Article published Sep 7, 2007

Senators say base might get fuel plant

By PETER JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Writer

The Air Force is seriously eyeing Malmstrom Air Force Base as a potential site for a large coal-to-liquid fuels plant.

That's what members of Montana's congressional delegation learned during briefings Thursday by William Anderson, assistant Air Force secretary for installations, environment and logistics.

Such a plant could help secure Malmstrom's future, reduce military dependence on foreign oil and bring good jobs to the Great Falls area, the Montana congressional delegates said.

"This could be a good opportunity to assign Malmstrom another critical role besides missile operations — becoming a leading pioneer in responsible energy development," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.

"This new mission sounds very interesting and very promising," added Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who said he was told that as many as 1,000 people would be employed during construction with 300 to 400 permanent plant operators.

In comparison, the proposed coal-fired Highwood Generating Station east of Great Falls would employ about 600 people in construction and bring about 75 permanent jobs.

On the downside, the Air Force's proposed 700-acre site for the plant would cross the middle of Malmstrom's runway, which has been closed for a decade.

If that particular site is kept to take advantage of pipelines and fuel storage tanks that once served Malmstrom's aerial refueling wing, it would likely preclude longtime efforts by the state's representative and senators as well as community leaders to get the Air Force to reopen the base runway and bring in a new flying mission.

Congressional members stressed that no decision has been and that details are sketchy about the size and type of plant that would be built.

They did note that Congress has required the Air Force to explore converting to fuels that would help the nation become more energy independent.

Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said Anderson likes Malmstrom as a potential site, adding that officials hope to visit the area and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer soon "to get the pulse of the community on the idea."

"Creating a coal-to-liquids facility at Malmstrom would allow the Air Force to expand its ability to explore a potential alternative fuel while benefiting the Great Falls community and Montana," Rehberg said. "This proposal would be a great way for Montana to help us reinvent our way into a secure energy future."

However, construction of such a large plant on base would probably preclude the reopening of the runway, Rehberg said.

"The congressional delegation and community have not been winning the argument yet anyway to get the runway reopened," he said. "This is still preliminary but the community needs to ask itself whether it wants to seek the coal plant if it could hurt the chances of getting another flying mission at Malmstrom."

Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs said he was among a group of community leaders who met with Anderson in Great Falls in late July. He said the local group hoped to encourage Anderson to open the runway, but he quickly diverted the conversation to discussion of using the base to develop alternative fuel. Local officials suggested the use of other land adjacent to Malmstrom, Briggs said.

"I think our posture as a community ought to be to support the military on whatever missions they think are appropriate for Malmstrom," Briggs said, adding that he personally thinks it might be a better bet to try to reopen the runway and seek a full flying wing with as many as 500 good-paying jobs.

Warren Wenz, a veteran leader of the Chamber of Commerce Committee of 80 military lobbying group, said he's concerned that the proposed fuel plant site could not only impact the return of a potential flying mission, but also the existing missile wing operation. Wenz noted that the weapons storage area, where spare nuclear warheads and conventional weapons are kept, also is near the runway.

The Montana delegation stressed its hopes that the proposed plant could be done in an environmentally friendly way.

Rehberg said he hopes that if and when the plant is built in three or four years after permitting review by the state Department of Natural Resources Conservation, technology will be improved to allow "zero emissions."

However, a leading conservationist expressed her doubts over the plant having a minimal impact on the environment.

"Everybody supports the idea of trying to improve Malmstrom," said Anne Hedges, program director for the Montana Environmental Information Center. "But a coal-to-liquids plant would be an unfortunate step in the wrong direction because of the high level of global warming pollutants related to that process compared to production of other fuels."