Chicago, IL: Today, Sierra Club put Secure Energy, LLC on notice that the permit to construct its proposed coal plant in Decatur, IL is outdated and expired. The company needs to go back to the drawing board and apply for a new permit so that its proposed plant will have the best available pollution controls to protect public health and the environment in accordance with clean air laws.

In response to recent media reports regarding the proposed plant, Sierra Club began investigating Secure Energy’s activities since its initial approval back in April 2007. The law requires Secure Energy to have started to build, and to have continued to build, its plant within one year of that approval or its permit becomes invalid.

“This proposed plant is tying to sneak in under the wire and avoid any new environmental regulations,” said James Gignac, Midwest Director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “We believe that Secure Energy failed to start building its plant before the deadline of April 2008 and that it is vulnerable to legal challenge if it starts constructing now,” continued Gignac.

Secure Energy’s project, which would consume 1.4 million tons of coal per year, has no binding commitments to control the large amounts of global warming pollution it would spew into the atmosphere. The federal Environmental Protection Agency is currently considering greenhouse gas limits for large sources like the Secure Energy plant.

“By increasing Illinois’ dependence on dirty coal, Secure Energy’s plant represents a step backwards for the state and for the fight to end global warming,” said Verena Owen with the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. “Americans want to repower our economy with clean and sustainable energy solutions, not more coal plants that refuse to play by the rules,” continued Owen.

Since the beginning of the rush to build new coal plants began in 2001, 100 proposed plants have been defeated or abandoned, including Enviropower, Indeck, and Rentech coal plants in Illinois. In their place, a smart mix of clean energy solutions like energy efficiency, wind, solar and geothermal has stepped up to meet America’s energy needs.

Download a copy of Sierra Club’s letter to Secure Energy