Power Plant permits issued

Over six years after announcing plans to build a 1200-megawatt pulverized coal-fired electric generation facility in Early County, LS Power received the necessary permits Friday to proceed with construction of the plant.

Jim Ussery, assistant director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, confirmed Monday that the final permits for the Longleaf Energy project had been signed Friday, May 11.

"EPD appreciates all of the comments and input from the public on the permit applications," Ussery stated. "The public participation process went a long way to insuring that the final permits were protective of human health and the environment.

"The stringent conditions imposed by the EPD permits will insure that the Longleaf facility has state-of-the-art pollution controls and is one of the cleanest facilities of its type and size in the United States," he stated.

The permitting process has taken over five years. The permit applications were originally submitted in February 2002, and again in June 2004.

The EPD held a Q &A meeting in January 2006. The draft permits were issued by EPD, followed by a public comment period and public hearing in Blakely on December 2006.

LS Power announced in March 2001 that the company had secured options on nearly 2,000 acres along the Chattahoochee River in Early County for the site of the power plant.

The New Jersey based company originally targeted 2002 for the start of construction with plant operations planned as early as 2005.

The factors which make the site ideal for the power plant include existing rail, water supply, transmission lines and available property.

In addition, the company has been able to develop several synergies with GeorgiaPacific, including diverting effluent from G-P's Cedar Springs container-board operation to the power plant instead of drawing 20 million gallons daily from the Chattahoochee, a plan that was crucial to the permitting of the plant, according to Ussery.

"We are extremely pleased to have completed this important milestone on the Longleaf Energy Station. We appreciate the hard work everyone at EPD put into the permitting process," stated Mike Vogt, project manager.

"Thank you also to all the people of Early County who have supported this project over the years. We will be working diligently to complete the remainder of the items required to begin construction of this project over the coming months."

Vogt noted that the company expects opponents of the plant to appeal the permits.

"We are planning for that potential outcome," Vogt stated. "If the permits are appealed, it will probably take about six months to complete the appeal process."

In addition to the possible appeal, several other factors, including the timing for selling power from the plant, will dictate the construction start-up.

"We will just have to watch how things progress over the next few months," Vogt stated.

"We're pleased to hear that all permits have been approved," stated June Merritt who chaired a task force to study the pros and cons of sitting the plant in Early County. "We look forward to a ground-breaking soon where we can officially welcome this premiere industry to our state and county."

To support the building of the Longleaf Energy Station in Early County was not something this community took lightly, Merritt noted.

"In early 2001, the Board of Commissioners and the Development Authority appointed a fact-finding task force composed of 17 people with representatives not only from this county, but from surrounding counties and Alabama as well," he stated. "Several years was spent gathering and evaluating data, visiting existing power plants and talking with citizens, government agencies and elected officials in those communities. We concluded then -- and still believe -- that this power plant is appropriate for Early County, in fact, vital to its future and support its location here," he added.

"This is a great day in the history of Early County. The county is looking forward to working with LS Power to help them become a member of our community," county commission chairman stated upon learning of the permits." "All of the commissioners support the LS Power project, and we are ready to break ground. LS Power, welcome to Early County! We have been working with LS Power since 2001. We don't need to miss this golden opportunity to bring much needed revenue to Early County and surrounding counties," stated development authority chairman Marty Howard.

This article was re-printed from the Early County News.