Camp St Christopher Remarks

The mouth of the North Edisto River is bounded on the north by Seabrook Island and on the
south by Botany Bay Island, and right in the middle is Deveaux Bank. The biological diversity of
this area, with bird and turtle rookeries in summer, is absolutely enthralling. At the water’s edge
on Seabrook Island is Camp St Christopher. The facility is owned by the South Carolina Diocese
of the Episcopal Church and serves both Church and secular clients, providing housing and
dining services to visiting groups. In addition, the Camp is host to a Barrier Reef environmental
education program that reaches several thousand school children each year.

The national Sierra Club rented space at Camp St Christopher earlier this year for staff
meetings. The South Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club has also rented the facility for events
in years past. As noted above, the location is fabulous and services provided have always been
exemplary.

Recently, the relationship between the Sierra Club and Camp St Christopher came to an end, as
was reviewed in the Faith and Values and Editorial sections of the Post and Courier. The issue
arose because of positions regarding same-sex marriage. The national Episcopal Church and
the South Carolina Diocese have differences on this issue, with the Diocese (owners of Camp
St Christopher) taking the position of not recognizing same-sex marriages. The national Sierra
Club has a policy of non-discrimination towards same-sex marriage. Given these differences, the
national Sierra Club elected to inform Camp St Christopher that as long as their policy remains
in force, the Club will not make further use of the facility.

The local Sierra Club affiliate, the Robert Lunz Group (representing Berkeley, Charleston,
Colleton and Dorchester counties) was not consulted on this issue and did not have any input into
this decision to cease patronizing Camp St Christopher. The decision to take this course of action
was completely “top-down.”

The Robert Lunz Group does not have the financial resources to book Camp St Christopher,
and the South Carolina Chapter only does so rarely, so the main Sierra Club users of Camp St
Christopher were national staff members. The national Sierra Club has many constituencies, and
balancing potentially disparate needs can be complicated.

The Robert Lunz Group (we are members of the Sierra Club; some of our members are
Episcopalians; some probably identify as LGBT) gets caught in the middle and has no input in
either direction for decisions made.

The country is coming to grips with a host of environmental issues, from climate change to
fracking to maintaining air and water quality standards. Locally we face a number of issues,
including sea level rise, the possible extension of I-526, funding for the SC Conservation Bank,
nuclear waste disposal, bicycle safety, and alternate public transportation. The Lunz Group
has only volunteer staff and a limited budget. We oppose or support public policy through our
activist volunteers and general membership. The symbolic decision to withdraw our patronage
of Camp St Christopher will have little economic impact on the SC Diocese of the Episcopal
Church and spends political capital that we are short of here in South Carolina. Whether taking the stance against the Diocese has significant repercussions in membership or fundraising
remains to be seen. In the meantime, we remain committed to the Sierra Club mission: To enjoy,
explore, and protect the wild places of the Earth.

Of course life is nearly always hectic, so its nice to be able to kick back and relax from time to time. I recently collapsed into the easy chair and happened upon a documentary about the aftermath of the earthquake, the resulting  tsunami and the disastrous disabling and subsequent explosions at the Fukishima  Nuclear Power complex. What we have to deal with there is huge area that is basically taken out off the books as far as human habitation is concerned. A larger region might be amenable to clean up but at phenomenal cost. Another TV documentary dealt with the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl power plant. The program showed how the former industrial city's town square is not being slowly reclaimed by the surrounding forest and in particular how a series of wolf packs are now living in the region and apparently producing pups. That human exclusion zone around Chernobyl will be there for generations. Ironically, because of this moratorium on human activity the entire region has reverted to what is in effect a wildlife sanctuary albeit a flawed one. In the US the nuclear power industry had been on long decline after the Three Mile Island incident. There was a renewed interest in nuclear power up until the March 2011 Fukushima disaster and sequelae. Here in South Carolina there are plans afoot to expand the V.C. Summer nuclear plant on the Broad River in Fairfield County SC near Jenkinsville. The proposed expansion will take about 40 million gallons of water out of the Broad River PER DAY to use for cooling. Now the plan is to actually pump the water from what is currently the cooling  reservoir but the reservoir is filled from the river. On the Savannah River in Georgia the Vogtle nuclear power plant is planning expansion from two units to four. This will obligate additional water withdrawal from the Savannah river at time when interbasin water transfer in Georgia is being discussed to as to satisfy growth in the greater Atlanta region.  As Steve Willis reminded us at the April membership meeting, these two potential water removal projects fly directly into the face of the plans to dredge nearly forty miles of the Savannah river to "improve" shipping access for deeper draft ships. With less fresh water flowing to the sea, the saltwater intrusion up the watershed will increase. On top of all these contraindications for nuclear power are these considerations. As part of the process to build a nuclear powerplant, the sponsoring Utility company can begin charging increased rates to current power users right now. The Utility is guaranteed to be able to charge users sufficiently to make a profit. On top of all that you as a consumer are not even getting stock in the company and if at some point the utility decides not to go forward with the plant you the consumer still have to pay the rate increases to cover their debt. Now a friend of mine often says as she views life, 'what's the worst that can happen?'. If you examine Chernobyl and Fukushima you can  see the worst that can happen if there is a serious accident and you can examine your power bill to see how you are paying right now to take on the additional risks. Is it worth it to you? Is it worth it to your descendents?

