Sierra Club, and others, brought a suit claiming the permit was based on false and on omitted pollution data. The court agreed and said the permit process must begin anew.
Under Sebilus, the rare Democrat governor, once every 30 years, the permit was denied about 5 years ago. Pope Brownback came in and fired the state EPA scientist and staff and replaced them with a couple of his donors and some rubber stamps. In no time the permits were stamped "go". Sierra Club tied it up in court, won, and now won at KSC. This morning the state and the power company say they may take it to the US Supremes where they feel certain Clarence will ask no question and vote what Scalia tells him to. Problem is, coal fired plants are not good investments any more. It would take a year or more if it gets to court, then 3 to 6 years to build, the longer this drags the lower price wind and solar get and the better we get at lowering demand and building energy storage.
The plant rejected would have supplied mostly to Colorado. Today Colorado announced a number of new wind farms and solar farms in southeast Colorado, this may abate their interest in buying Kansas power. I hope so.
Go to Sierra Club, or NRDC, or Union of Concerned Scientist, and click on take action, these three are among the best at getting things done. Join one if you can, but at least take action. Or if your more in your face type, include Green Peace in the list.
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