This article originally provided by Americanprogressaction.org

November 7, 2007

Coal Industry-funded Ad Falsely Claims Kansas Governor is Helping Ahmadinejad, Putin, and Chavez

Last month, Kansas Department of Health and Energy Secretary Roderick Bremby denied permits to two 700-megawatt coal-burning power plants near Holcomb, KS, "citing health and environmental concerns associated with carbon dioxide emissions." The decision was "the first time a coal plant air permit application has ever been denied on the basis of CO2 emissions." Bremby's decision was supported by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D). Earlier this week, a group called Kansans for Affordable Energy, which is partially funded by Sunflower Electric Power Corp. and Peabody Coal Co., ran a full page ad against the decision in local Kansas newspapers, implying that it will please Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and Russian President Vladimir Putin because it "means Kansas will import more natural gas from countries like Russia, Venezuela and Iran." The ad is being criticized as misleading because "Kansas currently exports natural gas to other states" and "the United States does not currently import natural gas from Russia, Venezuela or Iran." Sebelius denounced the ad as "over-the-top nonsense." Source: Americanprogressaction.org