Panelists: Hold back coal plants
Posted on Friday, September 26, 2008
By an 11-10 vote, the Governor’s Commission on Global Warming recommended Thursday that no new coal-fired power plants be built in Arkansas until at least 2020, when new technology could reduce carbon emissions.
Should Gov. Mike Beebe and the Legislature make such a position law, it would cover a new plant in the works in Hempstead County.
Other topics elicited sharp debate among commission members, with environmental advocates disagreeing with industry representatives.
Those issues included whether to reduce speed limits on Arkansas’ interstate highways from 70 mph to 60 mph, to require sidewalks near all schools, to reduce the size of parking lots to discourage driving, and to tax carbon emissions.
State Rep. Kathy Webb, DLittle Rock, the commission cochairman, said she hasn’t gauged the support to the power plant moratorium with the governor or with fellow legislators.
“It was important to make a statement, regardless of whether or not it would impact [public policy ],” Webb said.
Beebe spokesman Matt De-Cample said that at this point the governor has no position on the power-plant recommendation.
“The governor is going to take all the recommendations of the Global Warming Commission and look at them in the big picture,” DeCample said. “There have been a lot of ideas. That’s why the governor supported it being created. We want to look at it all.”
The other commission cochairman, former state Sen. Kevin Smith, D-Helena-West Helena, said it’s important for the state to act now against the plant. He said the Hempstead County plant and one already approved for Mississippi County, will produce carbon emissions equal to all the cars now on Arkansas roads.
“Nobody’s worked harder to get jobs in the Delta than I have, but if somebody came to me and wanted to put one of these in our community, as bad as our economy is, and as bad as I need customers, I’ll tell them to turn around and go home,” said Smith, an insurance agent.
The commission voted to allow the Mississippi County plant as long as it retrofits with equipment to capture more carbon emissions when that technology becomes available. The Hempstead County plant could be built by 2020 if by then the technology has advanced to capture the carbon gases it would release.
The plant is being built by Southwestern Electric Power Co.
The company issued this statement about the commission’s vote: “Power plant projects require long-term advanced planning and take multiple years to permit and complete. SWEPCO has already invested hundreds of millions of dollars. It will be one of the cleanest coal plants in North America and has been approved by the [Arkansas Public Service Commission ]. It would not be good public policy to change the rules now after much planning and investment has been done to meet the energy needs of SWEPCO’s customers.”
The plant air permit is now pending before the Department of Environmental Quality. That process, as well as a possible appeal to the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, likely will last into next year, said department Director Teresa Marks.
Thursday’s meeting was the last by the Global Warming Commission, which has been meeting since October 2007.
Several unsettled measures in the draft report were voted on, including the plant issue. The draft will be amended on the basis of discussion and action Thursday, and some tinkering could occur over the next month. The final report is expected by Oct. 31.
The commission was set up by Act 696 by Webb during the 2007 legislative session.
Most members were appointed by Beebe. Some were appointed by House Speaker Benny Petrus, D-Stuttgart, and Senate President Pro Tempore Jack Critcher, DBatesville.
Public comments limited to two minutes each were taken at the start of the meeting.
Malcolm Cleveland, a geography professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, opposed the plant in a vigorous presentation until Webb cut him off when he passed his time limit.
“Jesus Christ,” the professor exclaimed as he returned to his seat.
Sen. Barbara Horn, D-Foreman, testified in favor of it, saying it was good for her area and that she had confidence in the management of the plant.
The commission later voted to support the possible options of placing financial penalties on carbon emissions. One form of penalty would be taxes.
Commission member Aubra Anthony of El Dorado, a forestry products company executive, raised objections.
“Everyone likes to gang up on industry, but it’s the customer that’s going to be hurt,” he said.
Webb emphasized that the item mandated no tax or other penalty but was inserted to give Arkansas officials clout if Congress takes up the matter.
The commission rejected a proposal to lower interstate speed limits in light of objections that if it’s going to be done, then Congress should do it for every state.
The word “mandate” was removed from several proposals affecting schools. Instead, the commission decided that the phrase “should consider” was better for these items: m Having sidewalks within one mile of all schools and colleges. m Having bike paths for all schools and colleges. m Having schools reduce the size of parking lots to encourage carpooling and charge for parking. m Raise the legal age for a driver’s license from 16 to 17 to reduce the number of drivers.
Commission member Annette Pagan of Winrock International questioned how much effect reducing Arkansas carbon emissions will have worldwide.
Webb said other states and countries are also studying the issue.
“It’s the cumulative effect of all of our work that is going to address the problem,” Webb said. “We would be remiss and out of step if we didn’t do something.”
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