Looking Ahead at Charleston's Port Deepening: A Panel Discussion

It’s often difficult to know with certainty how to place events into a proper perspective. A case in point is the proposed deepening of the Charleston ship channel from its present control depth to 50 feet. On the one hand Charleston has always been a fine harbor and commerce by sea has always been central to the human economy. So on the face of it you might think that making the rather narrow ship channel a mere 4% deeper would have minimal adverse effects. Further more if it helps commerce this might be enough to persuade you. As Sierrans we appreciate that most actions, when viewed narrowly can seem a good idea. After all who has not been tempted for a second helping at the supper table without consideration of the consequences. But it’s in our Sierran nature to discipline ourselves to take a broader view and to understand as many outcomes as possible for our public actions. You might also think that its all well and good look at both sides carefully but who has the time? And so, the Robert Lunz Group has gone to some effort to recruit a panel of experts to discuss with you various aspects of port deepening project. Our panel will include Dana Beach, Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation, Lt Col Edward Chamberlayne USACE Charleston District Commander, Jim Newsome Chairman and CEO of SC State Ports Authority and Steve Willis

from the Georgia Sierra Club. The discussion will be led by Steve Eames of the Coastal Conservation League. Here are some thoughts that occur to me and that I have read about. What happens if we do not deepen the channel? Will our transshipment tonnage drop grow or stay the same? Does EVERY port in the South East US have to be dug to the Panamax level? Its worth pointing out that deepening the Savannah River ship channel requires a bit shy of 40 miles of deepening compared to well under 10 miles for Charleston. There are substantial environmental risks to deepening the Savannah river. What about such risks for Charleston’s harbor? I want fishers of all ages to continue to harvest and safely consume fish, crabs and shrimp from our harbor. I trust that the waters of the harbor will remain swimmable throughout, that the manatees and dolphins remain and that the sturgeon will return. I hope that the historic forts of the harbor are not adversely impacted and I would like for Crab Bank to remain intact as a viable sea bird rookery whatever the outcome. There is plenty of intriguing political and legal activity going on as well. So watch the P&C daily for news, check out the background info on the USACE Project 45 web site, and plan to bring your thoughts and questions to ask the experts on Thursday April 5, 2012 to listen.

March 1 Membership Meeeting Talking Points

1. Wolves in Idaho and Montana were removed from the endangered species list through a rider in the budget bill. The rule was not subject to judicial review and this ruling cannot be taken back to the courts. Recently, the Obama administration has agreed to strip wolves of their endangered species protections in Wyoming as well. This also includes parts of Utah, Oregon, and Washington. Lawmakers defend their actions as a solution to in the interests of residents and ranchers.

2. Hunting (called harvesting) began in Idaho August 30. A bill is circulating in the Idaho legislature that would allow ranchers to use motorized vehicles, night vision scopes, neck snares, foothold traps, electronic calls that imitate other wolves and injured prey, traps with live bait, and ultra-light aircraft like powered parachutes. Permission has been granted to gun down 75 wolves from aircraft. Idaho Gov "Butch" Otter approved legislation that directs him to issue an executive order declaring a statewide wolf disaster emergency. No one has been injured by a wolf in Idaho since the species was restored. People have been told to stay in their houses, refrain from outdoor activities like walking and jogging, and to keep pets inside. In fact, no wolf has attacked a human since the federal reintroduction in the 1990's, and of two million cattle, only 75 were killed by wolves in 2010. To date 285 wolves have been killed in Idaho.

