" Come on Don. Can't we just forget about the environment? Who needs food and water. And I've always wanted a black tar sludge pool.
Plus Mattoon needs the hand full of jobs that will probaly be filled by outsiders. "

" I really don't think it will never happen. Two of the major backers bailed out and with the economy the way it is, I don't they will be anyone else interested. I'm sure Angela will be milking this one for all she can right up till Social Security kicks in for her, which appears to be right around the corner. "

" Oopsie!.. make that ever happen. "

" Sorry to dissapoint Harry but one of the most poorly kept secrets in Mattoon today is an announcement about FutureGen on Sept. 2nd. Every one I run into says "Pssst...Hear about the big FutureGen announcement?" A fellow even e-mailed me from Sidney asking if it was true. A lot of big dogs will roam the streets of Mattoon then from what I hear. "

" How do you think people will like the taste of post futuregen bagels, or organic meat slaughtered within a few miles of a slag heap builder?

Our normal summers of hot humid weather, will impact how emmissions collect and disipate, or don't.

Did greenpeace figue out who owns the site, so they can come back on sept 2, without a bunch of community leader reps running around for hours with their heads tucked under their shirt tails? "

" And no one in authority has answered my question. If it is so safe, why do they need protection from liability?? "

" Welcome FutureGen "

" You might just be right, INVICTA. I hope not, but you seem to have more inside dope than most on this site, especially when it comes to the underhanded shenanigans of the public works director.

For soybeanpod: That is about the best question that has come up. The answer, I think, is because this is an experiment and there is probably a high risk, so the investors don't want to assume any liability if a disaster hits. Future generations will be stuck with the clean up bill if this happens. Sort of like the millions it costs the taxpayers to pay for the Western Lion dump a while back. By the way the owner of that fiasco is back in business, while we're stuck with the bill to clean up his mess.

Mike P mentions slag, so perhaps this is Wortman's street maintenance supply for the future.

Mattoon Resident says "welcome FutureGen". Yeah, welcome to the next Young's Radiator eyesore.

For a 100 jobs, the powers to be are willing to sell out our children's health and safety. "

" They're approaching us as a bunch gullible rubes, I think we should send on their way with a swift kick in the caboose. "

" If futuregen is implemented and they do what they say they intend to, it will prove to be one of the major catastrophies of the twenty first century, and were only nine years into it. "

" FUTUREGEN is a lot like on/off back on,and I heard meeting suppose to take place has on telephones so when go to Sept 2nd meeting, things smoothout. I never swallow the MAYBES, IFS, lived too long and too old to believe in all hear, see, and in the END is where we KNOW. Usually in taxpayers behinders.
Only thing WE SEE, HEAR, and KNOW is how criminals walk in Coles County.
Maybe Penny and her HONDA can monitor all incoming FUTUREGENS and sort them out for the rest of us. hehe.


Maybe we can send Futuregen to Iraq
and take care of those people for us,
and bring the troops home. "

" And no one in authority has answered my question. If it is so safe, why do they need protection from liability??
---
The answer is, it isn't safe not safe enough that they would bet their own precious millions on it. "

" Liability my arse, we're offering you nearly a hundred janatorial jobs for crying out loud. "

" ■FROM FUTUREGEN'S OWN WEB PAGE.....
FutureGen is described as a near-zero emissions plant. What will the actual emissions be?
The first-of-its-kind FutureGen plant will integrate advanced technologies for coal gasification, electricity production, emissions control, CO2 capture and permanent storage, and hydrogen production at a commercial scale. During normal operations, emissions will be as low as, if not lower than virtually any other coal plant in the world. However it should be noted that there may be criteria emissions, such as NOx, SO2, and particulates, when the plant is starting up and shutting down. An important element of the FutureGen project is to develop during its operation and testing, new and innovative ways to minimize emissions during these transient events. "

" Hey come on guys. Just think we might have black snow. "

" Futuregen is based on the previous Energyplex coal gasification plant that was killed for political reasons back in 1978. Fears of slag and other pollutants from this project are unfounded. It is to be hoped that Futuregen is just the first of many such facilities to be built in the area to take advantage of the huge coal reserves in this part of the state. "

" even steven wrote...Fears of slag and other pollutants from this project are unfounded.

You funny dude. Almost as funny as a city government who won't let people burn branches from their yard because of smoke and yet they WELCOME a plant who will dump 10 to 40% of 1 million tons a year of carbon dioxide up wind of the town. Justification for picking the location for this plant is unfounded. "

" god bless futuegen it's the way out right? "

" Tim Johnson Has Helped This Area better than any other congressman. Bar None!!! "

" The location of this project is recognized as one of the 4 best areas in the state of Illinois for harnessing wind power....no harmful emissions or smells. Think green. "

" Patches wrote on Sep 3, 2009 5:33 PM:

" Tim Johnson Has Helped This Area better than any other congressman. Bar None!!!

Not saying you're wrong, Patches, but what exactly has he done for this area? "