Utah city opposed to proposed Nev. coal plant

ST. GEORGE, Utah" The mayor said the city opposes a coal-fired power plant 32 miles away in Nevada.

Hundreds of people attended a public hearing Wednesday night at Dixie State College. The Toquop power plant is in the hands of Nevada regulators, but Utah officials held a hearing in response to demands from residents.

St. George Mayor Dan McArthur said the growing region needs electricity. But he believes the power plant should be built away from a metro area.

"It is our position a plant of this size should be sited where the possible negative impacts and the prevailing winds do not directly affect neighboring communities," McArthur said.

The owner of the Toquop plant said it will use the cleanest technology available. It also insists that emissions will rarely drift to St. George, although some scientists have a different opinion.

Sithe Global, a subsidiary of private equity giant Blackstone Group of New York, wants to build a 750-megawatt, coal-fired plant in Lincoln County, Nev., near where Arizona, Utah and Nevada meet. It hopes to produce electricity by 2013.

Most people at the meeting were against the project, but Charles Jackson of Ivins asked if people would be willing to pay more and experience brownouts if electricity becomes scarce.

The audience said yes.

Greg Aldred, a candidate for Washington County Commission, encouraged people to stand in front of coal trucks if the power plant is built.

"Country before commerce," he said.