Stop "Project Ballast" in Bethune, SC
The Issue
In 2022, my husband and I made a life-changing decision to invest in our dream. We purchased property in Bethune, South Carolina, with the vision of creating a legacy—a rural slice of paradise for our family and generations to come. However, this dream feels threatened by the proposed development of "Project Ballast," a natural gas power plant set to rise in our beloved community.
Our personal lives intersect this fight in an intimate and profound way. Our first son, a precious addition to our family, faced a tumultuous start to life. Born with respiratory distress, he spent his early days in the NICU, bravely battling health challenges. Today, we are thankful for his recovery and progress, but the prospect of a project that threatens air quality, and thus community health, deeply concerns us.
"Project Ballast" poses a significant risk to the health and safety of community members in Bethune. Natural gas power plants are known for their environmental impacts, including air, water, and soil pollution, leading to negative health outcomes. The emissions from such plants contain harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter, all linked to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and premature death.
Not only does this project endanger immediate residents, but it also jeopardizes the environment, potentially contaminating local water sources and disturbing wildlife habitats. For a community that prides itself on its natural beauty and rich biodiversity, this is an unacceptable sacrifice.
Moreover, emerging data suggest that living near power plants elevates the risk of chronic health conditions. We cannot stand by and watch as potential future problems are introduced into our community. Our children's right to inhale clean air and drink clean water should never be compromised for industrial gain.
We urge the decision-makers, local authorities, and environmental agencies to reconsider the implications of this project. The price of energy should not be the health and wellbeing of Bethune's current and future residents. Our community deserves sustainable and clean energy solutions that protect the environment and public health.
By signing this petition, you stand with Bethune in preserving the well-being, health, and futures of our children. Join us in sending a clear message: we refuse to gamble with our health and environment. Halt "Project Ballast" before it begins.
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The Issue
In 2022, my husband and I made a life-changing decision to invest in our dream. We purchased property in Bethune, South Carolina, with the vision of creating a legacy—a rural slice of paradise for our family and generations to come. However, this dream feels threatened by the proposed development of "Project Ballast," a natural gas power plant set to rise in our beloved community.
Our personal lives intersect this fight in an intimate and profound way. Our first son, a precious addition to our family, faced a tumultuous start to life. Born with respiratory distress, he spent his early days in the NICU, bravely battling health challenges. Today, we are thankful for his recovery and progress, but the prospect of a project that threatens air quality, and thus community health, deeply concerns us.
"Project Ballast" poses a significant risk to the health and safety of community members in Bethune. Natural gas power plants are known for their environmental impacts, including air, water, and soil pollution, leading to negative health outcomes. The emissions from such plants contain harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter, all linked to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and premature death.
Not only does this project endanger immediate residents, but it also jeopardizes the environment, potentially contaminating local water sources and disturbing wildlife habitats. For a community that prides itself on its natural beauty and rich biodiversity, this is an unacceptable sacrifice.
Moreover, emerging data suggest that living near power plants elevates the risk of chronic health conditions. We cannot stand by and watch as potential future problems are introduced into our community. Our children's right to inhale clean air and drink clean water should never be compromised for industrial gain.
We urge the decision-makers, local authorities, and environmental agencies to reconsider the implications of this project. The price of energy should not be the health and wellbeing of Bethune's current and future residents. Our community deserves sustainable and clean energy solutions that protect the environment and public health.
By signing this petition, you stand with Bethune in preserving the well-being, health, and futures of our children. Join us in sending a clear message: we refuse to gamble with our health and environment. Halt "Project Ballast" before it begins.
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Petition created on June 29, 2026