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Two (2) Newspaper Articles Concerning Barnwell
Information concerning Barnwell follows:
Published Monday, December 14, 1998, in The State.
Nuclear dump's fate undecided
Hodges to receive Barnwell information
By ANDREW MEADOWS, Staff Writer
Gov.-elect Jim Hodges will get information this week that will help him
shape policy regarding the Barnwell low-level nuclear landfill.
But he won't get a commitment from the site's operator, Chem-Nuclear, on a
proposal to form a $1 billion education trust fund.
The company is giving electric utilities more time to decide whether to
reserve future space at the landfill. Money generated from reserving future
space is supposed to provide the financial basis for the proposed fund.
On Tuesday, Hodges' environmental transition committee will give the
governor-elect a formal proposal on what to do with the controversial
facility, which takes low-level nuclear waste from around the country.
The committee, chaired by vocal Barnwell critic Rep. Bob Sheheen,
D-Kershaw, is expected to recommend closing the facility to all states
except South Carolina.
"He (Hodges) has asked for advice from us," Sheheen said. "He accepts it as
information and then decides what to do with it, whether to put it in the
trash can or whatever."
Although a Barnwell critic on the campaign trail, Hodges has said he is
leaving all options open, including the formation of Chem-Nuclear's
education trust fund from the sales of future space.
Creation of the fund would keep Barnwell open for 25 more years.
Late last week, David Ebenhack, a spokesman for Chem-Nuclear, said the
company moved its Dec. 15 deadline to the end of the month. He said that
date might be moved again.
"We have had some sign up, and others that haven't," Ebenhack said. "We've
also had a whole bunch that need more time, and we've given it to them."
The futures program, first floated last year, will ensure that electric
companies have a place to put waste and decommissioned nuclear reactors for
the next 25 years.
As a carrot to legislators, Chem-Nuclear said the futures program will
create a $1 billion education trust fund that generates at least $67
million a year for scholarships and school construction.
Another Barnwell option will be put on the table sometime later this month.
Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, intends to file a bill to have South Carolina
rejoin the Southeast Compact, a coalition of seven states formed in the
1980s to dispose of regional low-level nuclear waste.
As part of the compact system, Barnwell was supposed to close at the end of
1995. But after just a few months in office, Republican Gov. David Beasley
called for a different course. He said South Carolina should withdraw from
the regional partnership, ban foot-dragging North Carolina from using
Barnwell and open the dump to all other states.
North Carolina was selected by the compact to be the first host of a
low-level waste site.
Instead of the $140 million Beasley predicted for education, Barnwell
revenue has averaged $67 million a year, including $39 million in 1998.
To avoid Chem-Nuclear's higher fees, electric utilities have looked to
generate less waste. They also have stored a lot of waste on site at
reactors.
Leventis said he believes rejoining the compact will allow the site in
North Carolina, which has been mired in financial problems, to get back on
track by providing a source of funding.
__________________________________________
Published Monday, December 14, 1998, in The State.
Transition speeding forward
Hodges working to replace Cabinet
By JOSEPH S. STROUD, Staff Writer
Halfway through his transition from successful longshot candidate to
governor, Jim Hodges is going where no other South Carolina governor has
been -- into the realm of wholesale replacement of key state agency
directors.
"He's got several things facing him not faced by a governor before," said
Rep. Bob Sheheen, D-Kershaw, a close friend of Hodges.
The restructuring of state government in 1993 gave South Carolina's
governor a Cabinet for the first time, moving much of state government into
the hands of a single executive.
Gov. David Beasley, whom Hodges defeated Nov. 3, was the first governor to
have a Cabinet for a full term under the newly structured government. Soon,
Hodges will become the first to replace one.
It is one of the most amazing aspects of the American system of government
-- the high-speed process by which people move from campaigning to managing
a government.
