Russell Stigall

Alaska could see as many as four new coal-fired electric generators. Agrium’s Blue Sky 350 megawatt coal to gas generator, Homer Electric Association is re-opening the 60 megawatt Healy “clean coal” plant, Nuvina’s 100 megawatt coal plant in Bethel and Matanuska Electric Association’s 100 megawatt circulating fluidized bed coal plant in the Mat-Su Valley.

The electric co-operative in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, MEA, has proposed construction of a 100 megawatt coal-fired generator. The co-op plans to use the generator in conjunction with a gas turbine generator to meet the energy demands of the Valley from 2015 to at least 2045.

Stories discussing the MEA coal plant and possible alternatives to coal combustion as an energy source are linked here: carbon dioxide and mercury emissions, poor planning, renewable alternatives, ocean tidal power and Here, citizen response and Here.

Out of state mineral companies also have their eye on Alaska’s vast coal resources. Across Cook Inlet from Anchorage, near Beluga are the proposed Chuitna coal fields. A Texas company plans to mine 30 square miles and uproot many wetlands and tributaries feeding the Chuitna River, home to a huge run of King Salmon. The mineral extractors also plan to dump 7 million gallons of industrial run-off into the river daily. More about Chuitna Coal Project and the Chuitna River Here Here Here.
Seward Alaska has been home to Usibelli Coal and Alaska Railroad coal loading facility since 1985. Since then Korean coal ships have ingested millions of tons of coal from the Blue Dipper and left tens of millions of dollars in Alaska. Since the project’s beginning a cloud has hovered over the jobs and profits brought to Alaska by resource extraction and export. Coal dust forms that cloud and it has, over the last 20 years, been fouling the boats, cars, water and lungs of Seward. Read more about Seward’s coal dust problem from Carol Griswold, Russell Stigall, AP’s Rachael D’Oro, responses from railroad Here and Here.

Erin Leaders, CISR Engineering Executive Assistant, city of Seward.

To: Paul Carter, owner, Edgewater Hotel.

“Paul, I came across some comments you had made on Dorene Lorenz’s blog so I wanted to provide you with some information that may shed some light on the numbers you were looking at,” said Leaders.

“In 2004 there were a number of large projects, a few of which were new commercial construction that would be few and far between in a small town such as Seward. It would not be expected for a town this size to have a new school, new chain store or large housing development constructed every year.” (more…)

… become the media” –Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys

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