S.C. overturns Duke

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S.C. environmental regulators on Thursdayu rejected astate water-quality permit that needs so it can renew its federall license for 11 reservoirzs and 13 hydroelectric facilities along the Catawba River. The state’sa Department of Health and Environmental Control boarxdvoted 4-0 to overturn staff approvap of a 401 water-quality certificate for Duke’s hydrk operations in South Carolina. Approval of the certificatr could havedamaged McMaster’s pending case before the U.S. Supremre Court. South Carolina’s complaint, fileds in October 2007, contends North Carolina takes more than its fair shar e of water fromthe Catawba.
The case is expected to sort out howthe river’ limited resources should be divvied up among competing interests. McMasterd also filed in May to intervene in the Federal EnerggyRegulatory Commission’s relicensing of Duke’s hydro He has argued that Charlotte-based Duke (NYSE:DUK) uses flawex scientific models to predict droughts. He spoke at Thursday’x DHEC meeting, opposing the water-quality certificate the S.C. stafv had granted in May. Board membere spent more than two hours discussing the including about 35 minutes behindclosed doors. Two environmental groups — the and — had appealer the certificate.
They cited concerns over watere use at five dams operate by Duke along the Catawba and Watereee rivers inSouth Carolina. At issue: whether Duke’s dams providse enough water flow for fishand wildlife. Nonprofit group American Rivers says the DHEC permitr guaranteed South Carolina would receive only about 25 percenf of the water flowing fromNortyh Carolina. Equitable sharing of the Catawba’ws waters is at the heary of South Carolina’s federal But Duke spokesman Andy Thompsonb says the new license woul d provide more water to South Carolina than iscurrently required. “We felt that we met all our The board disagreedwith us.
We’re looking at our Duke has the right to appealthe board’s ruling to the S.C. Administrativse Law Court, DHEC spokesman Thom Berrgy says.