News Release No. 380

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HOLDS
PUBLIC HEARING NOV. 22 ON
DRAFT AIR PERMIT FOR AQUILA IN CASS COUNTY

Volume 32-380

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 15, 2004 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on the draft air permit for Aquila at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 22, 2004, at the Peculiar City Hall, 600 Schug Ave., Peculiar.

The plant was to be located originally near Harrisonville, Mo. Public notice for the initial location took place earlier this year. On Sept. 13 Aquila submitted a revised Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit application changing the location of the plant to 24110 S. Harper Road, Peculiar in Cass County.

The draft air pollution permit is a Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit and is required under federal law in order to construct the new turbines. The draft permit is for authority to construct three natural gas-fired simple cycle combustion turbines and associated equipment. The three turbines will be used to generate a total nominal electrical power output of 341 megawatts during peak electricity demand periods.

The department is soliciting public comment on this draft air permit until Nov. 22. Interested parties should send written comments to: Leanne Tippett Mosby, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. Citizens may make a request to speak at the hearing in advance, sign up to speak at the hearing or submit comments in writing at the hearing. Requests to speak at the hearing should also be sent to Tippett Mosby at the address above or faxed to 573-751-2706.

The draft permit is available on the department's Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/apcp/PermitPublicNotices.htm. A copy of the application, the preliminary determination, and other related materials are also available for public review at the following locations:

Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Air Pollution Control Program
Jefferson Building, First Floor
205 Jefferson
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone No. 573-751-4817
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Kansas City Regional Office
500 NE Colbern Road
Lee's Summit, MO 65086-4710
Phone No. 816-622-7000
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Cass County Public Library
400 East Mechanic St.
Harrisonville, MO 64107

People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements by calling 800-361-4827 or 573-751-4817. Hearing-impaired individuals may contact the program through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.

For more information concerning the permit process or the hearing, please call the Air Pollution Control Program's new source review unit at 573-751-4817.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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