LETART FALLS —Despite appeals by environmental groups, American Municipal Power-Ohio said plans are still on schedule for the company to break ground on its American Municipal Power Generating Station this year.

Kent Carson, director of AMP-Ohio’s member relations, said while a date has not been decided, the company is indeed committed to breaking ground on the plant some time this year.

As for the recent appeal filed against the plant’s final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permit by environmental groups, Carson commented that “ it wasn’t unexpected” and the company continues to move forward with developing the plant.

It will likely be a year before a hearing can be held on the NPDES appeal filed by the National Resources Defense Council, Ohio Environmental Council and Sierra Club. A new hearing is scheduled for the appeal of AMPGS’ final air permit-to-install in August. Parties will meet to present oral arguments concerning the air permit-to-install appeal on Wednesday before the Environmental Review Appeal Commission in Columbus.

A spokesperson for ERAC said motions scheduled to be heard on Wednesday are a motion to dismiss by attorneys for AMP-Ohio and a motion for a partial summary judgment filed by the NRDC. Both the air and NPDES permits were approved final by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Chris Korlenski.

Meanwhile, AMP-Ohio has named Bechtel Power as the engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor for the $3.25 billion AMPGS. AMP-Ohio has also said it “remains very committed” to the AMPGS project and has made “a significant investment” in AMPGS.