Central and Eastern Kentucky
(2007-03-08)
Southwestern Electric Power Co. wants to build the plant on 2,875 acres near some of Arkansas' last cypress swamps and stands of virgin timber.
The Shreveport, La.-based company has strong support from city, county, and school officials in the region, and the Arkansas Public Service Commission has received 14 letters from supporters.
"There will always be a debate between ecology and economy when it comes to projects like this," said Mineral Springs School Superintendent Max Adcock. "What's more important to us is the economy because of the boon that our area badly needs."
The PSC told the company Feb. 23 that study on the project was deficient and asked the utility to address areas identified by other agencies, including the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. A commission order March 2 gave SWEPCO 20 days to answer 18 questions.
State regulators want to know why SWEPCO plans to build a power plant when Congress will likely approve legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and SWEPCO Chief Executive Venita McCellon-Allen has publicly supported legislation to reduce emissions.
Commissioners also want to know if SWEPCO has studied how emissions laws may affect costs to ratepayers and whether other kinds of power generation are more cost-effective.
In addition, nearby hunting clubs and landowners want SWEPCO to say how mercury emissions, acid rain or global warming could affect the environment.
They also expressed concerns about the plant's use of water from Millwood Lake and the effect of daily coal-train shipments on endangered or threatened wildlife, including the bald eagle, the American alligator, the wood stork, the interior least tern and a rare mussel known as the Ouachita rock pocketbook.
SWEPCO is amending its environmental studies to provide additional information and will file an updated report, says Brian Bond, vice president of external affairs.
Bond says the plant will employ the latest technology to limit pollutants, including mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide.
Supporters say the plant would provide 1,400 temporary construction jobs to southwest Arkansas, as well as 110 full-time jobs once the plant is operating with an estimated annual payroll of $4.5 million. Also, the plant would bring about $8.7 million in county sales tax revenue, $30 million in state sales taxes and $3.9 million a year in added property-tax revenue.
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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
2007 The Associated Press.
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