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Middletown Community News |
Ohio EPA Ok's SunCoke Construction |
Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:56:01 AM - Middletown Ohio |
By: Tara Kunkle
SunCoke Energy got the ok to start construction on the $340 million coke oven facility in Middletown. On Tuesday January. 20th the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency informed SunCoke that the U.S. EPA issued a memo stating it has no more comments regarding the permit.
The Ohio EPA’s permit decision which dealt with its application of air emission credits associated with the closing of an AK Steel Corp sinter plant in June 2003 has made it under review by the federal agency since the permit was issued on November 25th. The EPA advised SunCoke to postpone construction.
A SunCoke plant based in Tennessee signed an agreement in March with AK Steel to build a facility along Yankee Road. This would use a cleaner, more efficient heat recovery method to produce coke. AK agreed to purchase all of the coke and electricity the plant produces for at least 20 years. It will take about 12-18 months to build the facility. If the plant is not built AK Steel will run out of coke by December.
Even though there are three appeals pending on the permit by the Environmental Review Appeals Commission there has been no stay filed or issued to delay the construction. An attorney hired by Monroe said that the city will file a Clean Air Act Citizen Suit if SunCoke begins construction on the site located near its border. |
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Archived Comments
1/22/2009 9:32:38 AM | John Beagle | This is a huge deal for Monroe. the people in Monroe feel the plant will pollute the air and harm property values.
Attorney Frank Schiavone had a property value induced lawsuit against the city until the plant moved further away from his property. Now his voice has been quieted.
Middletown Mayor Larry Mulligan, Jr. said, "I think the city will prevail. The benefits of the many (Middletown) outweigh the needs of the few (Monroe)."
Relations between the two cities are strained to say the least.
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