POMEROY - Attendance at three upcoming public meetings could help benefit Meigs County's economy, Economic Development Director Perry Varnadoe said.

Two of the meetings relate to pending power plant construction projects in the county, and a third could further plans for a bypass of Nelsonville.

American Municipal Power-Ohio will hold a public information meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, in preparation for filing an application for its Meigs County plant with the Ohio Power Siting Board.

“We urge the public to attend to show interest and support for the project,” said Varnadoe. “The program will include expert resource stations and an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the project with AMP Generating Station team members.”

The Ohio Power Siting Board will hold a public hearing from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at Meigs High School. The OPSB will ultimately approve or deny AEP's plan to locate an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle at its Great Bend site.

The public hearing in Pomeroy will be open to written or oral testimony from anyone. A second hearing, scheduled for later in December in Columbus, will be limited to testimony from the applicant, AEP, and any interveners who have filed opposition to the siting plan.

“It is very important to show support at this meeting,” Varnadoe said.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 12, at Light Hall at Hocking College to accept comments on applications from the Ohio Department of Transportation for approval of the water quality impacts associated with constructing the proposed Nelsonville bypass.

The proposed bypass of Nelsonville is the final stage of a “Capital Corridor” between Columbus and Charleston, W.Va. That portion of U.S. 33 linking the two state capitals also includes the Ravenswood Connector, the Athens/Darwin project, and the Lancaster bypass, all of which have been completed.

Comments may be made by mail and/or be placed on an interested parties mailing list by writing to Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water, Attn: Permits Processing Unit, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049.

Comments must be received by the close of business on Dec. 19. All comments will be considered by Ohio EPA before a final decision is made.

“We hope the public will try to support these important meetings, because they are vital to the economy and growth of Meigs County,” Varnadoe said.