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Winds of Change Newsletter, December 2009 See sidebar for table of contents
Coal-to-Liquids - Just A Minor Air Pollution
Source? Umm, Right
In October OVEC and others asked for an extension of the
public comment period on the draft air pollution permit for the proposed
Mingo County coal-to-liquids plant. We were granted the extension until
Dec. 18.
The national Sierra Club wrote this request letter to
DEP on our behalf; a few excerpts follow:
"The size and complexity of the proposed facility and
its significant environmental effects warrant a longer, more
comprehensive review period The plant includes a dizzying array of
emissions sources, each of which entails its own set of assumptions,
emissions calculations, and control technologies
"It appeared from the application materials that the
facility would emit significantly more pollution than claimed by the
project proponent, easily surpassing the major source thresholds under
the Clean Air Act The decision to let this facility bypass the core
requirements of the Clean Air Act could have a major effect on public
health and the environment."
The other groups that asked for the public comment
extension are the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the
Environment, WV Highlands Conservancy and Coal River Mountain Watch.
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