On December 4, 2019, the Georgia Public Service Commission will vote on whether or not Georgia Power can raise their fixed monthly fee and user rates. 

In the next 3 years, Georgia Power wants to increase its monthly fixed rate from $10/month in 2019 to $17.95/month by 2022 and increase usage rates cents/kWh (cents per kilowatt-hour) 6.7 cents currently to 7.5 cents by 2022. Georgia Power can request rate increases every three years. In Georgia, elderly and marginalized citizens in low-income communities, and communities of color often bear the heaviest burden of energy costs, losing up to three times more of their income to energy bills than higher-income households. 

Savannah Riverkeeper believes in access to affordable, clean energy for everyone. Georgia Power’s proposed rate increases raise several questions: What will happen to fossil fuel facilities like Plant McIntosh in Rincon, GA? When will it be closed completely, and what care will be given to the overseeing of this plant’s closure, ethically and environmentally? Who is paying for the cleanups and disposal of the coal ash from plants in Georgia, and will it be stored safely in lined facilities where it is unlikely to pose a risk to people and waterways? 

About a hundred citizens attended the Coastal Listening Session in Savannah on October 16, it was evident that the people of Savannah-Chatham County see no good reason for the price hike. They question how sincere Georgia Power is in promises to move away from fossil fuels, and how much research and resources are being put towards greener, cleaner forms of energy. Concerned about the dangers of nuclear power, many citizens hope for a near future in which alternatives like wind and solar become our primary sources of energy. Both commissioners in attendance from District 2 (Tim Echols) and District 5 (Tricia Pridemore) were eager to point out available programs to assist qualified customers, like seniors with fixed income and lower-income households, in lowering and helping to pay their energy bills. 

Written public comments are not being accepted, but you can choose to speak at a hearing. Two important PSC public hearings where you can voice your opinion on this matter are set for November 4 and November 25 at 8:00 am at 244 Washington St. SW, Atlanta, GA.    

If you cannot make it to Atlanta on those days, you can contact your representatives at the Public Service Commission with questions, concerns, and comments. If you email them, make sure to include “For Official Use: Georgia Power Rate Increase” in the subject. Representative from District 2 Tim Echols assures us that these will be read and addressed at the public hearings. PSC votes on this issue on December 4, 2019. 

Contact:
District 1 Jason Shaw jshaw@psc.state.ga.us 404-463-6745
District 2 Tim Echols techols@psc.state.ga.us 404-463-0214
District 3 Chuck Eaton ceaton@psc.stae.ga.us 404-657-2020
District 4 Bubba McDonald Lmcdonald@psc.state.ga.us 404-463-4260
District 5 Tricia Pridemore tpridemore@psc.state.ga.us 404-657-4574 

For more info and to sign up to speak at a public meeting, visit our friends at www.fighthehike.org or sign the Harambee House petition by clicking here.  ​

The Corps has announced a decision on the New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam, with Alternative 2-6d, a set of river-width weirs followed by the removal of the deteriorating lock and dam. Click the link below for the news release; the full report is being uploaded.

While the final report names this as the selected alternative, it also enables conditions necessary for modification to increase the weir height to allow for higher water, which can be introduced either now or in the future following completion of construction.

Changing to a higher weir alternative before construction requires Georgia and South Carolina to work in concert with the project’s non-federal sponsor to form a locally preferred plan (LPP). The LPP must be requested by the non-federal sponsor. Changing to a higher weir alternative after construction would require an agreement between a non-federal entity, the non-federal sponsors, and the Corps to pursue the modification.

We call for all sides to come to the table to discuss the future of this project and what compromise can be reached for the best outcome for the river and our communities.

The entire final report, including all the public comments along with Corps responses, can be found online at https://go.usa.gov/xVWxq. A public meeting will be held on Wed. November 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Boathouse Community Center, 101 Riverfront Drive, Augusta, Georgia, where the public can hear details about the decision.

The fish passage project is an environmental mitigation feature of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, (SHEP) and is required mitigation in accordance with the Endangered Species Act and WRDA 2016. In accordance with the SHEP Biological Opinion, construction on the fish passage must begin before January 2021. 

​For more on the fish passage and the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam, read the Corps’ past blog posts here. For a history of the Lock and Dam, visit the webpage here.

As published in the Angler Magazine September 2019

Save the Sturgeon this September 
Savannah Riverkeeper says: September is Sturgeon Awareness Month!

SRK is running an education campaign to teach people about the unique, endangered fish that is found—or supposed to be—right here in the Savannah River. Two species, the Atlantic and the Shortnose Sturgeon, are historically found in the area and are listed as federally endangered. Sturgeon travel from the ocean and coastal channels where they live out most of their days  to the river shoals where they come to spawn each year. Long-threatened and depleted by habitat loss and overfishing, efforts are now bringing this prehistoric fish back to its natural home.

Efforts in place to preserve and restore these fish, primarily through NOAA Fisheries (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) include designation, then protection, of critical habitat; take limits for permitted projects; and other regulation on fishing. Meanwhile, conservation groups advocate for local projects to restore water flows through dam removals, fish passages, and more. It’s hopeful that the species will rebound, but they are still very imperiled and face an “upstream” battle. 

Conservation groups and biologists agree, however, that efforts to save sturgeon will also have positive effects on other species that historically rely on a similar spawning path. Anadromous fish (which means they move from river to sea) like shad and striped bass or striper likewise benefit from efforts to conserve habitat and restore free-flowing waterways. “Our guiding goals as Waterkeeper organizations are to work for drinkable, swimmable, and fishable waters,” said Savannah Riverkeeper Tonya Bonitatibus. “We want people to understand that healthy fisheries are home to strong populations of species. When managed sustainably, they are capable of supporting communities and economy in a way that the whole system thrives.”

Know the Law Before You Fish
Both Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon are protected by the Endangered Species Act, which means it is illegal to fish for, catch, or keep sturgeon or their parts. If you happen to catch a specimen which is responsive and lively, remove the hook or cut the line and return the fish to the water immediately. If possible, try to keep it submerged and the belly supported. 

Did you know you can save a sturgeon’s life with just a water hose? If the fish is trapped in fishing line, net, or other impediment and looks lethargic or unresponsive, you should try to help it. Oftentimes, it is possible to resuscitate these fish by flushing water over the gills. Position a hose through the mouth and slightly to the side, not down the throat. Let the water run gently but steadily out and over the gills, as if the fish were swimming forward, until recovery is obvious. 

Report a Stranded, Injured, or Dead Sturgeon
If you find a stranded, injured, or dead sturgeon, please report it to NOAA Fisheries at (978) 281-9328 or in the Southeast at (844) STURG-911 or (844) 788-7491, or send an email to NOAA.Sturg911@noaa.gov. 

Savannah Riverkeeper will be conducting educational outreach all month with participating partners. To request an educational presentation for your classroom or club, for curriculum you can use to teach students about sturgeon, reach out to elena@savannahriverkeeper.org.
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To support Savannah Riverkeeper’s outreach efforts, you can buy a Save the Sturgeon t-shirt! A collaboration with Blackmon Outfitters. Click here to shop! 

On the July 25 deadline, Savannah Riverkeeper submitted scoping comments to NEPA on the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) draft Environmental
Impact Statement for plutonium “pit” production for unjustified nuclear weapons at the proposed Plutonium Bomb Plant at the Savannah River Site.

​You can read our submission letter on the document below. Follow us for relevant updates on this issue and more by subscribing to our e-newsletter.