EC March 2009

ec@lists.wvsierraclub.org

12 participants
28 discussions

Fwd: Policy on Electric Transmission Lines: Sign on letter
by James Kotcon 20 Mar '09

20 Mar '09

The attached sign-on letter to Carol Browner outlines a consensus position among many national environmental organizations regarding new transmission lines. Obama and key congressional leaders are supporting new transmission for "renewable energy zones", as well as "Smart Grid" development. Those are not the same thing, and it is important to note that lines like PATH and TrAIL are neither. They are the epitome of "Dumb Grid" development, i.e., building new lines without any integrated planning. Building these is just stupid, and adding a tax makes them even worse. How to finesse this distinction is a challenge, so hopefully this letter will be useful, and can give you helpful sound bites. JBK >>> "Glen Besa" <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org> 3/17/2009 11:23 PM >>> See attached letter that Sierra Club signed on to. Glen Besa, Chapter Director Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter 422 East Franklin Street, Suite 302 Richmond, VA 23219 O-804-225-9113 x 104 F-804-225-9114 C-804-387-6001 glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -- Margaret Fuller

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Re: [EC] Important development in Mingo TransGas
by James Kotcon 20 Mar '09

20 Mar '09

--- On Wed, 3/18/09, James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> wrote: From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> Subject: Re: Important development in Mingo TransGas To: Andrea.Issod(a)sierraclub.org, bill.price(a)sierraclub.org, glen.hooks(a)sierraclub.org, tim.guilfoile(a)sierraclub.org, jkotcon(a)wvu.edu, jim_scon(a)yahoo.com Cc: emily.ulmer(a)sierraclub.org, Pat.Gallagher(a)sierraclub.org Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 4:07 PM Please note that HB 3081 was introduced in the WV Legislature on March 11. It would exempt the first "Coal-To-Liquid" facility in the state that produces at least 30,000 barrels per day from corporate net income tax for four years, exempts severance taxes on the coal mined for such a plant, and guarantees that the State would purchase all of the gasoline or diesel fuel from such a plant for four years "at the price of $2.25 per gallon or at a competitive rate as deemed by the state". Sponsors are Delegates McGeehan, Kominar, Moore, Boggs, Armstead, Shott, and Shook. The good news is that none of these guys are high up in the leadership, so we have a chance to kill it. Start pouring in those letters and phone calls. Jim Kotcon >>> Sent by <Andrea.Issod(a)sierraclub.org> 3/18/2009 3:49 PM >>> Emily just learned from WV DAQ engineer Joe Kessler that TransGas is trying to get its Mingo plant permitted as a minor source. A minor source is not subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements to use Best Available Control Technology (BACT) to set emission limits, and it does not have to perform any air quality analysis. Thats right, they are saying they are not requiring any modeling from this monster. The reason we're given is because it's using a new process called Methanol To Gas (MTG) instead of the more common Fischer-Trope process. Where Fischer-Trope generates a lot of excess tailgas that must be disposed of through flaring (burning it up), they say the MTG process is more efficient because the off-gas from the process is continually re-circulated and emissions are thus much reduced. We have retained an engineer to look at the application to advise us the best arguments to submit to DAQ on why this should be treated as a major source. Hopefully we will have those comments into DAQ in the next few weeks before any further permitting activity -- and you all can do some organizing and press about these. You all might want to contact the DAQ about this issue and express that all similar sources are treated as major sources, demand more information, etc. Definitely let us know what you find Joe Kessler, PE Engineer West Virginia Division of Air Quality Phone: (304) 926-0499 x1219 Joseph.r.kessler(a)wv.gov Also, last month we requested certain information that TransGas marked as confidential in the application and the company has finally responded that it will release some of this information. We'll send out when we get it. Best, Andrea Issod Staff Attorney Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 85 Second Street, 2d Floor San Francisco, CA 94105-3441 Phone: (415) 977-5544 Fax: (415) 977-5793 CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION/WORK PRODUCT This e-mail may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or attorney work product. If you receive this e-mail inadvertently, please reply to the sender and delete all versions on your system. Thank you.

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[Fwd: Re: [fom] Big hearing on MTR on Monday]
by Regina Hendrix 19 Mar '09

19 Mar '09

Could this be the beginning of the end?

