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DEL.ICIO.USChances grow slimmer that Bush will side with Georgia over water
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It is as we thought.
A few phone calls made this morning lead us to believe that the entry of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist into the water wars has probably killed any chance that President Bush will give Georgia — and Gov. Sonny Perdue — what he wants.
In other words, an emergency order that gives Georgia control over the water behind Buford Dam.
Early on, Perdue’s push had a chance of succeeding. But with Crist and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley making noises of their own, the White House is coming to realize exactly what it’s stepped in — a complicated 18-year battle over resources.
Heightened by a drought, no doubt. Even so, the Bush Administration is likely to back off and let lawyers sort it out.
Look for the White House to issue something — maybe as quickly as tomorrow. But it’ll be window-dressing, and not what the governor of Georgia has asked for.
Here’s a copy of the Crist letter we posted earlier in the day.
How knotty is the water problem? Riley’s office just put out a press release saying that “Atlanta-Based Southern Company confirms impact on Farley nuclear plant if water flow reduced.”
Read the entire press release on the jump.
OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BOB RILEY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 25, 2007 Atlanta-Based Southern Company Confirms Impact on Farley Nuclear Plant if Water Flow Reduced Governor Riley has warned of consequences for jobs, electricity for region
MONTGOMERY — In a letter sent Wednesday to the governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia, the chairman and president of the Atlanta-based Southern Company confirms that the current flow of water in the Chattahoochee River is the minimum needed for the Farley Nuclear Plant in Alabama to operate, and that any reduction in flow could impact plant operations.
That’s the same argument Alabama Governor Bob Riley has been making as he tries to stop an effort by Georgia’s political leaders to take control of water releases from Lake Lanier to communities and areas downstream — including the Farley Nuclear Plant in Houston County, Alabama.
Governor Riley is traveling to the Farley Nuclear Plant on Thursday to hold a news conference about the dangers to the plant and surrounding areas if Georgia succeeds in controlling the release of water.
“More than 800,000 households in the region — in Alabama, Georgia and Florida — rely on the Farley Nuclear Plant for their electricity. Any attempt by Georgia to reduce the flow would be damaging to these families. Families, not mussels,” Governor Riley said.
In a letter to President Bush on Monday, Governor Riley said the releases currently being made from Lake Lanier are the minimum necessary to maintain the required flow for cooling water at the nuclear power plant. A lack of adequate cooling water, Governor Riley wrote, “could require a shutdown of the plant, thereby putting the reliability of the electric power grid in the region at risk.”
David M. Ratcliff, the chairman, president and CEO of the Atlanta-based Southern Company, said in his letter to the three governors that the current minimum flow value of 2,000 cubic feet per second allows the Farley Nuclear Plant to “continue uninterrupted, long-term operations,” but that “Operations at flows and levels less than this could impact plant operations.”
The Atlanta-based Southern Company’s public utility subsidiaries own several power plants in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, including three in Georgia, the nuclear plant in Alabama, and a plant in Florida.
“We operate these and other facilities in an economic dispatch regime as a large integrated electric system,” Ratcliff writes. “Changes to our normal operating regime have numerous implications.”
Comments
By Michael
October 25, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this
Both Florida and Alabama have “Stone Walled” for 14 years and equally are guilty, as is Georgia, of getting us all to where we are. The real issues are three: A) Environmental/climate change. B)Depletion of a limited resource and C)Adaption to change, prioritization and allocation of what remains.
Alabama now comes clean admits that it needs the continued high flow rate from Lake Lanier to support production of electricity at its Nuke plant in SE Alabama. Florida is sticking by its mussles and sturgen but the truth is that it is protecting it’s Oyster industry and hiding behind Alabama. If the COE continues to discharge at past and current levels, they will simply drain Lake Lanier as they have everywhere below the dam and Ala will have to eventually shutter their plant and find some other way to shore up their electircal grid. Oysters live elsewhere in the US and I’m sure that with the reduced harvest Fla would need to impose, there would have very little long-term impact on their State economy or its citizens.
