Aug. 21--What: Public hearing tonight for SunCoke Energy's permit for its proposed $340 million coke-making and heat recovery electric cogeneration plant. Meeting set for 6:30 p.m. today, Aug. 21 at Miami University Middletown.

The owner: Middletown Coke Company, a subsidiary of SunCoke Energy Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn. SunCoke's parent company is Sunoco Oil of Philadelphia. SunCoke will design, build and operate the state of the art, 100-oven coke-making and heat recovery electric co-generation plant. The facility is tentatively set to be built on Yankee Road.

Total investment: $340 million to $350 million to build facility.

Local economic impact: $65 million during the 12- to 18-month construction period once all local, state and federal permits are secured. SunCoke estimates 70 to 80 permanent, full-time jobs will be created. In 2007, employees at its Haverhill, Ohio, facility averaged more than $63,000 in pay.

Other ecomonic impacts: AK Steel Corp. has a 20-year contract to be SunCoke's exclusive customer for the coke and electricity that is produced at the Middletown facility. This will lower operating costs, increase production and improve the long-term viability of AK Steel's Middletown Works and its more than 2,000 hourly employees. Also, AK will continue to maintain its current coke making operations.

Coke and electric production: Once completed, the facility will be able to produce about 550,000 tons of coke a year as well as 360 pounds per hour of steam that can be converted into 50 megawatts of electricity -- the equivalent of powering 40,000 homes.

Ohio EPA hearing: The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public information and hearing session regarding the air permit for the proposed coke plant to be built in Middletown at 6:30 p.m. today, Aug. 21, at the Dave Finkelman Auditorium, Miami University Middletown, 4200 E. University Blvd.

"We think this is a good permit. We've done the research. If we didn't, we wouldn't have issued the draft," said agency spokeswoman Heather Lauer.

What will be discussed: Agency representatives will answer audience questions about the proposed coke plant. The Ohio EPA is to consider comments about how the proposed air pollution controls will be protective of people's health and the environment; whether appropriate air pollution controls are required to be installed; and whether all sources of pollution have been identified and characterized on the draft permit. Speakers are limited to between three and five minutes to give their testimony on these issues, state EPA officials said.

Not to be discussed: Issues that fall outside of the EPA's scope include concerns of truck traffic, noise, jobs, economic development, property values or the popularity of the proposed project. Residents are asked not to discuss these issues at the hearing.

Submit testimony: Those not attending the meeting may submit written testimony until 5 p.m. Aug. 28. Mail comments to: Mike Ploetz of the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services, 250 William Howard Taft Road, Cincinnati, OH 45219; or fax (513) 946-7778.

View the draft permit: The draft permit is available to view at www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/ middletowncoke.html.

What happens after the hearing: After the hearing and end date for written testimony, Ohio EPA officials will review testimony and issue a document answering questions raised about the permit. The document will be posted on the Ohio EPA's Web site.

Based on testimony and research, agency officials will send the Ohio EPA director a document on what the agency should do. The director has three options: approve the permit, approve the permit with modifications or issue a proposed denial of the permit, which would result in another hearing.