OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — OPPD has voted to delay changes to its North Omaha Station, including retiring units 1-3 and switching units 4 and 5 from low sulfur coal to natural gas.
"While this is a difficult decision, it is necessary to maintain the reliable electricity service our communities have come to expect, especially as they continue to grow and thrive," OPPD said in a statement.
The delays are due to a backlog in its regional transmission organization. The changes were expected to be complete by the end of 2023, but are now expected by the end of 2026.
"I think we all lost. I think the community lost having to breath pollution for the next three years. I think climate change is rampant this isn’t going to help mitigate that and OPPD lost. I do believe they wanted to keep their promise. They were put in a really tough spot and they needed to make a decision to keep their lights on," said Graham Jordison, senior organizing representative for Sierra Club.
Community members are disappointed in the delay.
"I think it’s something that the community needs and has been looking forward to and was planned and maybe even promised. I was disappointed that wasn’t happening on schedule," Rev. T. Michael Williams, president of NAACP Omaha, said.
Many wish OPPD would have been more transparent from the beginning. They say, the utility company has had more open communication regarding the North Omaha Station recently, but wish that would have been the case from the beginning.
"I think they were reminded, when you make a promise like this, it really matters when you go back on that promise," Jordison said.
"I think OPPD’s part is to keep trust with the community, keep the community abreast with the problem going forward, so we don’t get here three years from now and be in the same situation," Williams said.
Not only is there disappointment in the communication but also in the effects this will have on public health.
"The evidence and research is pretty clear, anytime you’re burning coal and using it as an energy source, for all intents and purposes the airborne toxins creates more pollution in the broader area and so we know that does have an effect on individuals health and wellness," said Kenny McMorris, CEO of Charles Drew Health Center.
McMorris says health issues, especially asthma, are prevalent in North and South Omaha. That is due, in part, to issues in the environment.
"Anything that further exacerbates that issue is not a good thing for our community," McMorris said.
"Toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants are linked to increased mortality overall, as well as increased rates of asthma, stroke, heart attacks, lung cancer and even decreased lung function in young children. Asthma and other respiratory problems are especially worsened in areas around coal-fired power plants," Alison Freifeld, a local physician and lobby member for Citizens Climate, said in a statement to 3 News Now.
Freifeld says North Omaha has the highest incidents of asthma in the state — most likely due to the risk factors of the coal-fired power plants along with economic disadvantage, Black race and other social issues.
"Therefore, the health burdens of continued burning coal in North Omaha disproportionately fall on Omaha residents who can least afford it and who are historically marginalized. OPPD and the city need to make every effort to educate residents and mitigate the negative health effects of ongoing coal-fired energy generation at the North Omaha Station. This is a matter of social and environmental justice in our city," Freifeld wrote.
Community members and health officials urge OPPD to find ways they can mitigate the health affect since coal will continue to burn for at least three years.
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