Coal drying plant opponents sue over zoning change in Stark County
By APThursday, October 29, 2009
Coal drying plant opponents sue over zoning
DICKINSON, N.D. — Opponents of a coal drying plant in southwestern North Dakota say they are suing to overturn a zoning change for the plant.
The lawsuit filed by Neighbors United, the Dacotah Chapter of the Sierra Club and Badlands Area Resource Council seeks to overturn the rezoning of Stark County land from farm use to industrial use for the proposed GTL Energy USA Ltd plant.
The lawsuit accuses the county of illegally singling out a small area for treatment that is discriminatory.
The plant is being built about five miles southwest of South Heart.
An earlier county attempt to rezone the land was thrown out on procedural grounds. The county then changed a requirement that all adjoining landowners must approve the change, and moved ahead with the rezoning.
