A couple of local items

Turk plant permit rejected The Arkansas Court of Appeals tossed out the permit for the proposed 600MW, $1.6 billion Turk Power Plant in Hempstead County today. The opinion states that the Arkansas Public Service Commission didn't adequately review plans and must conduct another hearing if Swepco wants to reapply for a permit. The PSC may approve the permit after reconsidering the need and the environmental compatibility for the plant. The court said the PSC "erred by failing to resolve conflicts in the testimony, that its decision was arbitrary, and is not supported by substantial evidence. I was just contacted by a reporter seeking comment, and Swepco was apparently in the process of releasing a statement.

UP to close Texarkana rail yard tower Union Pacific intends to monitor the Texarkana rail yard by video surveillance rather than employees. The company will still employ workers in Texarkana in the yard, but surveillance from the tower will be monitored by an employee in Longview, Texas. The decision is economic, says UP. This raises concerns not only because of the loss/transfer of jobs but because of the security risk involved. Lots of hazardous materials are transported through Texarkana, and even though it didn't take place on the rail yard, we had a derailment involving hazardous materials in Texarkana in 2005 that caused one death and million of dollars in damages. I'm working with local officials to discuss the change with UP officials. Here's more from today's Texarkana Gazette.