The argument of un-checked population growth in GA, in particular ATL, is just silly. Both FL and ALA have experienced the same or better growth rates bringing the same benefits and problems. The Governors of Both FLA and ALA are showing themselves as leadership fools in how they are placing the electricity and cullinary industries in their states ahead of what is coming close to a real disaster affecting millions of people
Finally the mandate that created Lanier is over 50 years old and I’m certain the framers intended leaders of future generations deal with and adapt to changes ,unforseen at that time, to best protect and allocate the resource they created. This mandate was never intended to be “written in stone” so please excuse the punn….as this doesn’t hold water either!!!!
By Tim
October 25, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this
Nobody is suprised that Bush and his administration will do nothhing to help Georgia. They like to see people suffer. Especially if they are in a democrat area. Only God can help Georgia now with more rain.
Bush, Riley and Crist I hope you are enjoying this. Keep sending the water to the ocean. Then noone will have any. Power plants will have to shut down anyway and the mussels wil die. Then you can stretch FEMA thin trying to bring drinking water to everyone.
By Jim
October 25, 2007 1:37 PM | Link to this
Tim, you’re a typical liberal whining dumba$$…..arguing with no reason or facts to back it up.
By Dogbert
October 25, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this
A Nuclear power Plant can Cool its reactors by Re-Cycling its water thru underground retention & and Aquifer augmentation. But it Costs More than “Just Sucking-In and Flushing-OUT thermally Polluted River Water. With A Continuing Drought… It’s Time Alabama Steps Up To 21st Century Enviromental Concerns?
By Dogbert
October 25, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this
A Nuclear power Plant can Cool its reactors by Re-Cycling its water thru underground retention & and Aquifer augmentation. But it Costs More than “Just Sucking-In and Flushing-OUT thermally Polluted River Water. With A Continuing Drought… It’s Time Alabama Steps Up To 21st Century Enviromental Concerns?
By Tim
October 25, 2007 2:04 PM | Link to this
Jim, I can’t say what I want to say about you and your type on this blog but it ain’t good. Truth hurts.
By Josh
October 25, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this
At least the folks in Fla will lose only their jobs — those of us in N Georgia will probably lose our lives! Aren’t Floridians and Alabamans reiterating the stereotype of them being stupid?!!
Since PETA and other environmentalists care about animals’ welfare, why aren’t they fighting on our behalf? Aren’t humans animals too?!!!
By david
October 25, 2007 2:24 PM | Link to this
We are going to die. It’s time to man-up against the enemy.
By Jim J
October 25, 2007 2:36 PM | Link to this
How typical of the brain-dead Bushbot Josh to blame environmentalists because they’ve wanted to PROTECT the water supply by limiting crazy Republican overdeveloped suburban sprawl. We environmentalists were unsuccessful in that fight and the McMansion Republicans got their way, including getting their precious Republican governor. Well, you wanted it, you got it. So now you can go jump in the dry lake.
By rj
October 25, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this
Might be time for a dam just below Farley. Make a big ole huge lake. Then Alabama can supply the water for Fla and get both of them out of our hair.
By chidog
October 25, 2007 2:52 PM | Link to this
I find it interesting that after Perdue has spent his years in office with his nose up Bush’s butt that now Bush won’t help his buddy Sonny when he really needs it.
By Rebecca C.
October 25, 2007 3:12 PM | Link to this
There is truth in the argument that GA, AL and FL have outgrown our resources. I’ve been concerned for some time. And it is certainly true that arguing for relief in favor of economics over the lives of citizens is immoral. But the biggest truth of all is that GA citizens should not be bickering with one another. Right now, all Georgians want the same thing … water. While we can only hope for the best in the way of political intervention, we as citizens also need to take action on our own behalf. Don’t leave it to the politicians. Store as much water as possible in your home and conserve what you have left. Also make certain you have other basic emergency supplies for your family like flashlights, candles, matches, canned food, etc. (if the water goes we may experience blackouts in the electrical grid). We are in serious trouble and only by forward thinking and consideration for others can we pull through.
By J.
October 25, 2007 3:18 PM | Link to this
Rather than blaming Alabama and Florida for Georgia’s predicament, I believe you need to look at your leadership. Did your governor wake up one day a couple of weeks ago, and say, “you know what? it hasn’t rained in a long time!” It’s really unbelievably absurd that no one in Georgia’s leadership realized MONTHS ago that we were in a historic drought.
