A jobs-versus-environment debate is taking place in Meigs County, Ohio.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing Thursday night on a coal-fired power plant proposed by American Municipal Power-Ohio.

The project has a $2.5-million dollar price tag and would generate 1000 megawatts.

On the pro-plant side is the president of the Meigs County Chamber of Commerce. Howard Kneen pointed out that Meigs has the highest unemployment rate in the state.

He says the possibility of new jobs and AMP-Ohio's plan to use "greener technologies" to keep-down pollution, make the project a good one.

“These new buildings will really help our local people enjoy a better living standard and also to help with improving our environment.”

But Mary Beth Lohse of the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra club disagrees. She says these "greener technologies" are not good enough and it's time to look at alternative energy sources.

“Fossil fuels like coal are not renewable. Eventually they're going to run out. We need to start thinking about a new energy future and what that's going to look like. And the first step to that energy future is going to be efficiency and the second step is developing renewable energy resources for the energy that we do need.”

The EPA will be reviewing these and other comments given at the hearing, as well as those submitted in writing by November 30th before making a final decision to issue, deny or modify the permit requested by AMP-Ohio.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing Thursday night on a coal-fired power plant proposed by American Municipal Power-Ohio.

The project has a $2.5-million dollar price tag and would generate 1000 megawatts.

On the pro-plant side is the president of the Meigs County Chamber of Commerce. Howard Kneen pointed out that Meigs has the highest unemployment rate in the state.

He says the possibility of new jobs and AMP-Ohio's plan to use "greener technologies" to keep-down pollution, make the project a good one.

“These new buildings will really help our local people enjoy a better living standard and also to help with improving our environment.”

But Mary Beth Lohse f the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra club disagrees. She says these "greener technologies" are not good enough and it's time to look at alternative energy sources.

“Fossil fuels like coal are not renewable. Eventually they're going to run out. We need to start thinking about a new energy future and what that's going to look like. And the first step to that energy future is going to be efficiency and the second step is developing renewable energy resources for the energy that we do need.”

The EPA will be reviewing these and other comments given at the hearing, as well as those submitted in writing by November 30th before making a final decision to issue, deny or modify the permit requested by AMP-Ohio.