"Permit Process for Coal-Fired Plant in Kansas Draws Criticism"

"Santa’s elves aren’t the only ones working longer hours as the holidays approach.

For several weeks, nine Kansas state employees have been voluntarily working weekends and late into the night to finish a review of a permit for a power plant.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment officials think they should be able to issue the air quality permit for the coal-fired plant of Sunflower Electric Power Corp. by the end of the year.

And that worries the coal plant’s opponents, who said the extra hours were a clear signal that the state was pushing the permit process too fast."

Karen Dillon reports for the Kansas City Star December 12, 2010.