Coal plant settlement benefits Lowcountry river and endangered fish

Santee Cooper to lower wastewater temperatures and protect sturgeon habitat

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Endangered sturgeon will enjoy cooler river water and a quarter of a million dollars in habitat protection as the result of a settlement between Santee Cooper and Lowcountry conservation groups represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Last year, Winyah Rivers Alliance and the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League challenged a permit issued by the S.C. Department of Environmental Services that would have authorized a dramatic increase in the temperature of heated wastewater discharged from Santee Cooper’s Winyah Generating Station into the North Santee River in Georgetown, S.C. The North Santee River is an important waterbody for endangered Shortnose and Atlantic Sturgeon and for public recreation.

Under the settlement, the upper temperature limit of the heated water discharge has been reduced from that proposed in the initial permit by 10 degrees in the summer and 8-10 degrees in the spring and fall. The agreement also requires Santee Cooper to pay $250,000 to the Open Space Institute for land conservation to protect endangered sturgeon and their habitat along the Santee River basin, with additional monetary penalties to be paid for land conservation if the utility exceeds certain temperature limits.

“The North Santee River will have increased protection against super-heated water, and endangered fish get permanent habitat protection that will endure long after the aging coal plant finally retires,” said Nick Torrey, an attorney at SELC. “This agreement shows what concerned citizens can achieve by stepping up to enforce clean water protections at a time when our environmental agencies are losing staff, allowing unnecessary pollution, or both.”

Even though Santee Cooper has a long history of complying with the temperature limits in its wastewater discharge permit, the utility requested dramatically higher limits several years ago. The conservation groups submitted critical comments that secured an initial reduction in the increased temperature limits, then challenged the permit in court, which resulted in further reductions through this settlement.

“The Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeon are ancient species that for millennia have been part of the Santee River watershed,” said Faith Rivers James, Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation League. “This agreement is a significant conservation outcome for this river’s wildlife, helping to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Santee River Delta that they depend on.”

“After successfully cleaning up coal ash from Santee Cooper’s coal-fired power plants, we will continue fighting to protect clean water from all sources of pollution,” said Debra Buffkin, Executive Director of Winyah Rivers Alliance. “Today’s agreement marks another important step forward for the Lowcountry in preventing pollution from coal plants and ensuring the long-term protection of critical habitat along our waterways.”