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Kansas Liberty: 01 July 2009
Co-op not surprised: 'We view this as a revision of the current application.'
EPA: Sunflower must go through yet another review
The Environmental Protection Agency had decided that the Sunflower Electric Power Corporation will have to go through yet another review process to determine whether Sunflower's new plans for building a coal-fired plant — reached through a compromise with Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson — violates any provisions of the Clean Air Act.
The EPA explained that Sunflower will have to go through the process again because the new agreement is substantially different from the former proposal.
Sunflower and Parkinson agreed on permitting Sunflower to add a single 895-megawatt supercritical coal-powered generating unit to the utility’s existing energy site in Holcomb.
According to a report in the Kansas City Business Journal, the EPA notified the Secretary of the Department of Health and Environment Roderick Bremby about the new situation in a letter.
Cindy Hertel, spokesperson for Sunflower, said the group had been expecting the EPA’s decision.
“We view this as a revision of the current application we have before the KDHE,” Hertel told Kansas Liberty. “We participated in the meeting on May 28 with KDHE and EPA, and so we were in no way surprised by EPA's letter to Secretary Bremby. We already anticipated the requirements summarized in the letter and will work to meet the requirements that are deemed necessary.”
Sen. Mike Petersen, R-Wichita, and vice chair of the Utilities Committee, said he was disappointed Sunflower had yet another obstacle to overcome.
“They have jumped through considerable hoops already,” Petersen told Kansas Liberty. “I am upset we could be delaying the opportunity to have all these new jobs.”
Petersen doubted the additional reviews by the EPA would uncover any violations of the Clean Air Act.
“They should come sailing through smoothly,” he said.
Resources
- Sunflower Electric Power Corporation: www.sunflower.net
- Business Journal: http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/06/29/daily32.html?ed=2009-07-01&ana=e_du_pap
Previously in Kansas Liberty:
Compromise reached between Parkinson and Sunflower: http://www.kansasliberty.com/liberty-update-archive/2009/11may/coal-plant-impasse-is-over/
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