The Michigan Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday about a proposal to build a coal-fired power plant in Rogers City.
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LANSING -- The Michigan Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday about a proposal to build a coal-fired power plant in Rogers City.
Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative first announced its plan to build a coal plant in Rogers City in 2006.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality approved a permit for Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative in June 2011. The agency had denied the application a year earlier, saying Wolverine had failed to demonstrate the new plant was needed. But a judge overruled the department.
Many residents in Rogers City want the plant because it will bring more jobs to the community. Opponents argue there's rising coal-power costs and air pollution to consider.
A coalition of environmental groups is asking the appeals court to send the matter back to the DEQ for further consideration.
The Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council say the permit doesn't impose limits on mercury emissions required under federal law. But the DEQ says the company's proposal satisfies state and federal clean air laws.
