Holcomb Station Coal Plant Expansion Clears Legal Hurdle
http://www.powermag.com/holcomb-station-coal-plant-expansion-clears-legal-hurdle/03/22/2017, Abby Harvey
A long-planned expansion of Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s Holcomb Station is a little closer to fruition as of March 17 with a favorable ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court.
The state’s high court ruled to uphold a 2010 construction permit, which was amended in 2013, for the plant. The Sierra Club argued that the permit is in conflict with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that were issued after the initial permit was granted, but before it was amended.
“Much work—by the Court, KDHE technical staff, and Sunflower staff—has gone into making certain that the [Holcomb Expansion Permit] air permit meets all applicable state and federal requirements. Just as it would have been ten years ago when we began this process, the Court’s decision is another incremental step in the process,” a March 17 Sunflower press release says.
Sunflower has been working to expand the Holcomb Station, adding an 895-MW coal-fired unit, since 2005. In May 2009 the company got the go-ahead from the state to pursue the project. A permit was issued on December 16, 2010, allowing for construction to begin within 18 months.
Before construction began, however, the Sierra Club sued, arguing that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) had not imposed the proper limits on greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from the plant.
Sunflower applied for a stay of the permit, which the department granted on June 1, 2011, and which is still in effect.
In 2013 the state Supreme Court found that the department had not included the proper limits for pollutants including nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. In response, the department issued an addendum to the construction permit, adding the court-ordered limits, but not issuing a new permit....