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Fwd: FYI: Electric Transmission Line Sign on letter
by Paul Wilson 18 Mar '09

18 Mar '09

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Glen Besa <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 11:23 PM Subject: FYI: Electric Transmission Line Sign on letter To: Elena.Saxonhouse(a)sierraclub.org, Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com>, dave o'leary <daveol(a)earthlink.net>, ghookssc(a)earthlink.net, glenbesasc(a)earthlink.net, jkotcon(a)wvu.edu, rmarmet(a)pecva.org, sbruckner(a)cox.net, Robin Mann <robinmann(a)earthlink.net> See attached letter that Sierra Club signed on to. Glen Besa, Chapter Director Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter 422 East Franklin Street, Suite 302 Richmond, VA 23219 O-804-225-9113 x 104 F-804-225-9114 C-804-387-6001 glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -- Margaret Fuller -----Original Message----- From: State Directors [mailto:CONS-MARVIN@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG] On Behalf Of Paula Carrell Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 2:37 PM To: CONS-MARVIN(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Subject: Electric Transmission Line Issues Marvins: I think that a number of you have been/are dealing with new Transmission line issues, and the Club's (nuanced) policy on construction of new lines (sort of "YES--or sometimes NO-- but . . ." ) has not been all that clear. I hope the attached multi-org letter will help a bit to clarify where we are and what we want. Whether we can get what we want -- sequencing of policy adoption at the federal level is critical and difficult -- is another question. paula (See attached file: Browner transmission letter FINAL.pdf) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-MARVIN list, send any message to: CONS-MARVIN-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha

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Fw: Summary of the latest science on the climate catastrophe
by Jim Sconyers 14 Mar '09

14 Mar '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Sat, 3/14/09, Jim Stewart <Jim(a)EARTHDAYLA.ORG> wrote: From: Jim Stewart <Jim(a)EARTHDAYLA.ORG> Subject: Summary of the latest science on the climate catastrophe To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009, 3:48 PM Summary of the latest science on the climate catastropheDear Team, Attached are important articles (plus a link at bottom of this email to a 3-minute audio tape) summarizing the results of the emergency gathering of 2500 climate scientists from around the world March 10-12, 2009, in Copenhagen. Key points and links are provided below. Carbon Output Must Near Zero To Avert Danger, New Studies Say By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, March 10, 2008; A01 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/09/AR200803090… Key Messages from the Climate Congress 12 March 2009 http://climatecongress.ku.dk/newsroom/congress_key_messages/ - As a result of the acceleration of outlet glaciers over large regions, the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are already contributing more and faster to sea level rise than anticipated. - Recent observations confirm that, given high rates of observed emissions, the worst-case IPCC scenario trajectories (or even worse) are being realised. - Rapid, sustained, and effective mitigation based on coordinated global and regional action is required to avoid "dangerous climate change" regardless of how it is defined. Weaker targets for 2020 increase the risk of crossing tipping points and make the task of meeting 2050 targets more difficult. Delay in initiating effective mitigation actions increases significantly the long-term social and economic costs of both adaptation and mitigation. - A common but differentiated mitigation strategy is needed to protect the poor and most vulnerable. - There is no excuse for inaction. Fighting global warming offers growth and development opportunities -Leading economist proposes "Climate Marshall Plan" 12 March 2009. http://climatecongress.ku.dk/newsroom/mitigation_growth_development/ "There is some evidence that harder greenhouse gas targets and regulation may actually increase benefits through improved innovation and distribution of low carbon technologies, and increased revenues from taxes or permits. These revenues can be spent to further support new technology and to lower other indirect taxes, ensuring the fiscal neutrality of these measures", says Terry Barker, Director of Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research. Stern attacks politicians over climate 'devastation' * David Adam in Copenhagen, The Guardian, Friday 13 March 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/13/stern-attacks-politicians… Politicians have failed to take on board the severe consequences of failing to cut world carbon emissions, according to Nicholas Stern, the economist commissioned by Gordon Brown to analyse the impact of climate change. His stark warning about the potentially "devastating" consequences of global warming came as scientists issued a desperate plea last night for world leaders to curb greenhouse gas emissions or face an ecological and social disaster. Time to call it "Climate Breakdown" What's clear from Copenhagen is that policymakers have fallen behind the scientists: global warming is already catastrophic by George Monbiot, Thursday 12 March 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/12/climate-change-copenhag… The more we know, the grimmer it gets. Amazon could shrink by 85% due to climate change, scientists say - Scientists say 4C rise would kill 85% of the Amazon rainforest. - Even modest temperature rise would see 20-40% loss within 100 years. * David Adam in Copenhagen, Wednesday 11 March 2009 14.34 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/11/amazon-global-warming-tre… Severe global warming will render half of world's inhabited areas unlivable, expert warns Parts of China, India and the eastern US could all become too warm (and humid) in summer for people to lose heat by sweating, expert warns. * David Adam in Copenhagen, Thursday 12 March 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/12/global-warming-temp-rise-… Climate change warning: 'We're sick of having our messages lost in political noise' David Adam reports scientists' exasperation at the climate change conference, Audio (2min 45sec), 13 Mar 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/audio/2009/mar/13/climate-change-cope… More articles at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/copenhagen -- Jim Stewart, PhD, Co-chair Sierra Club California Climate-Energy Committee 213-487-9340 Fax: 310-362-8400 Cell: 213-820-4345 1216 S. Westlake Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90006-4118 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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new phone number
by Jim Sconyers 14 Mar '09

