KDSN RADIO News
Study: Proposed power plant near Cedar Rapids could be aircraft hazard
A new study warns that a proposed gas-fired power plant near the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids could present risks for pilots.
The airport commissioned the study to determine whether the plant would be compatible with its regular operations.
Airport director Marty Lenss says the study shows the plant’s tall smokestacks and their thermal plumes might impact aircraft safety.
“Business jet traffic in the traffic pattern will be less than 500-foot clearance from that obstacle,” Lenss says, “so that was the one item that surprised me, because that would have an impact to our standard traffic patterns.”
Alliant Energy proposes building the plant just under two miles from the end of a runway that is currently being built.
Lenss says those smokestacks and their emissions so close to the airport could increase turbulence and reduce visibility for pilots.
He says, “Some of these, naturally, maybe are more of an impact than others, but they all have some level of impact that we have to individually go through, talk about, analyze, and mitigate in some manner.”
An Alliant spokesperson says the utility is still in the process of selecting a site for the proposed facility and is working with the airport to arrive at the best outcome.
(James Kelley, Iowa Public Radio)
