Environmental group asks Holland not to expand coal plant

People rallied in Holland today to ask officials not to expand the city-owned coal-fired power plant.

Holland took the state to court get an air quality permit that would allow it to replace a more than 60-year-old boiler with a more efficient one. City officials haven’t decided if they will replace it yet or not.

Tia Lebherz is with the Sierra Club in Holland. She and about twenty others held protest signs outside the Holland farmer’s market demanding the city move “beyond coal”.

“This is a really critical moment for community engagement because this is one of the biggest decisions that we’re going to be making in our near future and it’s going to affect us for the next 40 to 50 years.”

Lebherz says they’re urging people to contact city leaders and tell them to invest in renewable energy and conservation efforts instead. She says coals affect on people’s health and the environment are their main concerns

Holland officials are expected to make a decision about the plant expansion by next spring.