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Defend the Little River Bottoms
Charles Mills
One of Arkansas’s most Important
Bird Areas, the Little River Bottoms in Hempstead County,
is under fire from the proposed construction of a coal-burning
power plant. An18,000 acre tract of contiguous, relatively
undisturbed bottomland hardwood forest, the Little River Bottoms
IBA is one of the most biologically diverse ecologically sensitive
areas in Arkansas. . Containing dozens of plant and animal
species of conservation concern, the Little River Bottoms
IBA provides habitat for thousands of wading birds who breed
there. It also shelters the state’s largest breeding
populations of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Anhingas, White
Ibis, Common Moorhens, and Purple Gallinules. Southwestern
Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) wants to build a 600-megawatt
coal-fired power plant literally across the street. The plant
will produce 6 million tons of carbon dioxide, and also emit
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury – all of
which threaten the health of both birds and humans.
In October 2007, the Arkansas Public Service
Commission , after more than two weeks of hearings and expert
testimony on the plant’s construction, voted 2-1 to grant
a certificate of need to SWEPCO. The go ahead was given despite
deficiencies in the environmental review process and the multi-state
movement away from new coal-fired plants.
In early January 2008, an appeal for a
rehearing by the Intervenors was denied, again by a vote of
2-1. On January 29, the Intervenors, who include members of
nearby hunting clubs, filed before the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
Read
this article for more details. The Arkansas Department
of Environmental Quality(ADEQ) is still considering whether
to grant an air permit to SWEPCO.
On February 8 the DC Court of Appeals
ruled that new coal-fired power plants are subject to Maximum
Achievable Control Technology ("MACT") regulations
for hazardous air pollutant emissions under section 112 of
the Clean Air Act. This decision over-turns the Bush Administration's
exemption for coal plants. In response, on April 9 SWEPCO
submitted an application to ADEQ for a case-by-case analysis
of emissions of hazardous air pollutants including, but not
limited to, arsenic, benzene, cyanide, dioxins, hydrogen chloride,
hydrogen fluoride, mercury, phosphorous, selenium, and sulfuric
acid. Unfortunately, their analysis is deficient in several
ways and does not meet the standards of a MACT analysis. In
addition, Audubon and Sierra Club believe the MACT analysis
requires public notice and a public comment period on the
draft permit. Read our letter
to Teresa Marks, Director of ADEQ, explaining our concerns.
Audubon Arkansas is working on several
fronts to protect the Little River Bottoms and its birds.
We are conducting bird surveys to document species of conservation
concern. Our bird data were incorporated into expert
testimony (11.3 MB PDF) submitted to the PSC. We’ve
also submitted comments
to ADEQ and Governor Beebe. Working with the Sierra
Club, Audubon Arkansas is spearheading a grassroots movement
against coal-generated electricity and greenhouse gas production
in Arkansas.
On February 6, the Arkansas Coalition for Clean Energy (which includes Audubon and Sierra Club), delivered a letter and petition signed by 1,054 people asking Beebe to halt any permits for coal plants while the Global Warming Commission he appointed completes its work. The petition was the first batch and we hope to add many more signatures.
On February 8, Audubon Arkansas and Sierra Club filed two
Petitions to Intervene before the Arkansas Public Service
Commission. These petitions challenge the environmental compatibility
and public need for the construction of two transmission lines
needed to distribute power from the proposed coal-fired plant.
Read the two petitions online - Petition
to Intervene 1 (pdf) and, Petition
to Intervene 2 (pdf).
In May, 2008, Audubon Arkansas, Sierra
Club, and the Environmental Integrity Project filed a Third
Party Rulemaking Petition before the Arkansas Pollution Control
and Ecology Commission (APC&E). The APC&E will hear
the petition request on Friday, June 27th at 8:30 a.m. The
petition requests the Commission to delete carbon dioxide,
a greenhouse gas, from a list of exempt elements and compounds
not subject to regulation. The reason for this request is
that we have learned in the last few years that carbon dioxide
is a significant greenhouse gas and is primarily responsible
for rising global temperatures. The Audubon petition does
not propose limits or standards for regulating carbon dioxide.
The petition merely says that carbon dioxide should be removed
from the list. In a recent US Supreme Court decision, Mass
vs. EPA, the Supreme Court ruled that carbon dioxide is a
pollutant and should be subject to regulation as other known
pollutants. Our filings to the Commission can be found here.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Contribute to Audubon Arkansas’
Little River Bottoms Defense Fund using a credit
card, or by mailing a check payable to: Audubon Arkansas,
in care of Audubon, 1423B South Main St., Little
Rock, AR 72201.
- Write a letter to Governor Mike Beebe asking him to make
good on his promise to err on the side of the environment.
You can e-mail him here or write to Governor's Office, State Capitol Rm 250, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
- Sign up with AudubonAction and receive e-mailed Action Alerts and Advisories regarding environmental policy issues that directly affect you.
- Visit Sierra Club's web site to learn of upcoming events and volunteer activities regarding this issue.
- Reduce your personal energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Learn more.
LEARN MORE
Now in its second century,
Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife
and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of
community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and
educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining
important bird populations, engage millions of people of all
ages and backgrounds in conservation.
Audubon Arkansas was
founded as the 25th state office of the National Audubon Society
in 2001 through a seed grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller
Charitable Trust. Audubon’s vision is a state where
the love and respect for nature is a cultural legacy. Our
vision is a state where communities are engaged in responsible
stewardship, protecting and conserving our native environment
for future generations. This leads naturally to our mission
to inspire and lead Arkansans in environmental education,
resource management, habitat restoration, bird conservation
and enlightened advocacy.
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