Article published Jan 25, 2008

Board delays air-quality permit decision

By KARL PUCKETT

Tribune Staff Writer

The Montana Board of Environmental Review could decide in two weeks whether to uphold an appeal of an air-quality permit for the proposed coal-fired Highwood Generating Station.

Emissions of fine particulates are at issue.

Expert witnesses for both sides testified before the board earlier this week.

The board adjourned the contested case hearing at about 7 p.m. Tuesday without taking a vote.

Instead, board members requested that the parties submit closing arguments in writing. A Feb. 8 conference call was scheduled to deliberate the case.

"Hopefully, we will be ready to make a decision and move forward," Chairman Joe Russell said.

Southern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission is proposing to construct the $720 million coal-fired power plant eight miles east of Great Falls.

Its air-quality permit, issued by the state Department of Environmental Quality, is being challenged by Citizens for Clean Energy and the Montana Environmental Information Center.

As part of the same challenge, the MEIC and CCE previously asked board members to require carbon dioxide controls at Highwood.

The board rejected that request by a vote of 5-1. It is now mulling the second part of the appeal: emissions of tiny particulate matter.

The groups contend that the DEQ unlawfully failed to conduct a detailed analysis of emissions of a class of fine particulate called PM2.5.

DEQ officials have said that it is OK to use courser particulate, called PM10, as a substitute when measuring PM2.5 emissions.

The board could uphold the appeal, which would require the DEQ to conduct additional review of the permit, or deny it, Russell said.