Page 27 - 111117

Groton Daily Independent
Saturday, Nov. 114, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 125 ~ 27 of 66
narrator says. “The sharp metal rods pierce and penetrate the cows’ bodies. Kept hidden from tours and visitors to the dairy, the cows are brutalized.”
In a statement, Jacob Larson said an employee seen in the video hitting cows has been red, adding that the “unusual use of force is simply unacceptable on our dairy or on any other farm.”
“We have strict protocols involving animal care and clearly the behavior shown in this video goes against everything we stand for and will not be tolerated,” Larson said. “The employee involved and featured in the video has been terminated. Further corrective action will be taken if necessary as we continue to analyze the video and conduct an on-farm investigation.”
Larson, whose family has been in the dairy business since 1947 and in Okeechobee County since 1971, questioned the tactics of the animal rights group.
“We are equally concerned about the manner in which this video was brought to our attention,” Larson said. “Had the ‘undercover’ employee brought this to our attention when it occurred, we may have been able to prevent it earlier.”
Richard Couto, the founder and lead investigator for the animal rights group, said members didn’t choose the Larson dairy because of cruelty reports but within an hour of starting the undercover operation found “strong sounds of animal abuse.”
“We wanted to see what was happening in a typical, larger scale dairy setting in the state of Florida,” he said.
The sheriff said the material received by his of ce, including still photos and video, indicated three workers were involved.
He said he’s known the Larson family for years and said they wouldn’t condone such behavior. “Had they known about it,” Stephen said, “they would have red them on the spot.”
House Speaker: Change laws after nuclear plant failure
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House speaker is proposing six laws aimed at protecting consumers from the consequences of a failed project to build two nuclear reactors.
South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. and the state-owned utility Santee Cooper have sought to insulate themselves from the hemorrhaging costs of their ill-fated joint venture at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Sta- tion, which they abandoned on July 31 after Westinghouse, the chief contractor, declared bankruptcy. The utilities had already spent more than $9 billion by then, collecting nearly $2 billion in interest from ratepayers along the way.
House Speaker Jay Lucas of Hartsville announced his proposals on Thursday, saying they would “gut existing laws” that allowed utilities to charge customers before the reactors were complete, and help avoid another expensive construction failure.
“The legislation introduced today lowers current rates and prevents consumers from paying a single penny more for the costly failed project,” the Republican’s statement said.
Lucas’ legislation would cut SCE&G customer rates by 18 percent, the amount they’re currently paying for the project. A typical residential customer would save about $27 per month. The hit to SCE&G would total about $37 million per month, or nearly $450 million per year.
Another proposal would allow refunds of what customers have already paid, if regulators conclude there had been “poor management” by SCE&G. Still another would prevent Santee Cooper from collecting money to reimburse itself the costs of ending the project.
Currently, Santee Cooper is not subject to Public Service Commission oversight. The proposed legislation would change that, and shake up its management structure as well, removing Santee Cooper’s board of directors, the Public Service Commissioners and even the panel that that interviews prospective members of the regulatory panel. Their replacements would be required to pass rigorous quali cations.
Lucas also would give the Of ce of Regulatory staff, a state watchdog agency, more power.
Santee Cooper spokeswoman Mollie Gore said the utility is reviewing the proposals. SCE&G had no im- mediate comment, but previously dismissed such ideas as “radical and disruptive.”