The DEP will hear the opinions of community members, pro-coal groups, and environmentalists over TransGas’s plans to build and operate a $3-million coal-to-liquids plant in Mingo County on Thursday night.
The National Mining Association is a long time supporter of coal-to-liquids technology.
Spokesman, Corey Henry, says this new plant is expected to create thousands of jobs during construction and hundreds once the plant is operating.
“You would need to hire hundreds of highly trained and highly skilled professional engineers to operate the plant,” Henry said.
“So I would guess that Mingo County would be very much appreciative of a new plant that would bring these jobs to the area particularly given the economic recession that the country continues to suffer from.”
Henry says West Virginia would play a leading role in reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil if this coal-to-liquids project goes through. The plant is expected to use more than 8,000 tons of coal to produce 18,000 barrels of gasoline a day.
“A plant like the proposed coal-to-liquids plant in Mingo County would help America get on the road to becoming more reliant on domestic energy and less reliant on foreign energy.”
Environmental groups say a coal-to-liquids plant is a step in the wrong direction. Matt Noerpel volunteers at Coal River Mountain Watch, an environmental group in Raleigh County.
“We need to get off our dependence on foreign oil and all oil with increased fuel economy new transportation technologies. Using coal-to-liquids is not the direction we should be going this is going backwards.
Environmentalists such as Matt Noerpel worry that using more coal would mean more mountain top removal mining but also of concern is the pollution that’s released when coal is turned into liquid fuel. And this issue is at the heart of tonight’s public hearing.
“Gasoline from a coal to liquid process will release over twice as much carbon dioxide as standard petroleum,” Noerpel said.
Governor Manchin announced last year that New York based TransGas plans to build the coal-to-liquids project in Mingo County.
The meeting starts Thursday night at 6 o’clock at the Larry Joe Community Center in Gilbert. Representatives of the state Division of Air Quality will accept comments on the permit and provide information about the project.
Written comments can be submitted until 5 o’clock Friday evening.
TransGas President Adam Victor said he does plan to attend the meeting but had this to say in an email.
"The facility will be so clean that it will be a minor source facility and will produce under 100 tons per year of the pollutants that traditionally have been scrutinized - such as soot and noxious gases.
"Carbon dioxide gas is captured and removed as part of the process and will be dealt with according to all applicable Law.”