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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Environment - "Coal plant foes seek Daniels' e-mails" [Updated]

A number of Indiana papers today are carrying this AP story by Rick Callahan. Some quotes:

Opponents of Duke Energy Corp.’s $2.35 billion coal gasification plant want Gov. Mitch Daniels to turn over e-mails, letters and other communications from his office to state regulators and Duke Energy related to the project.

Three citizens and environmental groups filed a public disclosure request with Daniels’ office Tuesday, two weeks after suffering a court setback in their bid to halt the plant.

The groups’ filing includes a request for e-mails, letters, faxes and any other “actions, public or nonpublic” that the governor or his administration may have taken to promote the 630-megawatt plant being built near Edwardsport about 90 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

Grant Smith, executive director of the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, said his group, the Sierra Club and Valley Watch believe the Daniels administration had been “too cozy” with the coal and utility industries before and after the plant was approved in November 2007.

This effort is reminiscent of successful efforts by the Gary Post-Tribune (see story's second paragraph) to obtain IDEM e-mails re certain communications with BP.

[More] Here is a press release issued by the groups filing the email disclosure request: Hoosier Chapter Sierra Club; Valley Watch; Indiana Citizens Action.

[Updated 11//2/08] "Daniels Administration Too Cozy With Coal Industry? Three Groups File Public Records Demand to Expose Ties Between Governor, Duke Energy" is the headline to this MarketWatch release dated Oct. 29.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 29, 2008 09:31 AM
Posted to Environment