02/12/09

AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (AP) _ Officials hoping to build a $1
billion coal gasification plant in eastern Idaho say they have
gotten a final state permit and could begin construction as early
as this fall.

The plant, proposed on 450 acres near American Falls, would
produce fertilizer through the coal gasification process.

Southeast Idaho Energy, the New York-based developer of the
project, received an air permit from the Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality Wednesday, clearing the way for construction.

Last summer, Power County officials approved a special use
permit for the project.

Spokesman John Burk says the company will now focus on securing
investors.

The project has drawn intense opposition from environmentalists
and the Shoshone-Bannock tribes over concerns about air pollution
and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Information from: Idaho State Journal, http://www.journalnet.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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