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RALEIGH, N.C. (July 22, 2005) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will hold a public hearing in Danbury on Sept. 1 to accept comments about a new rule that closes public access to a section of Belews Lake near the Duke Power Belews Creek Steam Station in Stokes County. The hearing will begin at 7 p.m. in Courtroom B in the Stokes County Government Center, located at 1012 Main Street in Danbury.
The new rule, which will be adopted Aug. 1 on an emergency basis, closes public access to Plant Intake Cove on the western side of Belews Lake. The Wildlife Commission determined this area to be unsafe because of Duke Power's construction and installation of equipment to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. Construction activity includes use of heavy machinery and explosives, as well as transportation of tanks containing anhydrous ammonia. Closing access to this cove also excludes boaters and anglers from a potentially dangerous area at the plant intake. The Wildlife Commission will use comments from the public hearing to help it determine whether the rule will be made permanent. The new rule affects an area marked by signs about 1,000 feet northeast of Belews Creek Steam Station. When the station’s siren sounds, anyone on the water within an area 4,000 feet northeast of Belews Creek Steam Station must evacuate the area immediately. The rule does not apply to anyone who has been granted permission by Duke Power to respond to an emergency or maintain and repair facilities. Comments about the new rule can be submitted in person at the Sept. 1 meeting in Danbury or in writing to: Joan Troy, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1701. Comments must be received by Nov. 14. For more information
about the new rule, contact Joan Troy at (919) 733-3391 ext. 227 or joan.troy@ncwildlife.org.
For more information about
Duke Power’s construction activity, contact Mary Kathryn
Green at (704) 382-8356 or mkgreen@duke-energy.com. |
