Southern Indiana leaders back coal-to-diesel plant permit

ROCKPORT, Ind. (AP) - A southern Indiana county's commissioners are backing a draft state air permit for a proposed $2.5 billion coal-to-diesel plant.

The Spencer County Commissioners voted 2-1 this week for a resolution supporting the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's approval of Riverview Energy's air permit application.

The (Jasper) Herald reports the company says the plant proposed for the town of Dale, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Evansville, would convert the region's plentiful coal reserves into diesel fuel and other products.

Riverview Energy's air permit application says the plant would release about 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide, 225 tons of carbon monoxide and 120 tons of sulfur dioxide annually.

IDEM says the plant wouldn't have a significant effect on regional air quality, but opponents worry about health and environmental impacts.

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Information from: The Herald, http://www.dcherald.com