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We are fortunate to be the guardians of lands that run through the heart of the Southeast, following the rivers and rights-of-way needed to provide energy to our customers. In the best interest of our family and yours, we work to protect and preserve the beautiful lands that host our facilities and carry our pipelines and power lines while providing the public with access to many of the area's bountiful natural resources.
Parks and recreation are inextricably linked to the quality of life of our customers. To that end, SCE&G, a SCANA company, has donated thousands of acres in South Carolina for public use. In Columbia, the renowned Riverbanks Zoo and the Saluda Shoals Park on the Lower Saluda River, along with the state-operated Billy Dreher Island on Lake Murray, provide public access to these important recreational and aesthetic charms through low-cost, long-term lease agreements. We respect these sensitive tracts as vital resources to be preserved and shared by the public and our energy services.
Wetlands Management
Forest Management
Lake Murray Shoreline Habitat Enhancement
Recycle
Because we are committed to preserving the land and protecting water quality, we've donated conservation easements to acreage around South Carolina, including 400 acres along the Edisto River, 660 acres on Congaree Creek, 65 acres of scenic river easements along the Saluda River and 89 acres along the Savannah River. In addition, we placed a protective conservation easement on 10 archaeological sites along the north banks of Congaree Creek and both sides of Old State Road in Cayce.
Wetlands Management
Bottomland forests are one of South Carolina's unique natural assets. Filled with various hardwoods, cypress, pine and other diverse plant species, they provide ideal wildlife habitat and quality timber. We want to ensure that these forests are managed in a way that will not harm their overall health and aesthetic beauty. That's why we funded and continue to support an ongoing forest wetlands management research project on 520 acres at SCE&G's Cope Generating Station in conjunction with the National Audubon Society and Clemson University.
If successful, the project has the potential to provide improved methods of forest management. We will continue to take positive steps to protect wetlands to ensure that the functions and related values they provide are preserved for present and future generations.
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Forest Management
We respect the forest as a natural resource as trees provide food and shelter for a host of living creatures while preventing and improving air quality. To nurture this vital resource our forest management activities cover approximately 41,000 acres.
SCE&G, a SCANA company, performs management practices for timber and wildlife activities on approximately 30,000 acres throughout South Carolina, employs professional foresters to manage the re-planting of between 300 to 400 acres each year, and voluntarily observes "best management" forestry practices. Over 12,000 acres of SCE&G's forestland are in the State Game Management Area Program (GMA) to provide hunting opportunities to the general public. We also distribute thousands of tree seedlings each year through our Trees Please program. Forestry practices are tailored to recognize our economic values in a manner that fosters environmental stewardship.
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Lake Murray Shoreline Habitat Enhancement
Lake Murray, known as the "Crown Jewel of the Midlands" is one of South Carolina's most amazing environmental resources. A reservoir of more than 50,000 acres, it's an abundant resource for drinking water, hydroelectric power, recreation and fisheries. The Lake Murray Shoreline Habitat Enhancement Project is a cooperative effort between SCE&G, the Department of Natural Resources and other lake interest groups to improve the shoreline's appearance, help control erosion, re-establish shoreline vegetation, protect water quality and provide improved habitat for fish and other wildlife.
As part of our Shoreline Enhancement Project and our emphasis on making citizens aware of the value of shoreline vegetation to control erosion, we developed guidelines and policies concerning excavation and dock permitting. For details, click here.
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Recycle
SCANA Corporation is always looking for new ways to save energy and protect the environment, especially in the area of recycling. Steel, copper, brass, coal ash, lamps, batteries, paper, wood chips, aluminum cans, toner cartridges, wood reels and pallets - you name it, a SCANA company probably recycles it.
For example, SCE&G recycles more than 75% of the coal ash it produces and has identified several innovative ways to use it. In addition to saving millions of cubic yards of landfill space, coal ash is now being used with a cement and sand mixture for road repairs, in cement and ready-mix concrete, as filler in paints and plastics, and as structural fills for highway embankments, ramps and bridges.
SCE&G also burns used transformer and motor oil for energy recovery though our POWER (Power Originating With Energy Recovery) Program.
Another ongoing recycling effort involves computer and other "white" paper. It takes two tons of trees to make one ton of paper. By recycling just one ton of paper, we are able to save 17 trees; 7,000 gallons of fresh water; 4,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity; 60 pounds of air pollutants; and 81 cubic feet of land space.
SCANA Corporation's energy companies also offer customers the opportunity to reduce paper usage through online account access, which eliminates paper energy bills. All statements can be viewed and paid online.
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