Barnwell facility

[newberry@sri.org (Robin Newberry)]

I have a copy of a press release from the South Carolina Govenor's office;
the following are remarks made by Govenor David Beasly at a April 13 1995
press conference.

"There is a situation in South Carolina that we need to deal with
immediately, otherwise, on January 1st, it will become a crisis.
In letters between me and the govenor of North Carolina, I have gotten no
indication that our neighbors to the north will site a low-level waste
facility any time in the near future.
Through the eight state Southeast Compact Commission, North Carolina has
been given nearly 700 million dollars for site evaluation and development.
The North Carolina legislature has paid lip service to the project, and has
appropriated a minimal amount of money for a new facility, but it is not
expected to appropriate any more.
North Carolina is not only putting the Compact agreement at risk, but has
put South Carolina in an untenable position.
The Compact Commission is obviously growing weary of North Carolina's empty
promises, with some states indicating a reluctance to continue giving site
development money to North Carolina. 
As a matter of fact, the Commission is so sure that North Carolina will miss
its next milestone for action on December 31st of this year, that it is
already holding the next five million dollar fine in escrow to be paid to
South Carolina on that date.
North Carolina announced a schedule of mid-1998 for having an operational
facility, but that's assuming no one challenges the site or the facility in
court.
It's becoming more and more clear: North Carolina will not have an
operational low-level waste facility in this century.
Part of the problem is that the North Carolina Low Level Waste Authority
can't even deal with its own state bureaucracy. The North Carolina Division
of Radiation Protection says it's trying to protect the public. 
Well, I have a message for North Carolina bureaucrats: we're trying to
ensure public safety in South Carolina, and if Barnwell has to close on
schedule, there won't be any public safety in at least an eight state region.
The Barnwell facility has a life of ten more years. In its history, it has
never been cited for any safety, health, or environmental problems. 
Other states are looking to us for leadership due to the dismal failures in
North Carolina's leadership. And I say we should lead.
There are those who insist that Barnwell be shut down. That's just flat
irresponsible.
In South Carolina there are 350 businesses and organizations licensed to
process and use radioactive materials. There are at least 30 generators that
would have to store waste on-site at a tremendous risk to the public.
Ask the people of Charleston if they want waste from the medical university
and other generating facilities stored right there on the peninsula, only to
be washed through their streets when the next Hugo hits the coast.
The issue here is public safety. Today, I am calling the South Carolina
General Assembly to action. I am saying we must be responsible in the face
of North Carolina's irresponsibility.
I am calling on the General Assembly to extend the life of the Barnwell
facility to help us keep the Compact strong, to keep pressure on North
Carolina, and to keep us from having hastily constructed storage sites
around the state run by inexperianced operators.
I am also calling for storage fees to be imposed for all generators at a
rate of 220 dollars per cubic foot.
The income should be used only for non-recurring expenses in education. I
propose using 30 percent of the 140 million dollars generated annually for a
scholarship fund for South Carolina students. It will eventually become self
sustaining and is similar to what Senator Setzler has proposed with the
money he has placed inthe Tuition Grants fund. 
The remaining 70 percent will be used to pay for new schools where they're
needed in every district in the state. We'll create a bond pool for
construction, and use the interest to develop a strong technological
infrastructure for the state wide system.
As soon as North Carolina opens its facility, Barnwell will close. But in
the meantime, the potential 1.4 billion dollars generated until it reaches
capacity in ten years will help us address problems in our public schools
and in higher education.
We have a broad base of support in the House and Senate for this action
because those you see with us today, and many others who couldn't be with
us, recognize that this is a public safety issue above any other consideration.
If, in the course of protecting the health and safety of all South
Carolinians we can get revenue from sources outside the state, then I
propose using the money for specific non-recurring expenditures in education.
I have written all of the govenors in the Southeast Compact States and have
asked them to join me in sanctions against North Carolina, which will
include denying access to the Barnwell facility, and I have made it clear we
will not expand the Barnwell site beyond its current capacity.
Each of the govenors in the Southeast Compact states are facing the same
public safety and health issues we are facing if we don't have a safe and
proven facility in which to store low-level waste. 
As I said earlier, this is an issue that must be resolved immediately. We
can't wait until the General Assembly convenes next January. At that point,
it becomes a public safety crisis."

If I remember correctly, there was a message posted here some days ago
stating that the SCC refused to exclude North Carolina from using the facility. 

W. Robert Newberry, IV, IHIT, CHMM

The views expressed in this message are those of the writer, and do not
reflect the views of Southern Research Institute.