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Speaker Makes Appointments to Electric Review Panel

IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
October 3, 2007

For More Information, Contact: 
Sherriene Jones-Sontag
785/296-2302

 

 

 

SPEAKER MAKES APPOINTMENTS TO SPECIAL PANEL

CHARGED WITH REVIEW OF

KANSAS AIR QUALITY CONTROL ACT

 

TOPEKA – Kansas Speaker of the House of Representatives Melvin Neufeld (R-Ingalls) announced today he and Representative Carl Holmes (R-Liberal) will serve on the Legislature’s Electric Generation Review Panel.  Rep. Holmes also will serve at the panel’s chairman.

 

“Rep. Holmes is the most knowledgeable person in the Kansas legislature on energy issues and his expertise will be very valuable to the panel as we review the Kansas Air Quality Control Act,” Speaker Neufeld said.

 

The Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) established the special panel to examine the application process implemented by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)’s for issuing air quality permits for power plants in Kansas.

 

“We are concerned about how long it is taking KDHE to make its decision on the proposed permit submitted in February, 2006, by Sunflower Electric to expand its plant in Holcomb while an application for a natural gas plant was approved in less than a year,” Speaker Neufeld said.  “I believe we need to look at how these applications are handled, what standards they must meet and make sure all air quality permit applications are put through the same scrutiny.”

 

The panel also will review the standards used to determine whether an air quality permit may be issued; hear from KDHE on the status of the Sunflower application and make recommendations for changes in the Kansas Air quality Act, if necessary.

 

The panel will consist of three members from both the House and Senate, two appointed by both Speaker Neufeld and Senate President Steve Morris (R-Hugoton) and one each by the House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney (D-Greensburg) and Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-Topeka).

 

Rep. Holmes represents the 114th District which includes most of Seward County and the cities of Kismet and Liberal.  He is the chairman of the House Energy and Utilities Committee and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations and serves on the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee.  He also serves on The Energy Council and the National Council on Electricity Policy.

 

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