City Utilities gets approval for new coal plant

The Air Conservation Commission of Missouri ruled Dec. 8 that a permit granted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in December 2004 was valid, despite protests by Ozark Sierra Club and other environmental groups.

Sierra Club’s main argument in opposition to the permit was that the proposed new plant did not follow best available control technology practices; the group said there are other technologies available that would have less environmental impact.

“It’s the opinion of the Sierra Club, through our research, that there are technologies out there that aren’t more expensive that better meet the control standards of the (law),” said Linda Chipperfield, Sierra Club member. “One of the main concerns (at City Utilities) is the cost, and I want to emphasize that there are (cleaner) technologies that are not necessarily more expensive.”

The air commission disagreed, saying in its ruling that Missouri DNR acted properly in issuing the permit.

“MDNR has clearly met the burden of proof … to establish that the permit was issued in accordance with Missouri’s Clean Air statutes and regulations,” the report states. “Petitioners’ disagreements with MDNR’s interpretation and implementation of the applicable laws … do not constitute evidence to show that MDNR’s judgment and determinations were not informed, reasoned and adequately supported in this record.”

The approval allows CU to keep the new plant, called Southwest 2, as an option, though the utility is not precluded from pursuing other options as well.

CU’s ideas about the new plant should come into sharper focus at an informational meeting of the Board of Public Utilities at noon today in the utility’s headquarters, 301 East Central.

Sierra Club is not giving up, though; the group has 30 days to file suit in the Missouri courts to block the permit, and Chipperfield said the group intends to do just that.

Click here for the full story from Dec. 19.

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