Permitting Sickness And Death? (with Dr. Florence Anoruo)
Current report of the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that there are approximately 21million confirmed cases, 750,000 deaths globally, and over 5 million confirmed cases, and 167,000 deaths in the United States. Although the US comprise only 5% of the global population, they have 25% of the cases. The superiority of the US educational system attracts people from around the world to come to get their education here. We are the richest nation on the planet with vast resources, assets, and top notch technology. One would think that given all these factors COVID-19 would not be spiking in the majority of US states, and that we would take measures to ensure that our population is not put at greater risk.
According to reports from Rachael Carson Council Enviva alone is responsible for 50 acres a day of clear-cut forest. Wood Pellet production facilities release dangerous air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), putting surrounding communities at higher risk for health complications. Other public health effects related to the wood pellet industry include sustained noise pollution, pollutants released from diesel trucks during transportation of materials in/out of the facility, and spontaneous explosions and fires that have resulted when the highly flammable wood pellets are subjected to high temperatures in storage facilities.
Supporters of companies like ENVIVA like to talk about the tax benefits that the counties and cities gain. However, there is no markings for the sale of wood pellets in the United States and the countries that benefit from the burning of these wood pellets for energy are in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Asia. What communities in the vicinity of an ENVIVA plant gain are fewer trees that mitigate the flooding that comes from torrential rains, and the lessen of the cooling that comes from leaving forests standing.
Why is this important here in South Carolina? In the midst of a COVID-19 crisis, when cases of people who have contracted the virus and died has reached almost 102,000 and over 2,000 respectively, and daily cases ranging 1000 to 7000 cases a day. ENVIVA facility in Greenwood, South Carolina is requesting an expansion of their plant in Greenwood, SC. We know that people with pre-exiting conditions and respiratory problems are more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 and they are becoming sick or even becoming a fatality. At a time, when people are literally being sicken and dying in SC, the state legislature, scientist, and citizens are questioning why a company providing nonessential services to American citizens is being allowed to expand. In an effort to save lives every entity and institution in our country has either paused, reduced, or shut down their activities. Now is not the time for SC Dept of Health and Environmental Control and elected officials who are supporting this expansion to put the lives of men, women, and children in greater danger.
People are asking, that even though ENVIVA and their lawyers may be checking the box on every aspect of the Clean Air Act, these are not normal times. We are calling for the comment period to be extended regarding the permit to expand the facility. We also ask that the public hearing, scheduled for August 20, be postponed until there is a flattening of the curve when it comes to new COVID-19 cases. Under the current pandemic, many people are afraid to travel to a public hearing. The proposed virtual public hearing will exclude people who have no internet services, no access to broadband, or own no computers or phones that can access the internet. Are we so certain that permitting the expansion of the ENVIVA Greenwood plant is beneficial to the people of Greenwood county and beyond? Or are we merely permitting more COVID-19 sickness and deaths?
If you wish to submit a comment asking DHEC to extend the comment period, postpone the hearing, and pause any permits that impacts our air quality you can do so with the following link here or by calling Gov McMaster at (803) 734–2100, your county and state elected official. Far too many South Carolinians are already saying, “I Can’t Breathe”. So many South Carolinians, specifically African Americans who are 20% of the state’s population, but 40% of the COVID-19 death victims have or are saying “I Can’t Breathe”.
