Wednesday, dozens of Florence County residents joined with the Sierra Club in protest of Santee Cooper's proposed coal-fired power plant, planned for the Kingsburg area of Florence County.
They gathered at Jay's Barbershop in Florence to take part in a mercury testing campaign.
Hair samples were taken from five people who live near the proposed coal plant site.
The hair will be sent to a nationally certified lab to determine mercury levels which could pose health risks.
DHEC has not conducted any testing so Florence area physicians decided to take the lead.
"With mercury levels already so high in the rivers, I'm very concerned about putting more mercury in it," said Terry Cook, who lives near the proposed plant.
Results from the hair testing will take about two weeks.
Santee Cooper has said the plant is necessary to meet growing energy demands, and the plant will meet or exceed emission standards.
