Large Crowd Attends Public Meeting On Proposed Nuclear Power Plant

About 100 people showed up at a public meeting Thursday night to hear a discussion over a proposed nuclear facility in Cherokee County.

The meeting was held at Restoration Church International in Gaffney as Duke Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission members spoke to concerned citizens about the proposed Lee Nuclear Station. The proposed 2,234-megawatt nuclear station, which would be located along the Broad River, has brought concerns for residents and environmental groups since Duke Energy sought an application for approval in December 2007.

"We hope Duke Energy or any other company will operate a plant safely," said Roger Hannah, spokesman for the NRC. "We will be following not only through the licensing process. We will have inspectors here during the construction. Once the plant is in operation will have resident inspectors to make sure that they have not only built the plant to its design but that they continue to operate the plant safely." 

A spokesperson for Duke Energy said it was too early to comment on any possible rate hikes or how many jobs would be created if the license is approved and the plant is built.

"The opinions of the public are very important to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," Hannah said. "Our job is to ensure the safety of the facilities we regulate. A big part of that is ensuring that we hear from any member of the public that may have a question or concern about how the facility may be operated."

Some of the people in attendance would not comment about their concerns, but several spoke off camera and mentioned that their concerns would be the impact on the environment and the potential dangers of a nuclear facility within the community. Hannah said that is what the NRC wants to hear from the public. 

"What we would like to do is hear from the public about specifically the environmental impact statement whether there are issues that either didn't cover thoroughly enough," he said. "Or if there are issues that they feel like we didn't address we want to hear those."

If approved, Duke Energy could receive the license for the facility in 2013 and could take more than a decade to complete. They project a 24 percent increase in electricity demands by 2035.