Public hearing set for proposed Indiana coal-to-diesel plant

DALE, Ind. (AP) - State regulators have set a November public hearing on an air permit for a coal-to-diesel plant proposed for southern Indiana .

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management will collect written comments and hear public testimony about the draft air permit during the Nov. 29 hearing at Huntingburg's Southridge High School.

Riverview Energy officials say 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.

The company's air permit application says it would have annual emissions rates of about 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide, 255 tons of carbon monoxide and 120 tons of sulfur dioxide.

The Jasper Herald reports that a local group opposes the project due to pollution and health concerns.

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