Coal decision makes front-page news across nation

Posted by Joel Mathis October 19, 2007 at 8:21 a.m.

Thursday's decision by KDHE secretary Rod Bremby [to reject coal plants in Western Kansas][1] is making news across the nation.Front page news.[The Washington Post put the story on its front page today,][2] reporting: "The Kansas Department of Health and Environment yesterday became the first government agency in the United States to cite carbon dioxide emissions as the reason for rejecting an air permit for a proposed coal-fired electricity generating plant, saying that the greenhouse gas threatens public health and the environment."Apparently, the Post was surprised by the decision, noting: "Kansas, long a conservative Republican stronghold, is not generally considered to be on the leading edge of environmental causes."[Reuters weighs in:][3] "Kansas on Thursday joined a growing list of U.S. states that have rejected plans for coal-fired power on concerns over greenhouse gas emissions when it denied permits for two controversial 700-megawatt units."The decision is the latest in a string of rejections for coal-fired power this year, including plants once planned in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Minnesota."Bruce Niles, head of the Sierra Club's national effort to stop coal plants, called the decision a major victory and another sign of growing resistance to coal-fired power plants."'It's a watershed moment,' Niles said. 'Kansas joins Florida and California and other states to stake out a clean energy future based on (renewable) resources and rejects coal.'"The blogosphere also came alive, with one, Gristmill (an environmental blog, proclaiming ["Coal is the enemy of the human race: Roderick Bremby is a hero."][4]The blog of [the Kansas Republican Assembly,][5] a conservative outfit, disagreed: "The Secretary's decision marks a dark day in policy making in the state of Kansas. Due to outside pressure from fringe environmental groups, the governor and secretary's offices chose to ignore the professional judgment of KDHE staff and deny a legitimate power plant application based solely on outside information and preferences rather than on solid state law." [1]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/oct... [2]: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/18/AR2007101802452.html?nav=rss_email/components [3]: http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKN1845502220071018 [4]: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/10/18/23041/608 [5]: http://www.kansasra.org/blog/archives/52

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jasonc_22 (anonymous) says…

Roberick Bremby is a hero. I'm proud of him.
October 19, 2007 at 4:07 p.m.
Godot (anonymous) says…

Read between the lines. He's being portrayed as a political momma's boy.
October 19, 2007 at 4:18 p.m.
toefungus (anonymous) says…

Mommy, can I go out and play, now?
October 19, 2007 at 8:44 p.m.
texburgh (anonymous) says…

This is great news. Coal fired plants are on the way out and renewable clean energy sources will now have to be considered seriously by the industry people who still want to make money on providing energy. Clean renewable sources of energy plus conservation (two things the new Republican Party hates) are both good for our nation, our environment, our children, our future.
October 19, 2007 at 10:15 p.m.