Smokies Light

Duke Energy is planning to build a new $1.8 BILLION coal burning power plant just 80 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to the Raleigh News-Observer. The EPA and NPS believe the air quality in the Park and the western North Carolina mountains will be severely impacted. The state of North Carolina is allowing Duke to bypass the normal environmental impact research.

"State air regulators are allowing Duke Energy to avoid proving that the plant's emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, pollutants that contribute to respiratory problems, haze, acid rain and fine soot, won't worsen visibility and foul creeks in the Great Smokies and wilderness areas such as Linville Gorge."

The reason for the fast track, according to Duke Energy, is that four old power plants at the same location will be shut down and an old one upgraded to current standards, mitigating the impact of the new plant. However, both the NPS and EPA strongly disagree, and indicate Duke has intentionally misled state regulators. A pending lawsuit against Duke by the EPA states that Duke has already illegally altered the powerplants at this location to bypass clean air laws.

"The real-world effect ... would be severe impacts upon air quality and air quality related values at Great Smoky Mountains National Park", said John Bunyak, chief of permit review for the NPS.

What's unusual about the federal opposition to this plant is how both the NPS and EPA have voiced strong opposition. Normally the NPS remains fairly quiet on these type of issues letting environmental groups lead the way, but perhaps now with a friendly Congress the NPS can speak more freely. The EPA opposition is still a little bit of a shocker. Perhaps Duke hasn't bribed advocated its position in Washington adequately, concentrating their efforts at the state level.

What you can do: If you're a North Carolina resident, your input to the state government will have more impact than non-residents. You can email the NC governor at this link. You can also contact your local state representatives. If you're outside of North Carolina, an email to your federal representatives might be in order.