU ARE MY WITNESS.
If on the other hand....they are going to tap the methane and keep the landfill...............................
WE are not STUPID????
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 12:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What???
Montenay, ...said that if it gets another county contract, it will reduce dangerous emissions by 70 percent, Varner said. It will also pull out metal that can be recycled and reduce the amount of ash, or particulate, that’s released into the air.
“They have offered up significant environmental improvements with guarantees”.......
70%...?? 70%?? How about 100% !!!
What gaurantees?? What equipment are they talking about?? We deserve specifics...SPECIFICS!!!! This SMOKE is ridiculus. They think we are children?? Do you think that way ELSA and Barbara??? I've got a dirty diaper for someone!!!!!
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 1:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There is at least more entertainment in "THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER"!!!
What statements did Mr. Craven give??? This newspaper treats MY state like cheap ...DIRT!!!! Is this what you went to journalism school FOR?????
Don't feel bad...the TV stations didn't put all of the council members on record ..just one from what I saw ...Mr. Pryor....and then they didn't ask him about a plasmfying machine??!!
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 1:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Elsa and Barbara.....can you hear the money that is being twisted out of MONTENAY to keep this incinerator contract at OUR expense?????
My GOD ...LADIES...wake UP!!!!!
Posted by berthelot on June 25, 2008 at 7:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow zoomru, if you are making a point it is impossible to decipher with all of the CAPS and... UN... NECESSARY...PUNCTUATION!!?!
Posted by truthseeker on June 25, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does anyone know if DHEC has done any air quality monitoring near the homes adjacent to the incinerator?
Any info would be appreciated .
You have to wonder how much mercury is really being emitted from this incinerator each day.
If they have not done actual monitoring then we have no idea how much toxic pollution is being emitted for our children to breathe.
Posted by singleroni on June 25, 2008 at 7:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
trash has to go some where. what do you propose to do with it.
Posted by Early on June 25, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So you want the noise and pollution and trash to go where? Ohhhhh, someone else's neighborhood, got ya!
18 year life span for a multi million dollar project is insane. It should go for 40 years. How about the massive amount of pollutants the multitudes of trucks will put in the air while they have to travel to BEES FERRY ROAD idiots?
How much will OUR taxes go up after we have to transport more than twice as far?
Posted by drp7773 on June 25, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just once I would like to see something like this to go up in the mayors backyard or the councelpersons backyard. It would just be interesting to see how they would vote then. Wow could you just see King Joe or golfcart summey's expression...
Posted by CaptPete on June 25, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a bunch of bolony from someone wanting a handout. It was containers yesterday now this.
Spruill Ave near entrance of this place produces very little traffic.
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ladies and Gentlemen....these machines at www.startech.net have multiple setup options. They even have a mobile version. If Cities wake up ...they will realize that they will take care of there own trash instead of trucking it to BEES FERRY. Cities will realize that they can keep the TIPPING fees instead of that money going to the COUNTY. You talk about a CIVIL WAR.....Look OUT. This newspaper is not reporting this or even educating the citizens on this issue. They don't put officials on the hook one way or the other?!!!
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Early.... It doesn't matter to me where they decide the trash or ENERGY SOURCE is processed. Like I stated above...once CITIES realize they can process this ENERGY at the local RECYCLING CENTER; Oh Boy!?
What is your gut common sense answer on this issue? You know that Montenay is being squeezed? The workers there will have jobs either way...the trash still need to be processed. Its the CEO who doesn't want to invest into NEW technology. Not only that, its the taxpayers that will get creamed by Councils dim view of how to negotiate for the BEST terms for the taxpayers.
The incinerator site needs to be cleaned up and SOLD off if the COUNTY owns the property. Bees Ferry also need to be cleaned up.....that means all that energy that is in the landfill now should be dug up and processed back through these plasma machines. Once that is done...a portion of the landfill land should be sold off to benefit the taxpayers. After that....smaller machines should be located strategically around the lowcountry to minimize fuel cost for trucking the trash all over the place.
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If cities really get a vision...these plasma energy machines could power there local MAG-LEV mass transit system found when you google SKYTRAN?? Is the city going to take advantage of this energy or the county?? Or is kickbacks going to be paid and our childrens groundwater sacrificed for a 20 year contract to some old geezer who pays for some GOLF rounds and deep sea fishing trips???
