COLUMBUS — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued a 12-month extension to American Municipal Power in regards to its original air permit-to-install.

The Ohio EPA issued the extension on July 10 for AMP’s American Municipal Power Generating Station coal-fired power plant proposed for Letart Falls.

Erin Strouse, spokesperson for the Ohio EPA, said the original PTI was issued on Feb. 7, 2008 and a term of that issuance was that construction must begin within 18 months of the issue date or otherwise the PTI expires. Strouse said there’s a provision in the PTI that states if construction is not started within that 18 months, the company can request a 12-month extension, which AMP requested.

“The project is moving forward, we have a contractor, we have the contract we’ve executed with Hitachi, things are moving along but we were coming up on that 18-month window,” Kent Carson, communications director for AMP said. “Plus, we had that administrative modification on the air permit that hasn’t been finalized yet so we asked for an extension so that we have time to get all our T’s crossed and I’s dotted.”

Carson, who spoke to The Daily Sentinel from AMP’s new offices at 111 Schrock Road in Westerville, said the company still anticipates a ground breaking in Letart Falls in the late fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2010.

Comments about the extension may be directed to Cara Cherry at Ohio EPA DAPC, Southeast District Office, 2195 Front Street or 740-385-8501. A copy of the time extension can be downloaded at www.EPA.STATE.OH.US/DAPC.

The PTI remains under appeal by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Ohio Environmental Council, Sierra Club and National Parks Conservation Association located in Knoxville, Tenn.