October 19, 2008
Proposed fuel plant could cross runway By Tribune staff
Last year, Air Force officials met with Gov. Brian Schweitzer, as well as Great Falls government and private-sector leaders, to discuss building a $1.3 billion coal-to-liquids plant on Malmstrom. Assistant Air Force Secretary William Anderson, who is in charge of installations, environment and logistics for the Air Force, said at the October 2007 meeting that the Air Force is considering partnering with a commercial interest to build a 20,000- to 30,000-barrel-a-day plant at Malmstrom by as early as 2011. Members of Montana's congressional delegation have said that as many as 1,000 people could be employed during construction with 300 to 400 permanent plant operators.
At the time, the Committee of 80 expressed concerns that the proposed site for the 700-acre plant and buffer area would cross the middle of Malmstrom's runway and also be near the base missile wing's weapons storage area, where nuclear warheads are kept.
"The Committee of 80 supports the development of alternative energy sources to lessen our nation's dependence on foreign oil," committee leader Warren Wenz said. "But we do not think such efforts should interfere with long-term operations at Malmstrom, including the ability to attract new (flying) missions."
In January, Col. Bob Griffin, senior military adviser to Anderson, said the Air Force's preliminary plan still involves the same placement of the proposed plant and its buffer areas.
"There has been no flying mission at Malmstrom for more than a decade and the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure commission plan did not discuss the possibility of reopening the Malmstrom runway," Griffin said. "So a potential flying mission at the base is not germane to discussions about putting a coal-to-liquid-fuel plant there."
However, base officials have expressed preliminary concerns about the plant's potential impact on security and other aspects of the existing missile mission, he said.
As of August, the plant program was under review by Acting Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, as the agency evaluates the future of its alternative fuels program.