BAKERSFIELD, CA- For the first time this year, members of the California Energy Commission came to Kern County for a day full of questions and answers in Buttonwillow on the proposed HECA power plant project.
As commissioners arrived, they were greeted by people who say the HECA project comes with too many risky environmental trade-offs to be a true benefit to the county.
"It would affect the air I breath and the traffic near my home, not to forget my safety if there was an explosion of the anhydrous ammonia fertilizer like we saw in Texas," said Ann Gallen a local farmer.
The HECA facility would make electricity by burning hydrogen gas, created from coal and petroleum coke.
It would also manfacture fertilizer for agriculture and capture carbon dioxide gas for use in oil production.
Members of the California Energy Commission, which has the final say on the project, were here to listen, and to ask questions themselves of heca representatives, as they move through the environmental review process.
"This has been a very thorough regulatory review process and we're constantly addressing issues," said Tiffany Rau a HECA spokeswoman.
Some locals worry about hundreds of trucks bringing in coal from trains out of New Mexico to the plant near Tupman. Others about additional emissions to an already polluted air basin. And still others concerned of the tremendous demands the plant will place on the valley's groundwater basin.
All concerns HECA promises to mitigate while creating clean energy out of coal and generating jobs, and millions of dollars in tax revenue to the county.
"This project alone will promise over 2500 jobs for four years. These are numbers that careers are started and launched for young and idle aged people," said John Spalding with the Building and Trades Council.
A decision by the Energy Commission on the HECA project is still months away.
The U.S. E.P.A. says there are a number of environmental issues that need closer scrutiny.
As commissioners arrived, they were greeted by people who say the HECA project comes with too many risky environmental trade-offs to be a true benefit to the county.
"It would affect the air I breath and the traffic near my home, not to forget my safety if there was an explosion of the anhydrous ammonia fertilizer like we saw in Texas," said Ann Gallen a local farmer.
The HECA facility would make electricity by burning hydrogen gas, created from coal and petroleum coke.
It would also manfacture fertilizer for agriculture and capture carbon dioxide gas for use in oil production.
Members of the California Energy Commission, which has the final say on the project, were here to listen, and to ask questions themselves of heca representatives, as they move through the environmental review process.
"This has been a very thorough regulatory review process and we're constantly addressing issues," said Tiffany Rau a HECA spokeswoman.
Some locals worry about hundreds of trucks bringing in coal from trains out of New Mexico to the plant near Tupman. Others about additional emissions to an already polluted air basin. And still others concerned of the tremendous demands the plant will place on the valley's groundwater basin.
All concerns HECA promises to mitigate while creating clean energy out of coal and generating jobs, and millions of dollars in tax revenue to the county.
"This project alone will promise over 2500 jobs for four years. These are numbers that careers are started and launched for young and idle aged people," said John Spalding with the Building and Trades Council.
A decision by the Energy Commission on the HECA project is still months away.
The U.S. E.P.A. says there are a number of environmental issues that need closer scrutiny.