On the heels of the Crandall Canyon disaster and numerous rejections of new coal plants nationwide, this urgent message comes from Tim Wagner of Utah’s chapter of the Sierra Club:
Dear Clean Energy and Clean Air Activists,
Our friends in Sevier County desperately need our help. The Sevier Power Company is pushing hard to obtain clearances to construct a 270MW coal-fired power plant right in the middle of Sevier Valley. For those who have never been to the Richfield area, it is truly one of Utah’s most beautiful valleys, consisting of numerous small communities and many small farms, bordered on both sides with gorgeous mountains. Geographically, Sevier Valley is a tighter valley than even Cache Valley. Hence, the air quality is a very precious resource with increasingly dangerous inversions during the winter months. Building a huge coal plant in this valley with 183 homes located within 1-3/4 miles of the plant is simply a bad idea that will only benefit a very few individuals.
The Sevier County Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on August 23 at 7:00 PM at Snow College in Richfield regarding the land use permit application for the proposed power plant. This permit is one of immense controversy in the County. Please consider writing a short letter to the Sevier Planning Commission asking them to disallow this permit. Points to consider:
- Health impacts to local residents. Regardless of what proponents of the project claim, the plant will emit thousands of tons of dangerous pollutants every year, pollutants which know no boundaries. Even though you may not live in the valley, you breathe Utah’s air, which is getting worse every year.
- This project changes land use from agriculture to permanent industrialization and spells the loss of valuable agriculture land.
- This project will be the death toll for diversified economic development in the future. Why would new businesses want to locate in a valley dominated by a 400’ tall smoke stack? With two major interstates converging outside of Richfield, county officials should be working to attract new renewable energy manufacturers, not a polluting dinosaur.
- New coal plants are quickly falling out of favor with Congress, the public, and Wall Street. Just two weeks ago, CitiGroup downgraded coal stocks with the U.S.’s three largest coal companies. The analyst said, “Our sense is that coal has missed a critical time window, which potentially throws any recovery out-of-phase, with implications that could last for a year or more.”
- Global warming: this plant will emit over 2 million tons of CO2 annually. Nearly everyone is concerned about global warming and many are starting to take action. Sevier County should too.
Written Comments are to be submitted by August 23, 2007. The address is; Sevier County Planning Commission, c/o Sevier County Clerk, 250 North Main Street, Richfield, Utah, 84701
#1 by glenn on August 15, 2007 - 9:13 am
There is no doubt that there are going to be changes in Utahns’ quality of life. There is little doubt with the coal industries problems, the price of electricity will go up for the no load state of Utah. Contracts are bound to be expensive if the use of coal is diverted.
Even if nothing is done, the excuse now exists, to increase rates for the sake of safety in the industry. I expect the crony Utah legislature to accommodate.
Given that Utahns possess one of the lowest per capita incomes in these United States, the increase in power bills will certainly affect their way of life, more so than other states that make more money for its citizens.