Coal Plant Proposed Near Kentucky Park
Power plant would be located 50 miles from Mammoth Cave
MAMMOTH CAVE N.P., KY.—The Commonwealth of Kentucky has issued a draft permit for a large, coal-fired power plant just 50 miles from Mammoth Cave National Park. Opponents of the plant say it could release thousands of tons of pollutants annually.
"Mammoth Cave is already one of the most polluted parks in the country," said NPCA President Thomas C. Kiernan. "Problems with haze, smog, and acid deposition at Mammoth rival those at Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks."
Thoroughbred Generating Station would be built in Muhlenburg County, where Paradise Steam Plant, Tennessee Valley Authority's second-largest coal-fired power plant, has operated for more than 30 years. Thoroughbred is the largest of 22 applications for new power plants pending in Kentucky.
"Kentucky should carefully examine the cumulative impacts of existing and newly proposed sources on Mammoth Cave," said Don Barger, NPCA's Southeast regional director "They must ensure that the best available controls are placed on new facilities while not overlooking the fact that the old plants emit more than their fair share of pollution."
The Kentucky Division for Air Quality has given the project preliminary approval, despite concerns raised by the National Park Service. Opponents of the plant charge that its emissions could hamper visibility at Mammoth Cave up to 25 days a year and adversely impact 12 federally listed endangered species.
"We're concerned that Kentucky is on a fast track to permit the state's largest power plant in 20 years, while turning a blind eye to its effect on a federally protected area," Barger said.
