By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — The Sierra Club and Arkansas Audubon are asking a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order to halt construction of a coal-fired power plant in southwestern Arkansas.

The groups said today they filed a motion for the order Friday in U.S. District Court in Texarkana.

They asked for an expedited hearing, arguing that wetlands at the plant’s construction site in Hempstead County are in immediate danger of irreparable harm.

The Sierra Club and Arkansas Audubon filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in February in an effort to halt construction of the 600-megawatt John W. Turk plant. The suit asked for a permanent injunction. But Lev Guter, a field organizer for the Sierra Club, said today that immediate action is needed with the temporary restraining order.

SWEPCO spokesman Peter Main said the company intends to continue with construction so it can meet its commitments.

“A temporary restraining order is an extraordinary remedy that is rarely ordered by the courts, and we do not believe the plaintiffs have satisfied the high standards required to support such an order,” he said.

Earlier this year, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the state Public Service Commission did not follow proper procedures when it granted a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for the Turk plant.

SWEPCO, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, said subsequently it will sell all electricity generated by the plant out of state and therefore does not need a permit from the PSC.