Letter to the editor: Elizabeth power plant permit should be denied

As a lifelong resident of West Newton, I am concerned about the proposed Invenergy gas-fired power plant along the Youghiogheny River and Great Allegheny Passage trail. This Elizabeth Township facility will impact not only my community but many that border the river and the trail.

These communities bear the burdens and risks associated with the operation of these fossil fuel-burning facilities: personal health risks, environmental degradation, infrastructure damage and the loss of tax base due to devaluation of property. The American Lung Association gives Allegheny County an F grade for air quality, with Westmoreland County receiving a D. Do we want to add more air pollution to this already dire air quality situation?

The short-term jobs created during construction don’t compensate for the long-term, negative impacts that can last 30-40 years. Our economic future does not lie in non-renewable energy production, but in pristine natural resources and the recreational dollars that come to this area from the million visitors who use the GAP trail each year.

The power plant’s air permit is currently under consideration by the Allegheny County Health Department, and it must listen to the voices of those who will be most impacted and deny the permit.

Joanne Hall

West Newton