Ted Strickland Never Met A Smokestack he Didn't Like

[Rick Rowlands]

Actually Dennis, you do not understand the situation.  AK Steel currently operates an older, less efficient and more polluting byproduct coke plant, and when the Sun Coke facility comes on line that byproduct plant will be permanently shut down.  The Sun Coke facility is a cogeneration plant, meaningthat the byproducts would be burned in boilers making steam to drive electrical generators.  AK Steel needs a supply of coke to run its blast furnace, and unless you would like to see AK Steel close up shop and put 5,000 people out of work, I do not understand your opposition.

At one time in the Youngstown area we had four coke plants operating with zero environmental controls, and the people in the Youngstown area survived through that.  You concerns are a bit over the top.

[irishbobcat]

Ted Strickland Never Met A Smokestack he Didn't Like

SunCoke Energy, a subsidiary of Sunoco Inc., wants to build a $340 million dollar coke production and electrical facility in South Middletown on the border of Monroe. The plant would produce metallurgical-grade coke to be supplied solely to AK Steel Inc. in Middletown via a conveyor system.

However, last month it was learned that,  the SunCoke Haverhill North Coke Company's P901 and P902 plants — similar to the $360 million plant to be built in Middletown — "violated and continues to violate" its bypass venting permit requirements. Since Jan. 1, 2009, SunCoke has failed to comply with its permit in at least 116 instances, emitting 594 percent tons more of particulate matter and 134 percent tons more sulfur dioxide through its bypass stacks than allowed, said Gina Harrison, an environmental scientist with the U.S. EPA's Region 5 office.

Where does Ted Strickland stand on the building of the Suncoke Middletown plant? He supports it.

Gov. Ted Strickland, whose office has openly supported the project, said he has been "in frequent contact" with SunCoke and AK Steel, a partner in the project.

"Just let me emphasize if I can, this facility will be the cleanest coke plant in America. It is using the most advance technology available. It will be constructed with all of those concerns in mind and so that the environment will be protected and it will be a major boost I hope for the Middletown community," Strickland said in a phone interview Tuesday, Feb. 9.

While Strickland said he was aware of the objections posed by the city of Monroe and several residents there regarding the potential health hazards, he said he believes the Middletown plant will be state-of-the-art and pose no threat to human health.

Does this sound like a "Green" Governor to you? Does Ted Strickland really care about the citizens of Middletown and their health? Or is Ted Strickland once again demonstrating that he is in the pockets of dirty coal, nukes, and energy plants?