Read off on coal plant facts
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Editor,
Joe Read, HD 15 incumbent, stated in his campaign blip (VJ Oct. 3), that he believes the EPA has gone far beyond its call and is now hindering economic prospects (an oft-used Republican sound bite). As an example, he cites the Highwood coal plant outside of Great Falls, stating, “Millions of dollars were spent to satisfy permits. When they got done, Montana and the EPA had changed the rules so they had to start over.”
This is pure fabrication. Neither the EPA nor Montana DEQ changed the rules during the permitting process. The plant, as proposed, was a coal-fired plant set in the middle of prime agriculture land. Local farmers and neighbors objected to the plant on the grounds that it would harm their property values and be highly disruptive to their way of life in an area long zoned for agriculture. The Cascade County Commissioners, under pressure from the developers, then spot-zoned the area “heavy industrial,” upon which the farmers/neighbors sued the county commissioners. The case went to the Montana Supreme Court, which sided with the farmers.
While all of this was going on, the developers were losing financial backing due to market conditions and a poor financial plan. In the end, the developers were stopped not by environmental regulations, but by inappropriate zoning actions, their own fiscal ineptitude, and trying to run roughshod over local farmers. The developers dropped the coal effort and went with a natural gas plant. The air permit for this plant was approved by the DEQ with no delay and a 40-megawatt plant went into operation shortly thereafter. Its plan to expand by 80 megawatts has been on hold, not because of environmental regulations, but because the market is saturated with natural gas energy production, and no one is willing to invest in such an expansion.
Mr. Read is an incumbent legislator. For him to fabricate information in order to support his personal agenda is unconscionable. His opponent, Frosty Calf Boss Ribs, provides a worthy and accountable alternative.
Kirwin Werner
Ronan
