Tell OPPD to Keep Their Promises

In 2014, the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) promised to retire its North Omaha coal plant by 2023. This coal-fired power plant has been a major source of pollution in the North Omaha area for years, sending soot, mercury and other toxins into the air, water and soil - and into children's lungs. This pollution has led to high rates of asthma, heart and lung disease and premature deaths for people in the area. This is a significant environmental justice issue. In addition, continuing to burn coal sends millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, further aggravating the causes of the climate crisis. 

However, now OPPD is saying that they have to keep burning coal at its North Omaha plant. The OPPD board is currently planning to make a decision about this issue at its meeting on Thursday, August 18th. 

Please contact the OPPD board here https://ww3.oppd.com/contact-management/ and tell them to postpone their decision for at least one month to allow opportunities for public input into this process. Here are some reasons:

1. The public is largely unaware of this issue. OPPD should conduct open houses and send out information about this issue to people who may be impacted. OPPD is owned by its customers and public engagement will lead to better decisions for everyone involved.

2. Additional time is needed to develop a well-defined mitigation plan for the benefit of residents of the area, such as programs to help reduce air pollution in homes and businesses, programs to help people reduce their energy bills, residential and community solar incentives and health screenings for residents. 

3. The people of North Omaha feel there has been a violation of trust with their community because of this plan to continue burning coal at this plant. Engaging in a robust outreach and engagement process can be part of restoring faith with the community.

Please contact the OPPD board today and tell them to honor their promises to care for the earth and their customer owners. Start by clicking here https://ww3.oppd.com/contact-management/ and then click on the white box next to the names of the people you want to receive your message and scroll down to write your message. You can use your own words or copy and paste some of what is in this email above and send that to them. 

Ken Winston
Director of Policy and Outreach