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Saturday, September 29, 2007

SME...What is the big "stink" about?

You've seen it on the front page, You've heard about it on the news, it's everywhere. The topic of SME's Highwood power station has ripped a seam down the heart of Great Falls and it's residents. It's a touchy topic to say the least. So why do I dare go here? Because it's a topic that needs to be talked about.

We can argue facts and fiction all day but doing so has brought us no more closer to a resolve as contracts have begun to loom. Opinions on the station vary from thoughts of prosperity to expressed anger.

The first and foremost topic of concern with the plant has been environmental and Health safety.
Is this plant safe? Is there reason for concern? Asking myself these questions I first turned to the tribune. I find the articles of relative use on the compensation end but saying little about the impact of human and environmental concern. There was something missing from these articles
so I turned to the AP, EPA and government pages. Here is where the real coverage of the plant lay.

So what kind of damage, if any will SME present?

According to the EPA...

"Other adverse but non-significant impacts of the Proposed Action
include those on soils, water, air, biological resources, noise,
transportation, farmland and land use, human health and safety, and
environmental justice."

In case your wondering what the initial adverse
reaction were.

"The Proposed Action would entail potentially significant
adverse impacts on cultural and visual resources, because it is located
on and adjacent to the Great Falls Portage National Historic Landmark."

All quoted from the EPA's web site.



Let us address these 2 insignificant and significant impacts first and foremost.
What are the standards of insignificant? Sources say that with the aging of the
plant these, "adverse reactions" will become more apparent.In my own opinion I feel
maybe the consideration of wildlife and conservation were not taken into the roll here.

The Highwood area is popular for hunting, I want to know what Percentage
of pollution will be seeping into the ground from which those animals will feed.
The second level of pollution would be the Missouri river. Montana is famous
for it's trout and other fishing trophies, how will the disposal of
the waste affect the water. Coal fired plant are among the most polluting
ways of creating energy these days. The first major concern is Mercury.

That highly poisonous toxin that is used in thermometers.
In Montana, Coal fired plants are reported to be guilty of putting 92% of the total mercury into the air. These toxins can cause fetal disfigurement and nerve damage to adults and children as well. Though Plants can control up to 90% of the damage they cause Montana has no standards to force them to do so at this time. That to me is not insignificant at all.

I won't even begin to touch the topic of Global warming here as that is a purely debatable subject on it's own.

The second impact is that of the Lewis and Clark trail. Does anyone else remember just a few years ago when the city put it all on the line to fund the huge Lewis and Clark tourist deal? Millions of dollars were spent. And now they agree to put a giant looming fortress of coal, right beside the historic landmark that earns their "gold"!


However on a positive note (?)
The EPA states that


The Proposed Action would result in moderately
beneficial socioeconomic impacts, including increased employment
opportunities, total purchases of goods and services, and an increase
in the tax base.


But who are these socioeconomics going to effect? Will it be SME and it's employees
from different states? Or will it be the city of Great Falls and it's under and un employed? (who by the way fronted 15 % or more to build the plant)
It appears we will find out soon enough as SMe is closer and closer to being able to build.
Don't expect to see this one on the voting ballots this year. Environmentalist or Eco-blah.
City officials have officially counted your opinion out! I however have not! I want to hear your opinions, leave them here!

Statistics and facts researched at the EPA of Montanas website and MEIC.org.
Other informatioin dicussed and rendered at the Great falls tribune online.

2 comments:

GeeGuy said...

You should re-read your post. It illustrates the numerous formatting problems with Blogger. I wish I could help you, but these spacing issues are endemic to the program.

Tatjanna Miller said...

Yeah, I discovered that as soon as I posted it. Terribly frustrating.