Article published Jul 9, 2007

Lewis and Clark route at center of debate over coal-fired plant

By RICHARD ECKE

Tribune Staff Writer

Federal officials may soon decide just how hallowed the ground is that explorers Capts. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark walked on two centuries ago in the Great Falls area.

John M. Fowler, executive director of the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, thinks a section of that ground is very important and has encouraged the federal Rural Utilities Service to reconsider the site for the proposed coal-fired Highwood Generating Station on historical grounds.

On the other hand, Brett Doney, president of the Great Falls Development Authority, this week noted much of the original path of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through Great Falls is not exactly pristine.

Fowler wrote the Rural Utilities Service on June 29 to suggest the agency "reevaluate the preferred alternative" for the coal plant site eight miles east of Great Falls along Salem Road. Fowler's statement came in response to a National Park Service report last month. The report said construction of the coal plant could prompt the Great Falls area Lewis and Clark National Historic Landmark to be partly or completely de-listed by the Department of the Interior.

Southern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative General Manager Tim Gregori strongly disputed the Park Service report, calling it speculative. He noted SME, the plant's developer, plans to donate generously to Lewis and Clark projects in the Great Falls area.

SME has asked the Rural Utilities Service for more than half a billion dollars to pay for the lion's share of the coal plant project. The city of Great Falls may pay for its 15 percent share of the plant through revenue bonds sold to investors.

At a City Commission meeting July 3, Brett Doney, president of the Great Falls Development Authority, said SME plans to post attractive interpretive signs along the route if the plant is built. He noted that many of the explorers' stopping places in the area "are barely marked."

"I'm kind of a Lewis and Clark history buff," Doney told city commissioners. "Malmstrom Air Force Base and a good portion of the city of Great Falls have already been built on the Lewis and Clark route." A chunk of the original Lewis and Clark route was not included in the historic landmark because of construction that had taken place on top of it, including the Air Force base.

Opinions appear split among area residents on whether building the coal plant next to the historic landmark would wreck the landmark's value, or whether the power plant would have little effect on a lightly visited area.

In any case, the coal plant debate is simmering in advance of some heated activity later this summer or early fall.

Among the expected actions:

The Rural Utilities Service is expected to respond in the coming weeks to the Park Service's report suggesting the coal plant site be changed. Gregori said changing the plant's location would be difficult to accomplish so late in the game.

Cascade County commissioners may vote on a revised county zoning ordinance at their July 24 meeting, according to Deputy County Attorney Theresa Diekhans. That would clear the way for a new zone-change hearing for the Highwood project, although a new zoning petition has not yet been filed for the site by the Urquhart family, which owns the land. If it's filed, a County Planning Board hearing on a new zone-change request for the plant could happen in September, and a public hearing before the County Commission might take place in October. The commission previously voted 2-1 for industrial zoning for the land, but the county agreed to rescind the decision and redo its zoning rules in a lawsuit settlement.

Two loan committees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture may take up SME's loan request for up to $650 million in August. A negative decision could deal a wicked blow to the project's plans, although a record of decision by the Rural Utilities Service during the spring was viewed by some as a tentative green light for financing.

Oct. 1 is the deadline for the city of Great Falls' Electric City Power utility to sign up certain commercial customers for city electricity. Eventually, the coal plant could supply power to Electric City Power customers.