The rural character of South Heart could change as soon as next week, now that GTL Energy has the OK to construct a coal dewatering plant five miles southwest of the community.

On Tuesday, the Stark County Commission approved zoning for a Colorado company to build a small coal processing plant that will squeeze water from lignite to make it burn cleaner and hotter.

The company said it could start pouring concrete next week and build the plant this winter. It intends to perfect the dewatering process on coal samples and then transport the technology to coal users, who could be as near as Red Trail Energy in Richardton and as far away as China.

It will be the first of what could become a large-scale industrial zone near South Heart.

Stark County has already approved conditional zoning for a 17-section coal mine for Great Northern Power Development. That company intends to mine up to 4 million tons of lignite annually and gasify it into a synthetic natural gas.

Plans for the gasification plant are still in development and Great Northern continues to delay making a formal mine permit application with the Public Service Commission.

GTL Energy will provide dewatering technology for the Great Northern project. The dewatering plant will be built on 40 acres adjacent to the proposed coal mine.

Mary Hodell, a member of Neighbors United, said the zoning approval resulted in "a lot of disappointment in the group right now."

She said the neighbors hoped the county would get more information about any state permits before proceeding.

Hodell said Neighbors United wants to know more about the water that will leave the dewatering plant and be held in a pond before overflowing into the Heart River.

Hodell said the county's assurance to the Neighbors United is that the State Health Department will handle those matters. "But we don't know if they (health department) will be involved. We wish they would have told them to get the permits and then we'll talk."

Stark County Commissioner George Nodland said opposition from Neighbors United represents only a small number of families who live near the South Heart site.

"Widespread, there is a lot of support. I heard 10 to one in favor on this project since the last (zoning) meeting," Nodland said.

He said this zoning decision was easier to make than the one for the coal mine, because it's an experimental plant to develop clean coal technology.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511 or lauren@westriv.com.)