State-owned power company fined for air pollution

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COLUMBIA (AP) — South Carolina's state-owned utility has been fined nearly $23,000 for failing to control air pollution at power plants in three parts of the state.
The State reports that the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control found Santee Cooper power plants in Anderson, Georgetown and Berkeley counties had released air toxins in violation of state permits.
Coal-fired power plants in Georgetown and Berkeley counties released elevated levels of particulate matter, or soot, while a natural gas-fired plant in Anderson County released too much nitrogen oxide, a contaminant that contributes to smog. Both pollutants can irritate people's lungs and make breathing more difficult.
The problems have been resolved and test results show the utility is now complying with the law, according to the state agency and the utility. The problems were first discovered several years ago during testing at the power plants, Santee Cooper told the newspaper.
The company has paid the $22,950 fine, DHEC records show. The agency announced the fine last week.
The pollution at Santee Cooper's Rainey natural gas plant in Anderson County and its Cross coal facility in Berkeley County slightly exceeded the limits, but the pollution at the Winyah plant in Georgetown County was more significant, enforcement records show.
The enforcement order indicated particulate matter pollution was more than 50 percent higher than the standard at the Winyah plant when tests were conducted in 2018. The company has said it plans to close the aging power plant.