The Williams

Company has an option on 288 acres of land in Fulton County on the Fayette

County line. The firm is requesting that Fulton County and Union City

rezone the property from agricultural residential to M2 (heavy industrial)

to allow the Fulton Energy Center, a 1,230-megawatt, gas-generated power

plant, on the property.

Williams is

proposing to put the plant on 30 to 35 acres, leaving the rest of the

property as green space.

Neighbors complain

that the plant would be just a few hundred feet from homes in Green Valley

Lake, Peters Road and Old Jonesboro Road.

The Christian

City retirement community, which houses over 1,100, will be across the

road from the power plant, and Christian City director Bob Crutchfield

has expressed concerns about the effects on the health of residents.

Hundreds of

homes on Green Valley Lake, Peters Road, Westbridge Road, Wagon Wheel

Road, Old Jonesboro Road, Hwy. 92 and other connecting roads are within

one mile of the proposed location.

"Prevailing

winds will carry the emissions from the plant into Fayette County the

majority of the year," said Ed Williams, Safeguard South Metro board

member. "Although you may not see, hear or feel the vibrations from

the plant, you will breath the chemicals emitted from the plant if you

are in the path of the emissions. There is a large volume of medical data

which highlights the severe impact of emissions on the health of children

and the elderly in particular."

Company officials

say because the plant's smoke stacks will be about 200 feet tall, emissions

will dissipate high in the atmosphere and have little effect on residents.

Mari Jo Paladino,

Safeguard South Metro president, also warned that "property values

will almost certainly decrease in residential neighborhoods, especially

those in Fayette County and Christian City." Company spokesmen dispute

that claim as well.

A steady crowd

stopped by Saturday to write letters, pick up signs and bumper stickers

and make donations to help "stop the stacks" throughout the

four-hour party/drive.

"We were

extremely pleased with the response from the community in the metro area,"

said Paladino. "Over 350 letters were written to elected officials

during the four-hour party. Many stopped by to pick up stacks of letters

to distribute to their neighbors also, so we expect the numbers of letters

to increase."

Safeguard representatives

also carried copies of the form letters to homeowners in Christian City

in response to their request.

The group is

also soliciting signatures for a petition to stop the plant, which will

be sent to elected officials and Williams Company representatives.

To date the

group has amassed more than 1,000 signatures, Paladino said.

Safeguard provided

pre-written letters with ample space at the bottom for individuals to

add their own comments. The letters will be sent to elected officials

in Fulton County, Fayette County and Union City, and to officers and board

members of the Williams Company.

Neighbors from

Fulton and Fayette, whose paths normally would rarely cross, banded together

recently to attempt to stop the plant proposal, forming Safeguard South

Metro.

"Initially

our purpose was to stop the power plant. As a result of our increased

awareness and concern for our neighborhoods, we realized the need to continue

to safeguard our community," said Paladino.

In response

to opposition in the community, company officials have delayed their rezoning

request until next January, saying they want to provide more information

to the community. Environmental testing is underway.

For information

on Safeguard South Metro, visit www.NoPowerPlant.org or call 770-969-4884.

For information

from the power company, visit www.fultonenergycenter.com .

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