3. In Wyoming wolves will be shot on sight across almost 90% of the state. Wolves will remain protected in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and will receive limited protections in a handful of other areas. Wyoming is poised to allow virtually unrestricted killing of wolves across the majority of the state. This also includes killing pups. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead told state legislators to approve the plan before concerned citizens had a chance to challenge it in the courts. The controversial wolf plan has gained national attention as it would allow wolves to be killed along the John D. Rockefeller Parkway that connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

4. Montana "sportsmen" are offering $100 bounties for dead wolves. Some radicals are even calling for "wolf war, round two".

Good news

1. In December 2011, The Washington state Fish & Wildlife commission approved the state's final wolf recovery plan, charting a course toward the long-term sustainability of its growing wolf population. There are least 27 wolves and three breeding pairs in the state. Unfortunately, that's one less than they would have had after a collard wolf from the Diamond Pack wandered into Idaho and was trapped on Dec 20.

2. The number of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico has grown for the first time in four years. The fragile population is up to at least 58 wolves and six breeding pairs. But this small population is still extremely vulnerable. Arizona and federal official need to release more wolves into the wild. Last year, several releases were planned by the fish and wildlife service, but never happened. Several wolves are eligible for release in Arizona and New Mexico right now. Some of the wolves have even been specially conditioned to avoid preying on cattle. They deserve a chance at life in the wild.

Pat Luck

Membership Chair Robert Lunz Group

Stopping Federal Funding of aerial Wolf hunts in Idaho

Did you know that your tax dollars could be used to pay for an ill-conceived aerial wolf cull in Northeastern Idaho, an unscientific plan to boost game populations that could kill as many as two thirds of the wolves in the Lolo District of the Clearwater National Forest.

President Obama can stop this, but he needs to hear from us.

I just signed a petition to the President to stop the use of federal tax dollars to kill these wolves and I hope you will too.

Sign the petition online now at: http://dfnd.us/zwmnmn

Thanks for helping!

Saving the Edisto River from contamination!

We need your help saving the Edisto River from contamination!

As you may recall from the fall issue of theCongaree Chronicle, the North Edisto River could be at risk due to a wastewater agreement between the town of Batesburg-Leesville and Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority. The agreement states that Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority would send an additional one million gallons of raw sewage per day to the Batesburg-Leesville wastewater treatment plant.

The plan would call for the discharge of treated wastewater into Duncan Creek, which feeds into Chinquapin Creek and the North Edisto River. The additional volume of treated wastewater could severely impact the quality of the river, which is in direct violation of South Carolina DHEC's Antidegradation standard.

Please take a minute to call Saluda County Water & Sewer Authority (SCWSA) member Mr. Jerry Strawbridge at (803)604-1110 or send him a letter to 105 Arbor Drive, Leesvillle, South Carolina 29070.

Let him know that you are opposed to the agreement between Batesburg-Leesville & Saluda County Water & Sewer Authority because:

• The construction of the pump station and sewer lines from Saluda County to Batesburg-Leesville, if allowed to continue, will create significant, recognizable damage to the environment of the Edisto River. The damages would consist of dramatic increases of nutrient concentrations and organic residues of sewage in the stream.

• Any degradation of the Edisto River will create repercussions for all citizens downstream of Batesburg-Leesville, including Orangeburg, Bamberg, Colleton, Dorchester, and Charleston counties, all of whom draw their water from the Edisto River.

• We are opposed to any interbasin transfer of wastewater, that is, sending Saluda county’s wastewater to Lexington county.

• The Edisto River is widely used for recreation purposes, including fishing, swimming and canoeing/kayaking, to name a few. The degradation of the Edisto River would limit the recreational possibilities for the river.

Thank you for taking a moment to help save one of South Carolina's important waterways.

Sincerely,

Kurt Henning

Sierra Club Oyster Roast and Auction! Sunday, February 12, 2012

Please join us for the annual

Sierra Club Oyster Roast and Auction!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Bowen’s Island Restaurant, off Folly Road

Adults $20 Students $15 Children (6-12) $5 Under 6 - free

Ticket price includes oysters, chili, hot dogs, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Live music by Lime and the Coconuts!

Draft beer available for $2 donation.

Open to the public. Purchase tickets at the gate.

Bid on great auction items! Bring cash or check.

Auction items include: Restaurant gift certificates, sailing classes,

kayak tours, gift baskets, books, theater tickets, hot-stone massage and more!

Please bring your own reusable cup, plate and eating utensils

Sierra Club mission: Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.