Posted by MissVAbch on June 25, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Where is the recycling effort? In Va Beach we were provided a 95 gallon ROLLING bin that you put on the curb bi-weekly. The items accepted were vast, it was easy to ROLL to the curb, and it cut down on waste. There was a high participation in recycling because they made it so friendly.
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Right ON....MissVAbch
All our trash is totally recyclable....we do not need any landfills...none....PERIOD !!
Posted by bkeelin on June 25, 2008 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The poor have been dumped on enough. We have to make other provisions. Everyone says "NIMBY" Not In My Back Yard, but the poor often don't have a voice so they get dumped on time and time again. Some other alternatives have been described in previous posts. Think forward, not regressive.
Posted by bbbb on June 25, 2008 at 11:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The video of comments is very compelling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGiD1uJfz...
Posted by jonsey2 on June 25, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear crew and others:
After viewing comments the gals have left regarding allwoman's suspention you seem to continually make excuses and and say she was removed for "off topic" comments. Actually she was banned because her's and other's "off topic" comments were XXX in nature. Grannyofsex, I mean grannyofsix, finally got it right when she suggested that you find another site to "have fun" - its too bad things got to this point before this was realized.
The fact is that this is a public site that people's kids and grandkids visit. There is no disclaimer that this is an adult site with graphic adult content and beleive it or not, some folks even, get this - come to talk about news and local events.
Grannyofsex, I mean, grannyofsix - you should know better than anyone; would you want your grandkids reading some of the junk you and the gals have posted? Everyone's comments are available to view - why don't you peruse through some of yours and see if you'd like to read them to your grandkids?
Because of my actions in contacting a moderator to view the threads, I was booted as well for my vulgar and hateful comments - I was pretty sure this would happen as my words spoke for themselves just as your posts spoke for themselves. I am actually sorry and ashamed for some of the stuff I posted in anger and would hope to God no one's kids or grandkids read them -- I suppose I'm the only one since you all feel you did nothing wrong to begin with evidently.
Once my suspention is over I may come back to comment, but if I do I will watch what I say and always remember this is a public site with rules and choose my words more carefully.
So keep on thinking you did nothing wrong by hijacking nearly every forum you were on by posting your personal XXX thoughts and stories. Again, it was not just "off topic" comments that got folks banned, it was the content of those "off topic" comments - try to remember that.
It does look like since allwoman is allgone the XXX content has toned way, way down which is a good thing. Again, I am ashamed of some of the comments I made in anger and apologize, but I just couldn't get the point across to you all that the P&C site is a news site, not your personal sex blog and that peoples kids and grandkids have read your comments - maybe your own kids and grandkids. Several commenter have agreed with me and thanked me for stopping your nonsense.
If you want to discuss XXX topics using sexually explicit language, there are literally hundreds of websites designed just for that - unfortuneately the P&C website is not one. I love sex and sexuality, but just because I love sex doesn't mean I think its ok to screw in the middle of WalMart.
Have a good day.
Jonsey
Posted by zoomru on June 25, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey BBBB...you need to resend your link; but break it up this time so it doesn't get clipped
Posted by a_set_love on June 25, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Virgina beach area recycling. They can recycle plastic containers #1 - #7. Can we?
To see what they do ->
http://www.spsa.com/Recycling/recycling....
Posted by a_set_love on June 25, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Virgina beach area recycling. They can recycle plastic containers #1 - #7. Can we?
To see what they do ->
www.spsa.com/Recycling/recycling.asp
Posted by a_set_love on June 25, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Do we convert our auto tyres into a TDF (tyre derived fuel ) or just bury them in the City of Charleston.
Posted by eyfigueroa on June 25, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
good boy
good boy
Posted by MissVAbch on June 25, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We would fill up our 95 gallon container to overflowing every two weeks! It created a lot LESS waste.
This place is so back-asswards. *rolls eyes*
Posted by ptmama73 on June 25, 2008 at 5:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Recycling is not the whole answer. REDUCING AND REUSING IS.
