To the editor:

Reading the article “Working with coal” by Mark Fagan in the July 29 Journal-World, I was left with the impression that new technology will make the use of coal power clean and safe and affordable. Maybe it will be safer for workers at the plant, but clean and affordable is not in any future for us.

The cost of equipment to eliminate deadly mercury emissions from coal plants is expensive and will add greatly to the cost of electricity. The cost of equipment to capture and sequester carbon dioxide is hugely expensive and will price coal power out of the market when compared to wind power and other renewable options. Then we still have the sulfur dioxide and NOX pollution problems to deal with. Add the cost of damage done from global warming and the costs to clean mercury from our fresh waters and the total is astronomical.

Technology might be able to help reduce some of the emissions from coal plants, but the cost will be too high to customers. It’s time for area consumers to demand from our legislators that lower cost and totally clean wind and hydrogen power be developed.

Joe Spease,

Lenexa