Judge Sides With Sierra Club On Coal Fight

A federal judge in Washington has sided with
the Sierra Club in a legal dispute over a proposed coal-fired power
plant in western Kansas.
Environmental attorney Jan (YAN) Hasselman predicted Thursday
that the decision will at least delay Sunflower Electric Power
Corp.’s project.
The Sierra Club sued in federal court in Washington to force the
federal government to do an environmental study of Sunflower’s
plans. U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan issued a three-page
order Tuesday saying he’d granted the group’s request to decide the
case in its favor.
But most of his decision remains under seal to protect
Sunflower’s confidential financial information, making the
ramifications of the ruling unclear. Sunflower declined comment.
The Hays-based utility plans to build its new coal-fired plant
outside Holcomb, in southwest Kansas.