3/19/2007

Dear Mr. Fristik,

CCE (Citizens for Clean energy, Inc.) is a grassroots organization with a membership of citizens from all walks of life with no particular political orientation. We all aim to live in a clean environment and preserve the same for future generations. The prospect of having an outdated polluting coal plant sitting in the middle of prime farmland is of great concern to us.

To digest the DEIS and FEIS reports was an enormous undertaking for those who committed themselves to read and analyze this document. Special committees were set up in the fields of energy, socioeconomics, historical land preservation, health, agriculture, finance, and environmental concerns; you will receive their reports. Both the DEIS and the FEIS were found to be flawed, with critical omissions of facts and organizations that should have been consulted. In order to make this a fair document, there should be definite requirement of a supplemental addition of corrections to the FEIS report. I urge you to consider this recommendation. Thank you.

PS: Mr. Fristik, please allow me to comment on a subject I feel particularly strong about. The water issue, an issue that has been on the forefront since settlers first arrived on the scene in these semi-arid parts of the west. Water is our lifeline and we have to be vigilant as to its use, now more so than ever. Our rivers are overburdened by less snow back, earlier snow melt due to warmer spring temperatures, (which translates into less water flow later in the year), irrigation (farms and city), city use, etc. By the time August-September roll around, many or our rivers are extremely stressed, wells have gone dry. Fort Peck reservoir has not had enough excess water to release for downstream in years and the water level has gone down steadily, the pallid sturgeon, an endangered species, which we are trying to save, has a struggle to hang on and the list goes on.

The planned coal plant would extract 3200 gal. of water per minute out of the Missouri and what little water is returned to the river will be polluted. The location of this plant is such, that the burying site of the fly ash (a toxic byproduct) will be buried on a site that overlays the Madison aquifer, a fresh water resource that is an absolute treasure in my opinion. There is no guarantee that there eventually will be no leakage of this highly toxic material into the aquifer, which connects to Giant Springs, one of the largest fresh water springs anywhere.

This country was built in a big part on extracting our natural resources and shortsighted-profit oriented views. It is time to change course. We have the technology and know-how. We also have an obligation to be more responsible and thoughtful in the way we use our remaining resources for us and our fellow creatures. This is after all what we call home- our earth.

Mr. Fristik, I hope you will take the time to read this and give it some thought. Thank You.

Gudrun Linden