Article published Jul 16, 2007

Coal plant issue

Regarding the Great Falls Tribune's July 4 article, "Developer says Chouteau commissioners don't have facts," I think that this is a real joke! There will be 40 pounds of mercury released from the 400-foot stack every year. That's just one of the many pollutants released into the air.

SME says, "We will be the cleanest plant ever built." Cleanest compared to what? If your plant is 1/10 of 1 percent cleaner, that is a fact. It would be the cleanest one. But that small fraction does nothing for our health!

SME goes on to say, "We have a clean air quality permit from the DEQ." To me this means nothing!

The Zortman-Landusky mines, the cement plant at Three Forks, and also the W.R. Grace mine at Libby had clean air quality permits too. It sure did those people a lot of good! Just because the DEQ gives out a permit doesn't mean it's right.

SME's response to the farmers' fear of falling property values seems to be "look at all the jobs."

That makes it sound like it doesn't make any difference if the farmer loses his land. He can always get a job at the coal fired plant!

So in closing all I can say is, good job, Chouteau County commissioners, going against the Highwood Generating Plant.

I hope that Hill County commissioners will join in too. We also are down wind from this big coal polluting mistake!

— Mert Freyholtz, Gildford