"It's a daunting task," said Sheheen, chairman of Hodges' transition
subcommittee on the environment, labor and health. "I think he's being very
methodical in trying to dot all his i's and cross all his t's and get
everything in order."
College of Charleston political science professor Bill Moore said the
naming of people to jobs, where they can make or break Hodges' chances to
be successful, is the most critical aspect of a successful transition.
"The governor's frankly only going to be as good as the people he
appoints," Moore said.
Moore gave Hodges an A for senior staff appointments he already has
announced. He said the naming of former Rep. Billy Boan of Lancaster as
deputy chief of staff was "probably as superb an appointment as he could
make."
But Moore said he had misgivings about subcommittees publicly naming
candidates for particular jobs. Some who are named, but not appointed, may
get their feelings hurt when Hodges chooses another candidate, he said.
Kevin Geddings, Hodges' transition director and his chief of staff once
Hodges is sworn in Jan. 13, acknowledged that having names discussed openly
might have a negative impact later.
But, he said, it sends the right signal in terms of openness.
A good example is an early recommendation from Sheheen's committee that
Hodges move to ban out-of-state nuclear waste from the disposal facility in
Barnwell. That issue may not be on the top of Hodges' things-to-do list
when he takes office, but the public airing it has received may lead to
certain expectations.
"We got a mandate, and that is to get a lottery passed to fix our schools,"
Geddings said. "And yet if you read the coverage . you'd think, 'Well,
gosh, you know, Hodges is going to spend a lot of time on closing Barnwell
down.' Well, you know, that may be a long-term goal, but it's definitely
not a goal for this next legislative session."
Robert Nance, a member of Hodges' transition committee who has worked with
other lawmakers as they moved into office, said the governor-elect has
tackled the details without losing his focus on education, the issue that
got him elected.
"A lot is thrown at you," Nance said. "You have to stay focused and
remember that you are no longer in the campaigning mode."
Despite the steep learning curve that goes with switching gears so quickly,
optimism reigns among the small circle of advisers helping Hodges.
"I'm very comfortable with the process," Hodges said last week. "I think it
has given people input into some of the decisions that we're making. It's
given us additional names to consider for key appointments, and that's part
of what we wanted to use the transition committee for."
Geddings said that some Cabinet agency heads and other staffers may be
permitted to remain in their jobs. But most of those decisions have not
been made. He said the transition, which just passed the halfway point, has
gone surprisingly well.
"You're trying to get what would be done in the corporate world, you know,
over a 24-month period," Geddings said. "You know, if you were taking a
multi-billion-dollar corporation and re-arranging the top management
structure, or coming up with an entirely new organizational chart, you
probably wouldn't do it in a -- what is it, a 12-week timetable? But, you
know, welcome to American democracy."
It's actually 10 weeks. But for Geddings, Hodges and the nine-person
transition staff, it's a high-intensity time. They spend long days
listening to people and trying to make crucial decisions.
If the process is going smoothly, it hasn't happened on Hodges' timetable.
When the transition committee was formed, he asked the five subcommittees
to submit recommendations by Dec. 4. As of Friday, a full week past the
deadline, only three of the five had done so.
A fourth, on seniors, family issues and social services, is expected early
this week and will include eight to 10 names for chief of the Department of
Social Services and several other agencies. The list for the DSS job will
include such diverse names as Richie Douglas, Richland County director for
DSS and an African-American woman, and Sue Berkowitz, director of the South
Carolina Legal Services Association, a nonprofit advocacy group for
low-income people.
The fifth subcommittee, from Sheheen's group, meets Tuesday to try to
complete its recommendations.
Geddings said the delayed reports are not a problem because Hodges can
interview job candidates without them. He said Hodges plans to name a
secretary of Commerce and chairman of the Department of Transportation,
both key appointments, before Christmas.
A director of the Department of Public Safety will probably be named before
the end of the year.
"We're on track in terms of time," Geddings said.
