Final public hearing on coal-fired plant in southwestern Kansas slated for Oct. 25

TOPEKA ? At least one phase in the long-running battle over a proposed coal-fired power plant is winding down.

People on either side of the question whether to build the 895-megawatt unit in southwestern Kansas will speak Monday, Oct. 25, during the final public hearing conducted by the Kansas Department of Health on the project’s permit.

The meeting, which starts at 2 p.m. at the Capitol Plaza and Convention Center in Topeka, comes almost exactly three years after the initial project was denied, which caused shock waves through Kansas politics that were felt worldwide.

Participate

What: Public hearing to receive comments on the proposed air quality construction permit for an 895 megawatt coal-fired plant.

Where: Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center (Sunflower Ballroom), 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd. in Topeka.

When: 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, until all verbal and written comments have been submitted by participants.

On Oct. 18, 2007, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Roderick Bremby denied a permit sought by Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corp.

“I believe it would be irresponsible to ignore emerging information about the contribution of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to climate change and the potential harm to our environment and health if we do nothing,” Bremby had said.

The denial was touted as the first time a government agency in the United States blocked construction of a coal-burning plant based on its effects on climate change.

The Kansas Legislature, dominated by supporters of the project, tried to overturn Bremby’s decision with legislation, but each time was thwarted by vetoes by then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

In 2009, Sebelius left Kansas to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

That elevated Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson into the governor’s job. Almost immediately Parkinson crafted a deal with Sunflower Electric to bless the project — in exchange for reducing it from two 700-megawatt units and getting legislators to approve renewable energy legislation.

The deal was done, and Sunflower re-entered the permit process. KDHE has announced issuance of a draft permit for the unit near Holcomb.

“The draft construction permit is an important step in meeting future base load generation needs of the people of central and western Kansas,” said Earl Watkins, president and chief executive officer of Sunflower Electric. “The project will also provide significant economic benefits for the entire state.”

Sunflower estimates the project will require 1,900 construction jobs during a four-year period and, once completed, 70 jobs.

But 78 percent, or 695 megawatts, of the power from the plant will be owned by Sunflower’s partner, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association of Westminster, Colo., and will be used in Colorado. At peak capacity, the plant could power nearly half a million homes.

For environmentalists, the prospect of using Kansas water and Wyoming coal to produce climate-changing CO2 for suburban sprawl in Colorado, is a nightmare.

Stephanie Cole, a spokeswoman for the Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club, urged residents to make their voices heard at the public hearing.

“Debate over the Holcomb coal plant has been lively and ongoing for four years now, since Sunflower first proposed to build additional capacity at the Holcomb Station, and this hearing could be the last opportunity citizens have to comment on the project,” Cole said.

“If it weren’t for the involvement of concerned citizens, it’s highly likely there would be plans moving forward now for two, and potentially three, new coal units in Holcomb, but because people got involved and made their objections known, that’s not happening, so we know public participation can and does influence the process,” she said.