Neighboring company raises issues regarding proposed second Lordstown power plant


Staff report

LORDSTOWN

Vienna Investments, owner of a building leased to Magna Seating of Henn Parkway, has filed a request to be a formal party when the Ohio Power Siting Board has a final hearing to decide whether to allow Clean Energy Future to build a second gas-fired power plant in the Lordstown Industrial Park.

The petition asks that Vienna Investments be permitted to participate when the siting board has an adjudicatory hearing in the Public Utilities Commission offices in Columbus at 10 a.m. Aug. 10.

That is a hearing where evidence is presented, and the parties can testify and cross-examine other parties. A decision on whether to allow Vienna Investments to participate in the hearing has not been made.

Before the adjudicatory hearing, there also will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. July 25 at Lordstown High School on Salt Springs Road. That is the hearing for the public to offer feedback on the project, known as the Trumbull Energy Center.

Magna Seating is a quarter mile from the proposed second power plant and next to the first power plant, called the Lordstown Energy Center, which is under construction.

The petition says Vienna Investments wants to participate in the proceedings “in order to ensure that the construction ... is done in a manner that is safe” and for other reasons.

The petition says Clean Energy Future has not sought modification of the requirements and restrictions of the Lordstown Industrial Park, as it did with the first project.

“The fear is that just as it has ignored the covenants and restrictions governing the use of the real property, Clean Energy Future-Trumbull may likewise ignore other aspects impacting Vienna [Investments] and the Lordstown Industrial Park as a whole,” the petition says.

Bill Siderewicz, president of Clean Energy Future, said Clean Energy Future did not seek modification of the industrial park requirements because the first request also covered the second plant.

He added that the petition fails to provide any specifics as to what safety issue Vienna Investments thinks exists. And Magna seating, which is the employer of the people working in the building, has not raised any safety concerns.