The Sierra Club says it has won from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversal of a lower court ruling that prevented it from attempting to review documents about the operation of Entergy’s two coal-fired power plants in Arkansas.

The decision gives the Sierra Club the right to intervene in the case and then seek the documents.

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Said the Sierra Club in a statement by Director Glen Hooks:

“We’re very pleased with the 5th Circuit Court’s decision – it’s the first step to making public how a number of Entergy’s plants may have increased their emissions and ultimately push the company to clean up.

“Entergy operates some of the largest and dirtiest power plants in the country. The company’s fleet includes two giant coal plants that emit 75 percent of the sulfur dioxide pollution in Arkansas. Entergy also operates a coal plant in Louisiana with a 30-year record of polluting Calcasieu Parish – putting the historic African American community of Mossville at risk. The EPA began an investigation of these plants because it had reason to believe they were not meeting clean air safeguards. The agency obtained thousands of pages of documents from Entergy, and Sierra Club used our country’s open records laws to try to bring them to light. Entergy sued to keep them secret.

“The Sierra Club, concerned with the company’s behavior to try and keep the documents secret and with EPA foot dragging, tried to intervene but was initially denied the ability to participate by a district court. Today’s decision reverses the decision of the district court,allowing the Sierra Club and those affected by the pollution to fight to access the records and push strong action to clean the air around Entergy’s plants.”

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