The obligatory excerpts:
"Waste coal contributes to the problem of acid mine drainage, which is the leading water pollution problem in the commonwealth, and represents a public health hazard. Fires that ignite waste coal contribute to poorer air quality. Rural communities and small coal mining towns are plagued by scarred lands.
Aside from being cheaper, the plant’s diesel will be cleaner.(!!! - told ya so! - JtM) The fuel will burn with no sulfur emissions --- a contributor to acid rain and global climate change --- and burn with a high level of energy efficiency, making it more economical for drivers. The plant will use state-of-the-art control technology in its manufacturing process to control air emissions.
In addition, the waste heat from making the liquid fuels will be used to generate 41 megawatts of low-cost electric power that will be fed into the grid, a concept known as polygeneration. The waste heat is enough to power more than 40,000 homes."
Using waste heat from the CTL plant to generate electricity - recycling and economizing. How novel.
And:
"Development work on this plant began in 1998 with a trade mission to South Africa."
Hmmm. Have you called SASOL, yet, dag nab it?!?
Get the truth of this "out there", Mike. Your fellow Mountaineers have a genuine right to know.