Judge chosen for appeal of Kinder Morgan permit appeal

An administrative law judge is scheduled to hear an appeal in May from developers seeking a state permit to build a power plant in Cape Girardeau County.

At issue is a five-month-old appeal by Kinder Morgan Power Co. which wants the Missouri Air Conservation Commission to allow it to build a $300 million electric-generating plant near Crump, Mo.

The company filed the appeal last year after the Missouri Department of Natural Resources refused to grant a permit, citing concern about possible smog-producing emissions. The DNR wants Kinder Morgan to make design changes to better control emissions.

The hearing was scheduled to begin on April 16.

But it's now been rescheduled to start May 13 at the Governor Hotel state office building in Jefferson City, DNR officials said. Administrative law judge John Springborn of St. Louis will preside at the hearing, which is scheduled to last five days.

The judge ultimately will make a recommendation to the Air Conservation Commission which will make the final ruling.