W. Bountiful strategizing to block power plant

WEST BOUNTIFUL — Blocking the construction of a cogeneration power plant in West Bountiful may prove to be trickier than previously thought.

But West Bountiful Mayor James Behunin says there are several strategies the city can use to prevent the construction of the 109-megawatt power plant proposed by Consolidated Energy Systems for 400 W. 1100 South, just west of the Holly Oil refinery.

And Behunin is confident the plant will be stopped.

During a recent public hearing at the Utah Division of Air Quality, the power plant faced opposition by residents, the Davis County Board of Health, Woods Cross City Council, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, Utah Moms for Clean Air and two state legislators.

Most opposition surrounds the amount of pollution the cogeneration power plant would be permitted to emit each year.

The plant is designed to be powered by two cheap but dirty fuels that are byproducts of the oil-refining process. Electricity from the plant would be sold to the public grid and steam would be sold to the refinery.

It will likely be months before DAQ makes a decision on an operating permit for the facility, but permitting manager Ty Howard had recommended it be approved because air quality modeling data the division uses showed the power plant wouldn't throw the air quality out of whack.Until a permit is approved, the power plant can't move onto its next steps, which would include applying for building permits and possibly a rezone for the address it wants to occupy, which is currently zoned residential.

Behunin had expressed confidence that if the DAQ permits the facility, his City Council would likely be able to deny a rezone request.

But on the city's Web site, Behunin posted a note stating he has discovered an old agreement that was signed with Holly Oil that would allow the refinery to build a cogeneration plant — one that produces electricity and steam — in an industrial zone north of the refinery.Behunin said he's concerned his residents have been scared by all the talk of pollutants and wants to alleviate their fears.

"We think that no matter what air quality does, we can prevent this from happening," he said.

E-MAIL: jdougherty@desnews.com