The massive facility that dominates the landscape of rural Monroe County will keep its towering smokestacks running.

Despite earlier plans pointing toward retirement, Georgia Power filings confirm Plant Scherer will remain operational, a move that keeps the coal giant running just minutes from downtown Juliette, a picturesque community of 3,000 best known as the movie backdrop for Fried Green Tomatoes.

For some families living near the mega-plant, the extended lifespan is a bitter development. For more than a decade, neighbors have argued that hosting the largest coal-burning operation in the Americas has come at a grave cost to their health and groundwater.