Coal to Liquid Plant Plans Begin
By Stephanie Domurat
Story Published: Aug 8, 2008 at 9:17 PM MDT
Story Updated: Aug 8, 2008 at 9:17 PM MDT
kulr8.com
CROW AGENCY - Plans are officially underway for the $7 billion dollar coal-to-liquids plant on the Crow Reservation. Officials announced the "Many Stars Project" Thursday.
Tribal officials say it could provide the economic jolt the crow nation needs. Friday, Governor Schweitzer, Crow Chairman Carl Venne and officials with an Australian Energy Company signed the agreement. It will use 10 billion tons of coal reserves, but construction won't begin until 2012.
Officials say they expect a lengthy environmental approval process. It's expected to produce 50,000 barrels of fuel a day and over 4,000 jobs for the Crow people. "This gives the Crow people the chance to have the same American dreams, to have a good job, to own a house and to send our kids to school, says Crow Chairman Carl Venne.
"We will have a lot of people working on this in Montana and across the country, and the more that we can produce fuel and work on energy here, the less we have to import from dictators from somewhere else," says Governor Brian Schweitzer.
If all goes according to plan, the plant is expected to open in 2016. Governor Schweitzer says it's one of the most sophisticated projects on the planet and gives Montana a leading role in the energy future. |
