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Callers express concern over coal-fired power plant Saturday, Feb 2, 2008 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Beebe on Friday said he has asked the state Department of Environmental Quality to make sure all safety issues are addressed in permitting a planned $1.3 billion coal-fired power plant in Southwest Arkansas. The governor told a caller to his monthly statewide radio talk show that he wants ADEQ "to look at every potential safeguard ... and make sure that we go every mile that we can go to put all the additional scrubbing (equipment) and all the additional environmentally friendly requirements that can be put on (the plant) to restrict, or minimize, the carbon dioxide, the sulfur, all of the emissions which you and I both know do not help the whole issue of global warming." The caller, one of three to the governor's show on Little Rock radio station KARN who expressed concerned about the plant, asked Beebe if there was anything he could do to prevent the plant from being built. The governor said he has little control over the state Public Service Commission other than appointing members. The PSC voted 2 to 1 to approve the project - one of Beebe's appointees voted for the plant and one voted against it. The second vote for the plant was made by an appointee of former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Because ADEQ is a state agency and he appoints the director, the governor said he felt obliged to make sure the agency was doing all it can to make the planned coal-fired plant environmentally safe. Beebe also told a caller he would have preferred a nuclear power plant over a coal-fired plant because he believes nuclear power is more "environmental friendly, as long as you have good safety." The PSC's approval of a certificate of public need, allows the Southwestern Electric Power Company to build and operate the 600-megawatt coal-fried plant, to be known as the John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant, near Fulton in Hempstead County. On Tuesday, a group of Hempstead County landowners appealed the PSC's decision to the Arkansas Court of Appeals. The landowners asked the appeals court to reverse the decision because SWEPCO provided the commission with "inaccuracies, inconsistencies and inadequacies" concerning the environmental impact of the plant, cost and other factors. SWEPCO attorney Stephen Cuffman of Little Rock said Friday he expected the appeal and he expects the ADEQ to be as complete and fair as possible during the appeal process. "I think the commission's order contains detailed findings of fact supported by evidence and the law, and I think the commission's decision will be upheld," Cuffman said. He said the permit process with the ADEQ has been going on for more than a year and some permits, such as one for wastewater, have already been approved. The air quality permit, when approved, means construction of the plant can begin. Approval could come as early as April or May, Cuffman said. "ADEQ, I suspect, is going to do exactly what the governor expects, make sure the permit application meets all requirements of the law," Cuffman said. Little Rock attorney Lawrence Chesenhall, who filed the appeal on behalf of opponents to the project, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Friday. |
