Homer City power plant: Citizens group to meet ahead of DEP pipeline hearing

A citizens group, Concerned Residents of Western PA, is mobilizing ahead of a May 12 public hearing by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding a 5.8-mile natural gas pipeline. The pipeline is intended to feed a proposed 4.5-gigawatt power plant and associated data centers in Homer City, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The group plans a meeting on Sunday in Indiana borough to inform residents and prepare for the DEP hearing. The DEP hearing will specifically address a federal permit application for the pipeline's construction, which involves the discharge of stormwater into local waterways like Muddy Run and Blacklick Creek. Opponents, including environmental organizations like Three Rivers Waterkeepers, PennFuture, Clean Air Council, Mountain Watershed Association, and Protect PT, argue that the project's impact, such as clearing 25 acres of trees and maintaining a right-of-way, could negatively affect water quality and temperature, especially for cold-water fisheries. These groups are urging the DEP to deem the permit application incomplete, requiring further thermal analysis and enforceable conditions to ensure compliance with state water quality standards. Leigh Hendrix, a member of Concerned Residents, emphasized the importance of community discussion on the power plant's impacts. A rally against the proposed Homer City power plant is also scheduled for May 12, prior to the DEP hearing, highlighting the community's ongoing resistance.