14 Mar '09

Hi folks - As of Monday 3/16/2009 I will have a new phone number. This will be my only number. 304-698-9628 Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last.

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TRAILCO - PSC CASE NO 07-0508-E-CN -- CORRECTED SIERRA CLUB PETITION FOR SUSPENSION
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 14 Mar '09

14 Mar '09

I have attached to this email a copy of the Sierra Club's Petition for Suspension and Review which corrects six instances in which the date 2011 was incorrectly typed as 2001. Because it is impossible to mis-spell a date, spell check cannot catch this kind of mistake. Because the date is important for the merits of the petition I have corrected it. Corrected hard copies will be filed at the Supreme Court, served on adverse parties, and filed with the Commission. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience. -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel: 304-342-5588 Fax: 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

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TRAILCO - CASE NO 07-0508-E-CN
by William DePaulo via YouSendIt 13 Mar '09

13 Mar '09

You have a priority delivery from YouSendIt I ATTACH THE SIERRA CLUB'S PETITION FOR SUSPENSION AND REVIEW OF THE AUG 1 08 AND FEB 13 09 ORDERS,<wbr /> AND RELATED DOCUMENTS, FILED TODAY WITH THE PSC AND THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS.<br /> <br<wbr /> /> WILLIAM V. DEPAULO Click here to download file: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/663636387/479a28cc198194016eef22cfa3d0fea7 Sent by: william.depaulo(a)gmail.com File to pick up: 2009 Mar 13 12:33 upload File will remain active for: 14 days File too big for email? Try at http://www.yousendit.com YouSendIt Inc. : http://www.yousendit.com Terms of Service: http://www.yousendit.com/cms/termsofservice Privacy Policy : http://www.yousendit.com/cms/privacypolicy DMCA Policy: http://www.yousendit.com/cms/dmca Opt Out: http://www.yousendit.com/blocking.php?action=optout&email=EC@osenergy.org&k…

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Fw: drafts for two new Activist Network Teams: comments and core team nominations welcome
by Jim Sconyers 13 Mar '09

