WASHINGTON – A federal judge in Washington ruled Tuesday that an environmental impact statement must be completed before construction can begin on a controversial southwest Kansas power plant. U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan ordered the Rural Utilities Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to complete the environmental study before granting any approvals to Sunflower Electric Power for the proposed $2.8 billion, 875-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Holcomb. The Rural Utilities Service violated federal environmental law by previously approving the plant, he said. The decision is likely to delay construction of the plant – if the if partners do decide to build. The proposed plant has been the focus of a long-running political battle that was apparently ended by a deal brokered by then-Gov. Mark Parkinson. His successor, Gov. Sam Brownback has expressed strong support for the plant.
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 8 p.m.