In Birmingham, we had mandatory water restrictions in place back in JUNE. We had the water authority tacking on 200% surcharges for people who used more than their share of water, and the police enforced the ban with fines. We all watched our lawns burn up through a blazing hot summer, but it was what we had to do to get through the crisis.
You all can moan and whine all you want, but you and your leadership and your business community put you in this mess. Alabama and Florida did not.
By david
October 25, 2007 3:20 PM | Link to this
When the last drop is gone, I guess we’ll come-up with a contengency plan. In the mean time, fend for yourselves. The END is near.
By Dustin
October 25, 2007 3:28 PM | Link to this
Sounds to me like it is high time to send someone in to physically oust the corps and stop the flow from the damn. It will be a huge blemish on the Feds when they have to send in the military to enforce the current flow requirements. That would be an international story worthy enough to spotlight the dire situation they have helped put Georgia in. Sounds extreme, but after the FL and AL Governer’s comments, its war!
By Kevin
October 25, 2007 3:38 PM | Link to this
Tim, You can say whatever you want to. That is your right. However, you DO have your facts wrong (ie. Georgia being a Democrat State, etc.). So, just don’t expect anyone to side with you since you sound like an idiot.
My take on this is that the local governments (GA, FL & AL) made this problem, and the local governements need to fix this problem. Everyone always goes running to the Federal Government for everything. The Federal Governement was not meant to take care of everything.
By Ian
October 25, 2007 3:42 PM | Link to this
The Gov needs to send in the Georgia National Guard to stop the flow of water from the Dam. Period!
By anonymous
October 25, 2007 3:44 PM | Link to this
I only speak the truth in this matter, which is this: God is dealing with the state of Georgia, particularly Perdue, concerning some ungodly matters. For one, Perdue never showed any compassion concerning the crisis Grady Hosp. is experiencing. He was at channel 2 studios to complain about the drought, yet refused to show himself or even talk to the media when the same station held a townhall meeting concerning Grady’s financial troubles. Also, Perdue’s racist side is obvious: he’s made efforts to pass laws to oust hispanics, and also, he refused to help in the Genarlow Wilson case. And one more thing about Gov. Perdue: his concern over this drought is on a personal level. He owns land in Houston County, which of course, is being affected like the rest of Georgia with this drought. And as for others in Georgia, I thought it was so ugly when the city of Atlanta passed a law allowing the police to arrest the homeless who stand in front of that aquarium downtown. These people are already down on their luck; why kick them more? City leaders just made it clear to us all that we’re of little to no value compared to fish, or moreso, the money the city generates from visitors based on that aquarium. My point in all this is as follows: as a state, we have lost our way. We have no compassion for one another, and we’re easily blinded by all types of greed such as money. And our precious Lord is just dealing with us on this matter, and we’re not alone. Just look at all that’s going on in the world. I’m telling you, people, God is trying to tell us something.
By typical liberal whining dumba$$
October 25, 2007 3:44 PM | Link to this
This string of comments, and the longer one in the string below is a remarkable exhibition of not only amusing ignorance, but that disturbing variety of ignorance called fear.
N GA is not about to run out of water. Stop worrying about that. You can keep flushing for at least another year. What we have run out of is politicians with accurate information and integrity.
N GA has over a dozen reservoirs that are unused for water supply, why not use them? Remarkable quantities of groundwater are available in N GA, as yet largely untapped. Many industries, even in Fulton Co. rely on groundwater now.
It is amazing that the Governor, Lt. Gov. and Speaker are pandering to this ignorant fear mongering, even encouraging it with their foolish bluster. They all behave as if they never had mothers.
By R. S.
October 25, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this
Leave my ground water alone, that’s what I use and happy for it. Stop all the building !!!
By Tim
October 25, 2007 3:55 PM | Link to this
Kelven, when I mentioned Georgia I was talking about the Atlanta area. Now don’t you be an idiot. Everybody knows that this is the Atlanta area in Georgia that we are talking about unless you’ve been under a rock. Atlanta is more of a Democratic city and most of the metro counties. Now you and Jim can stop trying to water over this situation and get your facts striaght. It is political.
By Jeff
October 25, 2007 3:57 PM | Link to this
Rebecca:
Down here in South GA, we have plenty of water.
Our only concern is getting the tyrants in Atlanta to let us use the water that is literally beneath our feet.
