KVOA

Posted: Nov 6, 2009 5:34 PM
Updated: Nov 6, 2009 8:21 PM

A few doctors against the proposal for the Las Brisas Energy Center expressed their concerns at a hearing Friday.     

"There's no question that their have been studies out that suggest that the types of matter that are coming out of this plant increase deaths from cardiovascular disease, and increase deaths from lung disease and that's our problem with this plants" said Dr. Gregg Silverman with the Nueces County Medical Society.

The hearing has been going all week in the room behind me and will continue next week. We tried to contact someone from Las Brisas, and they said they had no comment.

"The total combined pollution of our seven existing refineries, the pollution and particulate matter that's put into the environment by those refineries operating on an annual basis will be a little bit less than the total particulate contamination of the Las Brisas power plant," Dr. John Mckeever with the Nueces County Medical Society.

Doctors say that everyone in Corpus Christi will be seeing the negative effects of the plant if it's built.

"Nobody in Corpus Christi is going to be more than 15 miles away from this plant. It's going to affect us all," Dr. Wesley Stafford with the Nueces County Medical Society.

The judges will issue what's known as a proposal for decision typically within 60 days. The proposal is only a recommendation. Parties can file objections to it within another 30 day window. The proposal and objections then goes to TCEQ for the final say. The hearing will continue all next week at the Del Mar Business Development Center.