>>
Charles Smith
Aplied Radwaste Management Inc.
arminc01@aol.com
803.926.8558
Next Radioactive Material Tranaport and Disposal Class: April 12-16, 1999
Las Vegas, NV >>>>http://armnet.com/armonline
Published Monday, December 14, 1998, in The State.
Nuclear dump's fate undecided
Hodges to receive Barnwell information
By ANDREW MEADOWS, Staff Writer
Gov.-elect Jim Hodges will get information this week that will help him
shape policy regarding the Barnwell low-level nuclear landfill.
But he won't get a commitment from the site's operator, Chem-Nuclear, on a
proposal to form a $1 billion education trust fund.
The company is giving electric utilities more time to decide whether to
reserve future space at the landfill. Money generated from reserving future
space is supposed to provide the financial basis for the proposed fund.
On Tuesday, Hodges' environmental transition committee will give the
governor-elect a formal proposal on what to do with the controversial
facility, which takes low-level nuclear waste from around the country.
The committee, chaired by vocal Barnwell critic Rep. Bob Sheheen,
D-Kershaw, is expected to recommend closing the facility to all states
except South Carolina.
"He (Hodges) has asked for advice from us," Sheheen said. "He accepts it as
information and then decides what to do with it, whether to put it in the
trash can or whatever."
Although a Barnwell critic on the campaign trail, Hodges has said he is
leaving all options open, including the formation of Chem-Nuclear's
education trust fund from the sales of future space.
Creation of the fund would keep Barnwell open for 25 more years.
Late last week, David Ebenhack, a spokesman for Chem-Nuclear, said the
company moved its Dec. 15 deadline to the end of the month. He said that
date might be moved again.
"We have had some sign up, and others that haven't," Ebenhack said. "We've
also had a whole bunch that need more time, and we've given it to them."
The futures program, first floated last year, will ensure that electric
companies have a place to put waste and decommissioned nuclear reactors for
the next 25 years.
As a carrot to legislators, Chem-Nuclear said the futures program will
create a $1 billion education trust fund that generates at least $67
million a year for scholarships and school construction.
Another Barnwell option will be put on the table sometime later this month.
Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, intends to file a bill to have South Carolina
rejoin the Southeast Compact, a coalition of seven states formed in the
1980s to dispose of regional low-level nuclear waste.
As part of the compact system, Barnwell was supposed to close at the end of
1995. But after just a few months in office, Republican Gov. David Beasley
called for a different course. He said South Carolina should withdraw from
the regional partnership, ban foot-dragging North Carolina from using
Barnwell and open the dump to all other states.
North Carolina was selected by the compact to be the first host of a
low-level waste site.
Instead of the $140 million Beasley predicted for education, Barnwell
revenue has averaged $67 million a year, including $39 million in 1998.
To avoid Chem-Nuclear's higher fees, electric utilities have looked to
generate less waste. They also have stored a lot of waste on site at
reactors.
Leventis said he believes rejoining the compact will allow the site in
North Carolina, which has been mired in financial problems, to get back on
track by providing a source of funding.
__________________________________________
Published Monday, December 14, 1998, in The State.
Transition speeding forward
Hodges working to replace Cabinet
By JOSEPH S. STROUD, Staff Writer
Halfway through his transition from successful longshot candidate to
governor, Jim Hodges is going where no other South Carolina governor has
been -- into the realm of wholesale replacement of key state agency
directors.
"He's got several things facing him not faced by a governor before," said
Rep. Bob Sheheen, D-Kershaw, a close friend of Hodges.
The restructuring of state government in 1993 gave South Carolina's
governor a Cabinet for the first time, moving much of state government into
the hands of a single executive.
Gov. David Beasley, whom Hodges defeated Nov. 3, was the first governor to
have a Cabinet for a full term under the newly structured government. Soon,
Hodges will become the first to replace one.
It is one of the most amazing aspects of the American system of government
-- the high-speed process by which people move from campaigning to managing
a government.
