Proposed coal plant irks environmentalists

Environmentalists rallied in downtown Atlanta on Wednesday, to protest construction of a new coal fired power plant in southwest Georgia.

New Jersey based LS Power Group has received a permit to construct the state’s newest coal fired power plant Southwest Georgia's Early County.

Activists say coal fired plants release particulate matter into the
environment, which may lead to higher rates of heart and lung disease.

Jeanette Gayer with Environment Georgia, says pollution fallout levels should be enough to convince lawmakers that Georgia doesn’t need another coal fired power plant.

“This is a gigantic dinosaur of a plant. It will produce 9-million tons of global warming pollutants every single year. Which is the equivalent of putting another 1.3 million cars and trucks on the roads. This is a 13% increase in the amount of global warming pollution output in the state of Georgia.*

Construction has not yet begun on the about 1,200 megawatts Early County plant.

However, activists say the facility is slated to come on line later this year and will provide electrical power primarily to northern
Florida.