Controversy continues about the establishment of a big coal-burning power plant in southwest Kansas, but it appears the project will now become a reality.

Environmentalists, to the surprise of no one, are strongly opposed to the venture, but the new governor and the Legislature seem determined and able to get the job done. Meanwhile, it’s important to note that power company officials are not always the atmospheric ogres some indicate they are, and that dealing with pollution is not a new issue. A pioneering approach began 40 years ago right here in Lawrence.

The attitude of many ecology-conscious sources is that the same kind of dirty coal use that prevailed years ago still exists. They seem to overlook that major improvements have been made in dealing with such emissions and that even more innovative and effective procedures will be available and put in use on the new plant.

The Kansas economy and the people of the state will gain considerably from the new plant, for years to come. The groundwork for such a facility was laid in Lawrence a full 40 or more years ago.

When the Kansas Power and Light Co. decided to do a major construction job on the coal-fired power plant at Cameron Bluff, to the north of the city, it made a point of discussing the emissions issue. Balfour Jeffrey, a noted Kansas University graduate, was head of KPL at the time and was well aware of the pollution dangers. He and his technical people were in the forefront of the development of a system of “scrubbers” that cut down sharply on emissions at Cameron Bluff. They wanted to make it as clean as possible using the know-how of 50 years ago. Marbles were used in the process, and the practices here were soon being studied and employed at other plants around the nation. Constant upgrades have been made, but now, new technology is needed to further reduce dangerous emissions.

Consider all the improvements that have been made in the scrubber system in 40 years. These and even newer processes will be used in the new southwest Kansas plant.

One of the saddest aspects is that while so many American agencies are working overtime to clean up the atmosphere, even greater polluters such as China, Russia and India are turning out more “junk” than ever in their efforts to grow and prosper.

While it is important to keep a close eye on what is happening in our own nation, environmentalists would do well to be far more insistent and persistent to lessen pollutants being dispersed in growing volumes by other nations.