"It's a daunting task," said Sheheen, chairman of Hodges' transition
subcommittee on the environment, labor and health. "I think he's being very
methodical in trying to dot all his i's and cross all his t's and get
everything in order."
College of Charleston political science professor Bill Moore said the
naming of people to jobs, where they can make or break Hodges' chances to
be successful, is the most critical aspect of a successful transition.
"The governor's frankly only going to be as good as the people he
appoints," Moore said.
Moore gave Hodges an A for senior staff appointments he already has
announced. He said the naming of former Rep. Billy Boan of Lancaster as
deputy chief of staff was "probably as superb an appointment as he could
make."
But Moore said he had misgivings about subcommittees publicly naming
candidates for particular jobs. Some who are named, but not appointed, may
get their feelings hurt when Hodges chooses another candidate, he said.
Kevin Geddings, Hodges' transition director and his chief of staff once
Hodges is sworn in Jan. 13, acknowledged that having names discussed openly
might have a negative impact later.
But, he said, it sends the right signal in terms of openness.
A good example is an early recommendation from Sheheen's committee that
Hodges move to ban out-of-state nuclear waste from the disposal facility in
Barnwell. That issue may not be on the top of Hodges' things-to-do list
when he takes office, but the public airing it has received may lead to
certain expectations.
"We got a mandate, and that is to get a lottery passed to fix our schools,"
Geddings said. "And yet if you read the coverage . you'd think, 'Well,
gosh, you know, Hodges is going to spend a lot of time on closing Barnwell
down.' Well, you know, that may be a long-term goal, but it's definitely
not a goal for this next legislative session."
Robert Nance, a member of Hodges' transition committee who has worked with
other lawmakers as they moved into office, said the governor-elect has
tackled the details without losing his focus on education, the issue that
got him elected.
"A lot is thrown at you," Nance said. "You have to stay focused and
remember that you are no longer in the campaigning mode."
Despite the steep learning curve that goes with switching gears so quickly,
optimism reigns among the small circle of advisers helping Hodges.
"I'm very comfortable with the process," Hodges said last week. "I think it
has given people input into some of the decisions that we're making. It's
given us additional names to consider for key appointments, and that's part
of what we wanted to use the transition committee for."
Geddings said that some Cabinet agency heads and other staffers may be
permitted to remain in their jobs. But most of those decisions have not
been made. He said the transition, which just passed the halfway point, has
gone surprisingly well.
"You're trying to get what would be done in the corporate world, you know,
over a 24-month period," Geddings said. "You know, if you were taking a
multi-billion-dollar corporation and re-arranging the top management
structure, or coming up with an entirely new organizational chart, you
probably wouldn't do it in a -- what is it, a 12-week timetable? But, you
know, welcome to American democracy."
It's actually 10 weeks. But for Geddings, Hodges and the nine-person
transition staff, it's a high-intensity time. They spend long days
listening to people and trying to make crucial decisions.
If the process is going smoothly, it hasn't happened on Hodges' timetable.
When the transition committee was formed, he asked the five subcommittees
to submit recommendations by Dec. 4. As of Friday, a full week past the
deadline, only three of the five had done so.
A fourth, on seniors, family issues and social services, is expected early
this week and will include eight to 10 names for chief of the Department of
Social Services and several other agencies. The list for the DSS job will
include such diverse names as Richie Douglas, Richland County director for
DSS and an African-American woman, and Sue Berkowitz, director of the South
Carolina Legal Services Association, a nonprofit advocacy group for
low-income people.
The fifth subcommittee, from Sheheen's group, meets Tuesday to try to
complete its recommendations.
Geddings said the delayed reports are not a problem because Hodges can
interview job candidates without them. He said Hodges plans to name a
secretary of Commerce and chairman of the Department of Transportation,
both key appointments, before Christmas.
A director of the Department of Public Safety will probably be named before
the end of the year.
"We're on track in terms of time," Geddings said.