Federal appeals judges are upholding the Environmental Protection Agency's refusal to take away state pollution permits for two Georgia Power coal-fired generating plants. The Sierra Club and the Coosa River Basin Initiative were suing to stop permits for Plant Bowen in northwest Georgia and Plant Scherer just north of Macon. They argued the plants violate the Clean Air Act. This recent ruling upholds a previous judge's ruling that that environmental groups had not proved the permits fail to enforce the law, even though the EPA issued a violation notice against the plants in 1999.
Showing posts with label Sierra Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sierra Club. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sierra Club threatened over coal plant ruling
The Sierra Club's Atlanta chapter recently got a threatening phone call, likely related to their part in a fight against a planned coal-fired power plant in southwest Georgia.
Chapter Director Patty Durand declined to comment on details of a police investigation, but acknowledged that a police report said that a man with a southern accent, possibly in his 30's placed a call on July 4th, saying:
"We need those jobs. You (expletive) communists have screwed us for the last time. You better have eyes in the back of your head because the bullets are coming."On June 30th, a Fulton County Superior Court reversed an earlier administrative court decision on an Environmental Protection Division (EPD) permit that had okayed the $1.2 billion project in Early County.
A group of area residents and environmentalists, including the Sierra Club who are fighting the project, say the plant will emit unchecked amounts of carbon dioxide, harmful amounts of dust, and other pollutants.
Proponents say the project will provide hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue for the poor rural area.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the battle over the LS Power Longleaf Power Station.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Sierra Club gets menacing call over coal plant ruling
The Atlanta chapter of the Sierra Club recently received a threatening call, presumably over their fight against a planned coal-fired power plant in southwest Georgia.
On June 30th, a Fulton County Superior Court reversed an earlier administrative court decision on an Environmental Protection Division (EPD) permit that had okayed the $1.2 billion project in Early County.
A police report says a white man with a southern accent, possibly in his 30's placed the call on July 4th:
"We need those jobs. You (expletive) communists have screwed us for the last time. You better have eyes in the back of your head because the bullets are coming."A group of area residents and environmentalists, including the Sierra Club who are fighting the project, say the plant will emit unchecked amounts of carbon dioxide, harmful amounts of dust, and other pollutants.
Proponents say the project will provide hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue for the poor rural area.
Local Sierra Club Director Patty Durand declined to comment on the incident when she was contacted on Friday, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the battle over the LS Power Longleaf Power Station.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Lawsuit filed vs. coal-fired plant
The first coal-fired power plant to be built in Georgia in two decades faces a lawsuit. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the Sierra Club, GreenLaw, and Friends of the Chattahoochee are teaming up in the suit. They claim mercury emissions from the Longleaf Energy Station would be built near Columbus would violate the Clean Air Act.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Judge Delays Coal-Fired Power Plant Decision
An Atlanta judge has delayed a crucial ruling about a permit for a coal-fired power station. Administrative Judge Stephanie Howells says the delay is due to the complexity of the case.
Judge Howells must decide whether to allow the Environmental Protections Division to issue a permit for the Longleaf power station in Early Co.
In June, lawyers for Friends of the Chattahoochee and the Sierra Club filed suit challenging the permit for the 1200 megawatt power plant.
The suit charged that the builders, Houston-based Dynegy Corporation, failed to include limitations for carbon dioxide and sulphur emissions.
Judge Howells says she will deliver her ruling by January 11.
Click the link below to hear a feature report on some of the issues at stake in the case.
Click here for more GPB coverage about the Early Co. facility.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Dozens speak on air pollution proposal
A federal proposal could force the state and private companies to clean up Georgia's air. Dozens of people weighed in Wednesday at a public hearing in Atlanta.
Sherian Wilburn of the Georgia Industry Association told U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials that their proposal to further restrict pollutions would be bad for businesses.
"It will definitely put pressure on manufacturers," Wilburn says. "They'll look elsewhere and we could easily drive jobs offshore."
Wilburn says Georgia has lost 80,000 manufacturing jobs in the past seven years.
But environmentalists came to the hearing in force. Patty Durand of the Sierra Club told regulators that, several times this summer, she would not let her son play outside and she urged her husband not to go running because the smog level was so high it posed a health hazard. Durand says tougher federal ozone standards might be the only thing that will motivate Georgia leaders to act.
"They would be forced to look at transit, whereas right now they're judgmental," Durand says. "It would require them to take care of our air. Right now they're not focused on it."
But Governor Sonny Perdue is siding with industry. In April, he sent a letter to EPA opposing the proposal. In it, he wrote "the science may not be definitive enough to warrant another revision."
The last time the EPA revised its ozone standard was in 1997. It will make a final ruling on its proposal by March.
Sherian Wilburn of the Georgia Industry Association told U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials that their proposal to further restrict pollutions would be bad for businesses.
"It will definitely put pressure on manufacturers," Wilburn says. "They'll look elsewhere and we could easily drive jobs offshore."
Wilburn says Georgia has lost 80,000 manufacturing jobs in the past seven years.
But environmentalists came to the hearing in force. Patty Durand of the Sierra Club told regulators that, several times this summer, she would not let her son play outside and she urged her husband not to go running because the smog level was so high it posed a health hazard. Durand says tougher federal ozone standards might be the only thing that will motivate Georgia leaders to act.
"They would be forced to look at transit, whereas right now they're judgmental," Durand says. "It would require them to take care of our air. Right now they're not focused on it."
But Governor Sonny Perdue is siding with industry. In April, he sent a letter to EPA opposing the proposal. In it, he wrote "the science may not be definitive enough to warrant another revision."
The last time the EPA revised its ozone standard was in 1997. It will make a final ruling on its proposal by March.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Judge's ruling limits Early Co. power-plant opponents
Bulletin board in City Hall at Early Co. seat, Blakely, with flyer
expressing support for power-plant builders, LS Power.
(Photo: Dave Bender)
Southwest Georgia groups fighting a power-plant in Early County saw their legal appeal partially stymied in an Atlanta courtroom on Friday.
The judge okayed the plaintiffs' lawsuit against the Longleaf coal-fired power station, but rejected two of their key contentions:
- That the State Environmental Division imposed no limits on carbon dioxide emissions
- That EPA's existing regulations on dust emissions aren't strict enough, and would endanger area residents.
"We're complying with the current regulations related to carbon dioxide. Whether they're going to have standards that we're going to have to meet in the future; we'll meet them whenever they come into effect, but currently, there are none for a facility such as ours.Hearings on the 17-counts against the project will continue next month. Vogt expects a decision on the issues in mid-November.
"We're complying with all of the rules and regulations that are in place to do exactly what they're concerned about: to protect their health and the environment that's around them."
Click on the green arrow below to hear this report:
Click and hear previous news reports on this issue.
Click and hear a feature audio report on this issue.
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