In a July 24 opinion column, Larry Jacobs of Adairsville suggests that people in Early County be provided an opportunity to voice their opinion in the debate over a proposed coal-powered electric plant ("An Early County view of proposed coal-fired plant," @issue).

I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, Jacobs did not give a fair picture of what Early County residents think about this coal plant, considering he no longer lives here and will not suffer the effects this plant will have on our community. I, on the other hand, have lived in Early County all my life, along with my wife, children and grandchildren. I remain disappointed in the misinformation that is being put out about the jobs and economic development promised by this plant.

Jacobs asserts that local residents are looking forward to the 100 or so jobs that supposedly would come with the plant regardless of the tons of harmful pollution promised by its construction. Jacobs states: "Many Early County residents are aware of the dangers of pollution from coal-generated power plants." Yet I talk to people in the area every day who have not heard about these negative effects.

Jacobs also suggests that Plant Longleaf could burn so-called "clean coal" by using the latest IGCC (Integrated Combined Gasification Cycle) technology. This is a complete misstatement. IGCC could potentially capture large amounts of carbon emitted by coal-fired power plants, but the high cost of IGCC and its negative effects on the water supply have caused it to be left out of many coal plant proposals, including Plant Longleaf. Dynegy did not even consider using IGCC for the Early County plant —- the exact technology Jacobs suggests they use. The lack of IGCC is one of the reasons Dynegy's permit to construct the Longleaf plant was invalidated.

Jacobs correctly states that local residents need good jobs. Early County, like so much of America right now, needs strong jobs and a boost for the economy. We can get these things —- economic strength and good jobs —- without coal. Forbes Magazine recently ranked Georgia as the third-best state in the U.S. for biomass energy, which comes from chicken coops, tree farms and landfills. Dynegy could take advantage of these huge amounts of resources and invest $2 billion into a biomass facility or even a solar panel manufacturing facility for Early County instead of a coal plant. For instance, Suniva, a solar panel manufacturing plant being constructed in Gwinnett County, will bring upwards of 100 good jobs to Gwinnett County and to Georgia.

Coal is one of the most polluting sources of energy available. If constructed as planned, Dynegy's Longleaf plant would emit harmful levels of soot even with the most modern technology limiting emissions. Soot is particularly dangerous; studies show it triggers heart attacks and strokes in the elderly. In addition, soot worsens asthma, which is already a serious problem. Jacobs seems to trivialize these health concerns.

Investing in renewable energy like biomass and offshore wind, coupled with increased efficiency, will allow us to meet our growing energy needs without sacrificing our health or futures to global warming. We must demand that the coal industry begin the transition to a clean energy future. The technology, know-how and resources are available in Georgia today to meet our energy needs while protecting our health, fighting global warming and creating good jobs for rural communities. Early County residents deserve better than dirty coal; all Georgians deserve better.

I encourage all Early County residents, and all residents of Georgia, to pay attention to the details about this plant. Claims of clean coal and modern pollution technology are inaccurate. We are the ones who will be paying for the $2 billion investment decision made by Dynegy if this plant is built, through our electric bills, and it will affect us negatively for generations to come.

> Bobby McClendon is president of the Early County-based "Friends of the Chattahoochee," a nonprofit citizens group.