Jim, maybe you know the answer to this one: Is there any way for a county (or set of counties) to legally separate themselves from one state to join another??? Because there is little difference between South GA and North FL, and other than being a pround Dawg, I’m about fed up enough with the cesspool that is Atlanta!
By GeezGuys
October 25, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this
The dam was built using Federal money, so quit squealing and pull your mouth from the water teat, bozo. Troops aren’t marching anywhere except in a wingnut’s wet dream.
By M
October 25, 2007 4:20 PM | Link to this
Wow, this is crazy. I like how everyone on this blog knows everything but have NO facts to produce. Yes, there is a problem. No, maybe we will all be fine and live happily ever after. I drove from North GA to Tallahassee this past weekend and saw plenty of water. EVery stream or pond was overflowing (I know it rained heavily last week). If we got that kind of rain in the north, the ponds would not be overflowing, the water would simply soak right in . The lakes look awful. I think the visual impact of seeing what we see up here makes it harder for the people in the south to understand why so many people are freaking out. Beautiful lakes filled with boats, etc. are nearly barren. What can we do? not much…
By Matt
October 25, 2007 5:15 PM | Link to this
So what happens to Alabama and Florida when there is no water left behind the dam to send to the power plant or mussels or any other reason they feel that we should run out of a necessity for life? I can live without power, I can live without endangered mussels, I can’t live without water. Oh, and my grass is brown (has been for 4 months) and my car is very dirty.
By Mike
October 25, 2007 5:32 PM | Link to this
Gov. Perdue… see the link below… perhaps they need some work to do over at the Buford Dam…
http://www.gaguard.com/m_index.html
By Concerned
October 25, 2007 5:37 PM | Link to this
I live in Metro Atlanta, so I am very concerned about the future of my water supply. But also, as someone who has been in the electricity industry, I understand the importance of the water flow. I mean without that water, there is no electricity to supply the water pumps or treatment systems even if we had the water. So is there a median water level that can be used? Just a thought.
To Dogbert, yes we suck in water, but that water is put back in the river within 5 degrees of the river temperature and much cleaner thatn the water sucked into the plant. We are in the process of building better systems, but they take a few years of construction to build, time we don’t have. Plus, when the electricity rates are increased to deal with the govt’s latest environmental law, which changes every year, rates have to be increased to pay for the process.
By phil
October 25, 2007 5:46 PM | Link to this
Reduce your lawns, plant some cactus and use water more efficiently.
By Typical Liberal
October 25, 2007 9:54 PM | Link to this
Wait a second. I let the AJC do all of my thinking for me, so I believe that the drought is the fault of greedy developers. I also believe that Bush is bad and loves greedy developers. Why wouldn’t he help them?
Please AJC, do some more thinking for me. I am confused
By Typical Liberal
October 25, 2007 9:56 PM | Link to this
Wait a second. I let the AJC do all of my thinking for me, so I believe that the drought is the fault of greedy developers. I also believe that Bush is bad and loves greedy developers. Why wouldn’t he help them?
Please AJC, do some more thinking for me. I am confused.
By doug
October 26, 2007 1:50 AM | Link to this
maybe its time to pull a card out of old south playbook. Let the state pass a nullification act saying in the state moral intrest the COE has no power to tell georgia to do with her water and send that to bush.
By c
October 26, 2007 6:25 AM | Link to this
I realize I’m probably wasting my breath, typical, since you get beliefs fed to you by talk radio. But here goes. No one said the drought is the fault of developers. The drought is what it is. However, perhaps, just perhaps, if we hadn’t bulldozed all the trees down and laid miles and miles of asphalt, the rain that we have gotten might have lasted longer.
Conservatives used to believe in conservation - notice the similarity in the words there? I realize that isn’t true any more - today’s conservative believes only in getting what he can for himself and the heck with anyone else. So, don’t be surprised when the rest of the country ignores your requests for help, just as you ignored the requests from the victims of Katrina.
But as someone else said, the wingnuts wet dream is some sort of military action to take over Buford Dam. Go for it bubbas, see how the Bushies respond to that.
By Wackolibhack
October 26, 2007 10:02 PM | Link to this
Bush caused global warming. It got hot and all the water evaporated. If we elect Hillary it will rain just the right amount and Atlanta will be saved.
Act up against drought!!!!!!!! It is all Bush’s fault.