Johnson County Health Board Opposes Waterloo Coal Plant
By Tim Jamison, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa
May 25–WATERLOO — Opponents of the planned Elk Run Energy Station coal-fired power plant in Waterloo have picked up support from a county 80 miles away.
The Johnson County Board of Health, based in Iowa City, has sent a letter to Iowa Gov. Chet Culver urging him and state regulators to reject the $1.3 billion, 750-megawatt plant being proposed by New Jersey-based LS Power — along with any other coal-burning plants — in favor of cleaner energy sources.
“Iowa should not support such an increase in local and global warming pollution for many reasons, one of the most important of which is the cost to our health,” the letter, signed by board of health chairman Paul Deaton, states. “The health costs of creating yet another coal-fired power plant are unsupportable in an era when global warming threatens our and our children’s futures.
The letter said coal combustion is the single largest source of mercury emissions and other toxic pollutants. The board also said global warming, caused by excessive carbon dioxide emissions, could lead to climate change.
“Building new coal plants at this time is truly a triumph of short-term profit over wise long-term planning,” the letter states.
LS Power project manager Mark Milburn could not immediately be reached for comment today. He has previously noted the plant being proposed in Waterloo is more efficient and much cleaner than older coal-burning plants, and its emission levels will not exceed standards established for health by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Black Hawk County Board of Health has not taken a position on the power plant at this point, although its director, Tom O’Rourke, said that may be something board members take up in the future.
Waterloo City Council members voted unanimously May 7 to approve annexing land on Newell Road, east of the current city limits, and voted Monday to rezone it. Supporters touted the plant’s economic benefit, including jobs and taxes. Opponents expressed environmental concerns and the strain on public infrastructure created by coal trains, trucks and water usage.
The project is still subject to state regulatory approvals.
Contact Tim Jamison at (319) 291-1577 or at tim.jamison@wcfcourier.com.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa
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