Concerns over proposed gas-powered plant in Elizabeth Township to be aired

Residents in communities along the Youghiogheny River in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties are expected to air concerns Tuesday during a meeting in West Newton about the potential environmental impact of a proposed natural gas-fueled power plant to be built in Elizabeth Township.

The meeting, planned for 7 p.m. at the West Newton gymnasium, 113 S. Fifth St., is designed to give residents in the Yough River Valley an update on the permitting process for the power plant and status of plans for the plant, said Nancy Ivan of West Newton, one of the organizers of Yough Community CARES (Conserve the Air, Rivers and Environment), which is sponsoring the meeting.

“We know there are a lot of concerns here in our valley, and it hasn’t gone away,” Ivan said.

The 639-megawatt power plant is proposed by Invenergy of Chicago for a former farm in the village of Smithdale, which is in Allegheny County along the Youghiogheny River, just north of Collinsburg in Westmoreland County. Invenergy is a privately-held developer of natural gas-fueled power plants and power generated by solar panel farms and wind turbines throughout the world.

The impact of a natural gas-fueled plant’s emissions into the river valley has been projected through air emissions modeling, said James Cato, a community organizer with Mountain Watershed who is scheduled to speak at the meeting.

The Allegheny County Health Department determined in June 2021 that the proposed power plant for the village of Smithdale could be operated in a manner that complies with the environmental rules and regulations, including national ambient air quality standards, based on Invenergy’s application. It drafted an air installation permit that includes specific conditions, including monitoring and reporting.

The health department has scheduled a virtual hearing for July 27 on an air quality permit appeal filed by the Clean Air Council and other environmental organizations, Cato said.

Neil Ruhland, a spokesman for the county health department, could not be reached for comment.

The Department of Environmental Protection said it has not approved any environmental permits for the facility, and Invenergy’s Allegheny Energy Center LLC of West Newton, which is to operate the plant, has not submitted applications for environmental permits.

A spokesman for Chicago-based Invenergy could not be reached for comment.

Inverenergy four years ago proposed in a draft agreement to provide the township with $25 million, most of which would be earmarked for repairs for the municipal sewage system, based on certain preconditions, according to Mountain Watershed Association. The power plant could discharge thousands of gallons of water on a daily basis as a result of its operations that involve heating the water used, which then flows to the local sewer authority.

Greg Butler, Elizabeth Township manager, could not be reached for comment.