Representatives from the Sierra Club and Public Citizen as well as landowners and residents, spoke out Monday against the Tenaska Trailblazer Energy Center, saying it will permanently scar the land, deplete natural resources and pollute the area.

The proposed $3.5 billion coal-fired power plant, which is planned to be built between Sweetwater and Abilene, was the subject of a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters at the Abilene Public Library.

When asked for a show of hands, the majority of the 60-plus citizens in attendance indicated they were against the project.

Officials from Tenaska declined to attend the forum.

“I am really sorry Tenaska cannot come because it is hard to have a fair discussion,” said Laura Blackburn of the TLWV.

A three-person panel for the meeting included Neil Carman, the clean air program director for the Sierra Club in Texas, who said the permit process for the plant is flawed. He also said pollution expected from the plant, from information on the current proposed air permit application, will consist of harmful compounds like lead and mercury.

“This plant is going to emit a complex alphabet soup of many different substances,” said Carman, who worked in the environmental enforcement division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for 12 years. “They (TCEQ personnel) don’t evaluate these mixtures.”

Ryan Rittenhouse of Public Citizen, said his group is heading up campaigns to keep 13 proposed coal plants from being built in Texas. Rittenhouse disputed claims of clean coal technology.

“There is no such thing as a clean coal plant,” Rittenhouse said.

Tenaska plans to capture 85 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and sell it to enhance oil production in the Permian Basin. Previously, company officials have said the plant’s technology will reduce its mercury emissions by nearly 90 percent.

Based on the carbon dioxide capture, the Environmental Defense Fund has agreed not to oppose the company’s air quality permits.

With a lump of coal in hand, Jim Cook, professor of environmental science at Abilene Christian University, said he was concerned about pollution and water issues.

“The solution to pollution is not to pollute,” Cook said.

During the forum, citizens brought up concerns about the 2 million gallons of effluent water a day that Tenaska wants to purchase from the city of Abilene.

“Where are the city dads who are approving this boondoggle of selling our water,” asked Mike Hall, a rancher from Nolan.

In the next three months, the City Council will be voting on whether to sell 2 million gallons of treated effluent water a day to Tenaska.

Council members Robert Briley, Stormy Higgins and Kellie Miller attended the meeting, but declined to answer questions during the forum.

“Later we will have a public hearing where everyone will be able to ask questions,” Briley said.

According to company officials, construction of the plant would begin in late 2011 if necessary permits are obtained. So far, no permits have been approved.

Monday’s town hall meeting was held in advance of an upcoming contested case hearing slated to begin June 2 in Austin on the air quality permit.

Howard Hawks, chairman and CEO of Tenaska, Barton Ford, vice president of the Business Development Group and Helen Manroe, business development manager, were invited but declined to attend due to previous commitments.

Tenaska officials requested that another forum be held and asked the TLWV to moderate it. No date has been set.