Georgia Judge Blocks New Coal Power Plant Because of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 1.08
photo by Colin Nederkoorn
Yesterday marked a first in US judicial history: The first time that a state court has applied the principles of the April 2007 decision of the US Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency to a proposed power plant project.
Without emissions reduction plan in place, Plant will not be approved
The court in question is the Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia and the application in question is for the planned Longleaf 1200 MW coal-fired power plant outside of Columbus. This plant was the first coal-fired plant to be proposed in Georgia for over 20 years. The project had been granted approval by an administrative court, but this was overturned by Judge Thelma Wyatt on the grounds that the plant had no plan in place to limit its CO2 emissions.
The project permit challenge was brought before the court by the Sierra Club and Friend of the Chattahoochee. Justine Thompson, executive director of the law firm representing these groups said that,
This ruling goes a long way towards protecting the rights of Georgians to breathe clean air and sends a message to [the Georgia Environmental Protection Division] that it must tighten the standards it uses to approve air pollution permits for companies seeking to build any more coal-fired plants in the state.
Bruce Nilles of the Sierra Club continued in praise of the ruling:
Coal-fired power plants emit more than 30 percent of our nation's global warming pollution. Thanks to this decision, coal plants across the country will be forced to live up to their clean coal rhetoric.
via :: ENS
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One small step for planet earth and its occupants...
By the by - whatever happened to my honeybee relatives??????
What can I say? I live in Georgia and I am very proud of Judge Thelma Wyatt!!!
But here is my question: I see all of these commercials on TV about clean coal. So what happened with this company and why did they not have any plan for greenhouse gas emmisions???
Are all of these commericals a lie??
How many other states are putting in new coal fired plants without any plan for greenhouse gas emmisions??!!!???
I hope this or a case like it makes it onto the supreme court docket, and I hope it is upheld. The court system appears to be the only government branch not stuck in political molasses- or perhaps tar sands.
A ban on new fossil fuel power plans would effectively be the beginning of the end for fossil fuels. It would mean that as old power plants are decommissioned there would be no choice but to replace them with clean energy sources, so that by 2050 or so there would be very little coal left in the grid. Oil and natural gas will almost certainly get too expensive to use for grid power long before then.
I posted the Atlanta Journal story on the Hugg site, and was there the day of the hearing. Working with the Sierra Club and being involved with the Friends of the Chattahoochee, we are all thrilled about the ruling, and how it can help in the fight to stop the other 6 proposed coal plants by Dynegy. I grew up in Southwest GA, and called my mom immediately after hearing the judges decision to let her know the plant has been halted. But this just isn't about the backyard mentality, we are working nationwide to stop dirty coal and working for clean energy.
Dave,
To say there is clean coal is a dirty joke.
There would still be mountaintop removal and pollution to the Appalachians as well as the ecosystems that depend on the mountain landscape.
While the old coal plants should be retrofitted until all are decommissioned, there is not a way to have "clean coal" no matter how you look at it. The process of coal with harm the environment in any of its steps. I suggest you watch the documentaries "Burning our Future" and "Kilowatt Ours".
Hope this helps.
One of the best results of rulings like this will be that the mega-banks, which traditionally have financed projects like these, will have to reconsider tying up their capital in such an increasingly restricted and regulated technology. Hopefully slower funding means fewer large scale coal projects.
If all of you who want to stop greenhouse gasses turned off your home electricity, we would need no new power plants
A big thumbs up to CaptKudzu.
And while you are all at it turn off you lights, TVs, and computers. Then sell your cars/trucks and walk.
Don't worry, all the work in the garden to grow you food will get you in great shape, since the grocery store need electricity for refrigeration and fuel to transport the foods grown/produces using oil based fertilizers and it's all wrapped in plastics.
Pretty soon you'll have an 18th century standard of living.