Coal-Fired Up Again

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Oct. 16 2006 at 10:24 AM

Categories: News

This morning, the Associated Press picks up on a story familiar to anyone around here who reads a newspaper: the debate over coal-fired power plants, which has become Mayor Laura Miller's biggest cause--at least, second only to the half a mil given lobbyist David Dean last week by a city council that clearly has a crush on the former Texas secretary of state. Perhaps the most interesting item to come from the AP piece is local attorney Rick Addison's insistence that he will likely carry through with his intent to sue TXU, which he first suggested in a letter sent to TXU three weeks ago on behalf of the Robertson County-based enviromental group Our Land Our Lives and local oilman and big-time Bush backer Albert Huddleston's CleanCOALition.

Writes the AP:

"The debate soon could end up in federal court. Dallas attorney Rick Addison recently announced plans to sue TXU, alleging potential violations of the federal Clean Air Act.

'It's remarkable and unnecessary, the amount of pollutants they are going to put in the air,' Addison said.

'The only way to get these issues resolved is at the highest level and reviewed under the appropriate law,' he added.

The battle lines were drawn April 20, when TXU Chief Executive C. John Wilder announced the company's plans after much of Texas underwent a rolling power blackout. Since then, each side has assembled a team of backers comprising affected residents, lawmakers and lawyers."

As of this morning, Addison has yet to file the suit. --Robert Wilonsky

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