On June 24, Medicine Bow Fuel and Power LLC will host a biannual meeting as part of the permit process for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality/Industrial Siting Council (DEQ/ISC).
The meeting, to be held from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Medicine Bow Community Center, (221 Pine St., Medicine Bow) is a progress report which will include a timeline with critical path key dates, according to a public notice advertisement running in the Saratoga Sun.
Condition 18 of Permit DEQ/ISC 07-01 required Medicine Bow Fuel and Power, a subsidiary of DKRW, to host a meeting every six months.
Medicine Bow Councilwoman Kenda Colman was not aware the June meeting had been set until she was contacted by the Saratoga Sun. She is hopeful the company is still on track to begin building in the spring of 2016.
Her concern now, is when can the town of Medicine Bow plan on having an influx of workers. Colman said she asked the Industrial Siting Council when the impact plan goes into the place and she was told six months before construction.
Colman does not believe that is enough time for the town, let alone Carbon County, to prepare for the influx of workers that will be coming to build the coal-to-gasification plant.
The impact to Medicine Bow will more than triple their population. Medicine Bow currently has a population of 284 and an estimated 2,500 workers are expected to help in the construction phase. Of course, all 2,500 won’t come at once, Colman said, but the increase in population will still have a large impact on the small town.
Many factors are in place, Colman said, because the town of Medicine Bow has been preparing.
A builder has agreed to come in and build, once the ISC lets the town know that Medicine Bow Fuel and Power is going forward.
Medicine Bow has used the last several years to update the water and sewer system, get in high-speed internet – something Colman didn’t ever think was even possible – and have five choices of internet options.
“It’s a far cry better than the dial up service,” Colman said.
Union Wireless has installed a 4G tower, according to Colman.
Colman said she stays positive about Medicine Bow Fuel and Power coming to Medicine Bow because they have never once said, “we are not coming”.
“We don’t need any more harassment,” Colman said, “we need encouragement.”
She has been getting some of that too. Colman has joked that when Medicine Bow Fuel and Power broke ground, she planned to wear a pair of ruby red slippers.
After Morgan Irene was re-elected as Elk Mountain’s Mayor, Colman received a package from Irene – size 10 ruby red slippers.
Colman said she recognizes that a project of this size takes time, and she has been patiently waiting and staying positive. “Wyoming needs this company,” Colman said.
Colman, who has been Medicine Bow Fuel and Power’s cheerleader despite all the negativity said, “If we don’t promote ourselves, who will?”
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