What do Truman Capote, the Governor of Kansas, and Loretta Lynn have in common?
Holcomb Kansas, that is the answer, but why should an Environment Colorado member care?Let me tell you a little more.The small town of Holcomb Kansas, which is just 60 miles from the Colorado border, has recently become the epicenter of the Global Warming debate.Holcomb, which was immortalized by the 1950's Truman Capote book, 'In Cold Blood,' is now facing the same kind of attention from all corners of the globe.Tri-State Generation and Transmission of Westminster along with Sunflower Electric of Kansas (and others) are hoping to build one of the largest coal burning power facilities west of the Mississippi just outside of Holcomb.
Here is the irony, only about 15% of the power produced at this facility would go to serve customers in Kansas, yet they will have to deal with most of the pollutants this dirty coal plant would emit.Currently the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is deliberating the air-permit for this facility, which if they approve would allow the Holcomb facility to emit: 1,600 lbs of Mercury, 8,543 Tons of Sulfur Dioxide, and 12,000 Tons of Carbon Monoxide.The draft air permit does not even address Carbon Dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, but if approved the facility would emit 10 million tons of CO2.
The good news is that the Governor of Kansas is getting an ear full from Health Advocates, Environmentalist, and the Media.Including this satirical video set to the tune of the Loretta Lynn song “Coal Miners Daughter” from the Wichita Eagle Editorial Staff:
Governor Sebeilus can and should stop this coal plant by either rejecting the Air Permit or calling on a “time-out” on coal.
