Opposition to coal-burning plant organizes as project gains steam

Opposition to coal-burning plant organizes as project gains steam

Jun. 20--By Todd Wright, Tallahassee Democrat, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

The fight against a proposed coal-burning power plant has gone regional as environmentalists and public-interest groups in Leon, Taylor and Wakulla counties have begun to mobilize.

Since plans were announced less than two weeks ago, the plant has grabbed the attention of neighborhood associations, the Sierra Club and even some religious organizations. At least three public meetings were organized this past week to discuss strategy.

Tallahassee is exploring the possibility of contributing $300 million toward the $1.4 billion plant to reduce the city's reliance on natural gas, a cleaner but more expensive fuel for generating electricity.

Though a site hasn't been selected, Taylor County has emerged as the front-runner. It's the closest a coal-burning plant can be to Tallahassee without the decision being put to a public vote. That mandate comes from a referendum city voters passed in 1992.

The lead partner of four public utilities banding together to build the plant has been negotiating with landowners in Taylor County, and elected officials there already have endorsed the idea publicly.

"The commission adopted a resolution to aggressively pursue locating the power plant in Taylor County," said Wayne Humphries, county administrator. "Right now, it's between the people who want to build the power plant and the landowners."

The plant would create about 1,500 jobs during construction and another 150 full-time position when it's operational in 2012, according to JEA, the utility that serves Jacksonville. Tallahassee would receive about 20 percent of the electricity.

Jack Doolittle, the environmental consultant for the utility group, said officials have talked to individual Taylor County commissioners but haven't made a formal presentation to them.

That didn't stop Taylor commissioners from sending a letter June 8 to JEA executives expressing their zeal for the project.

"This letter is to inform you that the Board will do all it can to see that the plant is located in our county," stated the letter, addressed to Jim Dickenson, CEO of JEA.

County Chairman Daryll Gunter said the potential economic impact of the plant is why he supports the idea.

"All the businesses and jobs it will create will have an energizing effect on our economy," he said. "Getting 150 industrial jobs is hard to do. This really excites us."

Environmentalist Joy Towles Ezell thinks the commission isn't speaking for the people.

She has started a grass-roots campaign in Taylor to stop the coal plant, based mainly on the environmental and health hazards linked to power plants.

Power plants, particularly ones using coal, release carbon, sulfur and nitrogen oxide into the air and also could pollute the water. Mercury deposits left behind by coal are also a health concern and have been linked with birth defects and chronic heart, brain and respiratory problems.

"We're going to need all your help if we are going to stop this thing," Ezell told environmentalists from Leon and Wakulla counties who attended a community meeting on the issue Thursday. "Our County Commission has already voted for this, but I don't think they speak for everybody in Taylor County."

About 40 people, some representing Public Interest Research Group, the Tallahassee Green Party, the Wakulla County Sierra Club and the newly formed Big Bend Climate Action Team met to voice their concerns and get more information about the project.

Earlier in the week, concerned citizens met in Perry to talk about the plant and Leon County's Council of Neighborhood Associations discussed the issue.

Don Axelrad, the organization's new president, said his group hasn't taken a position but he wanted to emphasize the importance of the environment to city officials.

"We want to participate in a plant that is environmentally responsible," he said. "If the whole community says they want one thing, then it seems the City Commission should listen. It's important to note that the community voted in 1992 to use low-pollution means for electricity, and citizens probably still feel the same way."

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