Virginia sucks - over-inflated taxes, crime, unfriendly people, chronic complainers, horrible HORRIBLE drivers, high insurance rates, etc. Since some seem to feel that Virginia is so great they can easily return via I-95 and we ignorant South Carolina natives will appreciate having one less whiner. Buh-bye...
Posted by a_set_love on June 25, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If there are contaminates spewing from the incinerator God knows what is being dumped on the good people of Daniel Island.
I wonder if the people living on Daniel Island have watched from I-26, at the long trail of smoke going their way.
Glad I don't live over there.
Posted by ffwife on June 25, 2008 at 6:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is against the law in SC to landfill tires. There are a number of regulations pertaining to tires regarding their proper disposal/transportation.
You pay a $2 fee on every tire you purchase. A portion of that fee goes to the state and then is used to fund the county tire recycling program. It is not "free" to recycle tires. Therefore, that money is used to pay for the proper recycling of the tires.
The only problem with this program is that there are no "checks and balances" from/by the state to insure that the retailer is actually submitting that money. So, there is probably more money out there that never makes it back to the counties to manage the tires - and they are a LOT of work to manage!!
As for using them for TDF - I do beleive that most of the "tire recyclers" are doing that. However, they are also used in septic tank fill, playgrounds, mixed in asphalt, etc.
In fact, Berkeley High School's practice field has the crumb rubber under the grass for drainage. I think it was done about 5 or 6 years ago.
Info can be found on Clemson's website.
Posted by a_set_love on June 25, 2008 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MissVAbch - I remember loads of good looking ladies on the beaches around Virginia Beach. Maybe "ptmama73" is on to something.
Posted by MissVAbch on June 25, 2008 at 7:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Unfortunately mama, I am here for a while. And I do think that Charleston has a lot of potential, but I haven't seen any forward movement since I left here over a decade ago. SC is stuck in the times and needs much improvement. SC falls on the bottom of every 'good' list and at the top of every 'bad' list. So, I am here to offer ideas of change to make things better! Not here to bash like you are, ouch! That shows real maturity. <insert eyeroll>
The drivers are much better there than here. Unless you think driving 40 in the left hand lane on a busy highway is good driving. And I have NEVER seen so much crime as in this area! Its 'head-shaking' every day. A lot more smokers, weeds, potholes. Lack of street signs, poor road infrastructure. Oh, and the school systems, UGH! Gosh, I could go on and on. I would LOVE to see Chas improve in all of these areas.
And as far as friendly people. You certainly don't represent southern charm, my friend.
And a_set_love...there ARE lots of good looking ladies on the beaches! It really is a great place.
One of the top places in the country to raise a family, in fact.
What were you saying, Mama?
Posted by MissVAbch on June 25, 2008 at 7:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Virginia Beach is #2 in places to raise a family.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24713234/
We could learn a lot from they way they run a city.
Posted by burton on June 25, 2008 at 9:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great meeting and great comments--all were against the incinerator. If you don't live in the area, you don't understand. Yes, I to wonder how our elected officials would react if the incinerator was in their backyard. Poor African American neighborhoods have been a dumping ground for industrial businesses for too long!! This stuff goes on all across the country!
Posted by ptmama73 on June 25, 2008 at 9:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I didn't bash anyone, just a state I don't particularly care for - just like you did in your post. Doesn't feel so nice does it? Thank you for easily making my point - without any effort on my part. Now go take some midol...
Posted by MissVAbch on June 25, 2008 at 4:35 p.m.
We would fill up our 95 gallon container to overflowing every two weeks! It created a lot LESS waste.
WHAT?!? And you are bragging about that? The first thing pertaining to recycling that an elementary aged student is taught in our "back-asswards" school system is REDUCE/REUSE! 95 Gallons is NOTHING to be proud of! In fact, YOU should be ashamed of yourself!
Posted by jammer on June 26, 2008 at 5:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jonsey who cares...
recycling cost A LOT, they don't make money doing that like most think... it will make your taxes go up even more if they expand that program
check the counties budget and cost reports online and then decide if you're willing to pay for it all
Posted by rollo on June 26, 2008 at 9:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"NIMBY" Don't cut it anymore. These same folks will be crying about the price of electricity when they have the shipyard competing with them for KWHs.