Baard Energy withdrew an application for federal loans for a $6 billion coal-to-liquids plant in Illiinois last week. The company cited lawsuits by the Sierra Club and National Resource Defense Council for blocking the project.

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“Baard keeps claiming this is a clean coal facility and nothing could be further from the truth,” said Nachy Kanfer of Sierra Club. “There is nothing clean about a fuel that emits twice the global warming pollution of normal gasoline or a refinery that spits out huge amounts of dangerous air pollutants and heavy metals.”

While Baard blames the groups for holding up its applications, environmentalists hail this as a win against the progression of coal-based energy, which (despite claims) will always have negative environmental affects.

“This project cannot stand up to legitimate economic analysis—as Baard seems to have concluded by withdrawing it from consideration by the Department of Energy,” said NRDC attorney Shannon Fisk. “Baard blames environmentalists for their financial problems, but an environmental review is no threat to a viable project.”

The announcement came during the three-day World Coal-to-Liquids Conference, which activists stormed in protest.

Press Photo: World CTL