Hearing scheduled for Clark County, Ky., power plant

THE COURIER-JOURNAL - JANUARY 4, 2010

The state has made public a draft air pollution permit for two new coal-fired boilers at East Kentucky Power Cooperative's Smith plant in Clark County and has scheduled a public hearing.

Although the permit is for two units, East Kentucky Power has construction plans for just one, 278-megawatt unit, said spokesman Nick Comer.

East Kentucky Power provides electricity to 16 distribution cooperatives in 87 counties. "Right now, our generating capacity is a couple hundred megawatts short," Comer said, adding that the cooperative views the Smith plant as the most affordable and reliable option to make up the difference.

Three environmental groups on Monday said the plant's not needed. The Sierra Club, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and Kentucky Environmental Foundation issued a joint release saying that the plant "poses serious threats to air quality, drinking water supplies and public health." They suggested weatherization, solar hot water, hydro and wind power instead.

The permit identifies certain operating conditions for the plant and sets limits on emissions. The Kentucky Division for Air Quality hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, at the Clark County Cooperative Extension Office, 1400 Fortune Drive, Winchester. Written comments are also accepted. For more information, call Ben Markin at the Division for Air Quality at (502) 564-3999.