Jun. 9--A coalition of environmental groups in Illinois and Missouri on Wednesday filed a new appeal with federal regulators in an effort to halt Peabody Energy Corp.'s proposed coal-fired power plant in Southern Illinois.

The group, which includes the Sierra Club and American Lung Association, renewed their appeal of the $2 billion project, to be built in Washington County, after Illinois regulators issued an air permit for the Prairie State Energy Campus on April 28.

The appeal to the Environmental Appeals Board said the permit Illinois issued failed to address the effects of tons of mercury, sulfur dioxide and other emissions on the region. Peabody, which is based in St. Louis, should be forced to use better pollution controls, the environmentalists said.

"Because of the size of the plant, we would like them to use the best technology available," said Verena Owen, chairman of the Illinois Sierra Club Clean Air Campaign. "We don't think the (Illinois EPA's) permit requires them to do that."

Peabody spokesman Vic Svec said the appeal was expected and shouldn't affect the start of construction in 2006, a year later than initially planned. He called the latest appeal an effort by "extremist groups seeking little more than delay for a project."

The Environmental Appeals Board can make a decision after 30 days, during which Missouri and Illinois can comment. If rejected, the next avenue of appeal would be the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Illinois regulators were forced to reconsider the permit in March after it was thrown out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, following an appeal by the same environmental groups. The federal agency said the state had failed to properly respond to environmentalists' concerns.

State officials said they met with environmental groups and made small modifications in the new permit. The biggest change makes it clear that Peabody is to use coal mined at the site. If outside coal is used because of a mine shutdown, it must be "washed" to remove some pollutants.

Of particular concern to the Sierra Club and other environmental groups is the plant's effect on air quality in the St. Louis metro area and the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri, as well as the impact of mercury emissions in Illinois lakes, rivers and streams.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded last year that the plant would harm air at a wilderness area within Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, an ancient cypress swamp about 85 miles away. Illinois regulators issued the air permit despite that report.

The Sierra Club and others also urged Peabody to consider using coal-gasification technology to reduce emissions, or at least to wash the Illinois coal that will power the plant.

Svec said the scrubbing technology planned for Prairie State will remove more than 98 percent of the sulfur dioxide produced. He said the plant will meet requirements of the Clean Air Act as well as the EPA's more stringent Clean Air Interstate Rules, issued in March.

"The emission reductions that would have been taken care of by coal washing are more than compensated by scrubbing," Svec said.

Peabody supports and has invested in research on coal- gasification, a technology that converts coal into synthetic natural gas that can be burned to generate electricity, Svec said. However, the company's view is that the technology isn't yet viable on a scale large enough for a plant the size of Prairie State.

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