Wednesday, February 14, 2007

UPDATED: Mayor Laura Miller offers free bus ride to Waco coal-plant conference

By Pegasus News wire

Updated 11:17 a.m., February 15, 2007

Environmentalists and clean-air activists are gearing up for next week's hearings in Austin to question the merit of coal-fired power plants being planned for construction throughout central Texas by TXU.

But the night before, there’ll be a sneak preview in Waco -- and Mayor Laura Miller is inviting anyone to join her on a bus caravan headed there Tuesday afternoon.

Miller has commissioned a fleet that’ll leave Reunion Arena at 4 p.m. on Tuesday to attend the State Coal Plant Conference at the Waco Convention Center. The conference, which begins at 6:30 p.m., is hosted by the Texas Cities Clean Air Coalition (TCCAC), an organization of cities that oppose the plants, including Arlington, Cedar Hill, Coppell, Dallas, DeSoto, Duncanville, El Paso, Fort Worth, Frisco, Houston, Irving, Lancaster, McKinney, Plano, Rockwall, and Wylie.

The Waco event is expected to draw politicians, voters, and possibly a media circus. Waco is home to state representative Charles “Doc” Anderson, who introduced a resolution in late January requesting a 180-day moratorium on approving permits for new coal-burning plants in Texas.

Miller, who co-founded the coalition with Houston Mayor Bill White, said her group plans to present expert testimony to explain the impact the coal plants will have.

UPDATE: While the bus ride was initially going to cost passengers $10 for a round-trip ticket, that fee has now been waived altogether. To make a reservation, call the Mayor’s office at 214-670-4054.

Posted by T.G.

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