13 Mar '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Fri, 3/13/09, Fred Heutte <phred(a)SUNLIGHTDATA.COM> wrote: From: Fred Heutte <phred(a)SUNLIGHTDATA.COM> Subject: drafts for two new Activist Network Teams: comments and core team nominations welcome To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Friday, March 13, 2009, 4:29 AM Dear all, We're now ready to move forward in setting up teams in the Activist Network to cover the broad issues of global warming and energy. After our conference call last month (thanks for all the great discussion) and a lot of consultation we are proposing not one but two new Activist Network teams: * Clean Technology Team The Clean Tech Team will primarily focus on technical assessment and presentation on important issues of interest to the Club and especially chapters, national campaigns and other teams. * Energy Chairs Team The Energy Chairs Team will help coordinate work at the chapter level and provide links and a voice to energy chairs and other volunteers at the national level. These are not mutually exclusive and will be able to coordinate their work. See below for further details. Each Team will have a core of 6 to 10 members who are responsible for team planning and oversight. Please nominate yourself or others if interested in being part of a core team -- we'll accept nominations received by next Monday, March 16 to phred(a)sunlightdata.com, with a short note indicating your interest and background and the team you are interested in. Further core team appointments may come later. We thank the CNRCC for their nominations which have already been received. Final recommendations will be made to the Activist Network Support Team when we submit the team charges next week. If you have questions or comments, please send them asap. regards, Fred on behalf of Global Warming & Energy Committee and members of the former Smart Energy Solutions CIC ================================================== Proposals for Clean Tech Team and Energy Chairs Team Drafts below as of: March 12, 2009 Will be finalized: March 16, 2009 Core team members (about 6 to 10) will be responsible for team planning and management. You do not need to be a member of the core team to participate in the team. Broad participation is strongly encouraged. Please send additional core team nominations to phred(a)sunlightdata.com by Monday, March 16 ================================================== DRAFT A: Clean Technology Team 1. What is your team's goal? The goal of the Clean Technology Team is: To broaden understanding of key technology opportunities and issues to create a sustainable, equitable and clean energy system and reduce the risks of climate change. 2. What is your team's purpose? * To inform Club activists, members, entities and the public with accurate and accessible information about important energy technology opportunities and issues. * To draw on the experience and knowledge of Club volunteers and staff alike to develop a full understanding of key energy technology issues. 3. What is the scope of your team's work? Regional? National? The scope of the team’s work is national and, in fact, international in that energy technology development, opportunities and problems occur globally, but the emphasis will be on technologies and issues directly affecting the US. The team can respond to requests for assessments from the National Board as well as setting out its own research agenda, and will coordinate with the national campaigns and other Club entities, including the Energy Chairs Team. 4. What have you accomplished in 2008 and in the past few years? The immediate predecessor of this team was the Global Warming & Energy Committee. In addition to developing the Energy Resources Policy in 2006, which covered a complete spectrum of energy technologies, GWE also developed or participated in the Wind Resource Guidance, the national policy on Carbon Markets, CFL Guidelines, Biomass Guidance, the forthcoming Landfill-Gas-to-Energy policy, and consultations on numerous other issues involving technical and policy assessments. 5. What are you going to be working on in 2009? The first task will be setting a research agenda by identifying technologies and issues of interest, and selecting an initial set for study and reporting based on immediacy, impact and the availability of interest and expertise. 6. How can volunteers get involved? Tasks/opportunities for new volunteers: Provide questions on energy technologies that arise from work at the chapter or other level and would help advance that work. Identify local experts to assist with team assessment efforts. Distribute assessment results locally to inform Club members, the public and decision-makers about key energy opportunities and issues. Tasks/opportunities for experienced volunteers: Provide access to the team for new volunteers and general members. Help shape the research agenda and priorities. Provide own technical knowledge and experience. Distribute results widely through all available Club communication methods and entities. Tasks/opportunities for leaders: Organize and manage the team. Insure access and accountability to chapter and other volunteers, other Club entities, the Activist Network Support Team and the National Board. Set a research agenda, assign subteams and tasks, and shape reports and other outcomes. Establish a budget and seek funding. Seek assistance from outside scientists and other professionals, and links to outside technical groups and organizations. 7. What resources does your team want to share and/or develop? Driven by needs expressed by other Club entities, particularly chapters, campaigns and the National Board. 8. Who is on your core team? Core team members are: Paul Craig, CA David Reister, TN Dick Ball, VA Dick Fiddler, WA [others TBA, please send nominations to phred(a)sunlightdata.com by Monday, March 16] 9. Notes and Questions ================================================== DRAFT B: Energy Chairs Team 1. What is your team's goal? The goal of the Energy Chairs Team is: To strengthen chapter energy and global warming research, education, activism and organizing and contribute to the Sierra Club’s overall effort to create a sustainable, equitable and clean energy system and reduce the risks of climate change. 2. What is your team's purpose? * To assist chapter Energy Chairs by providing information, access to expertise, a sounding board and a communications path to coordinate efforts across chapters. * To give Energy Chairs an arena to discuss issues and communicate views and concerns to other Club entities including the National Board, chapters, national campaigns and other Activist Network teams. * To provide a venue for other Club volunteers and staff to interact with and provide assistance to Energy Chairs. 3. What is the scope of your team's work? Regional? National? The scope of the team’s work is national but organized to focus on chapter level activities. 4. What have you accomplished in 2008 and in the past few years? The predecessors of this team were the Global Warming & Energy Committee (GWE) and Smart Energy Solutions Conservation Initiative Committee (SESCIC). Those national committees provided information, funded specific projects and in other ways assisted chapter energy and global warming efforts. GWE launched the Energy Chairs Task Force to gain advice on these issues, and established the Energy Chairs listserv which continues to function. SESCIC provided funding and technical assistance for many chapter energy and global warming related projects in 2005-2008. 5. What are you going to be working on in 2009? To be determined. Initial efforts will focus on organizing the team and setting an initial agenda of topics to consider that would assist chapter energy and global warming efforts. Some work can be coordinated with the Energy Technology Team. 6. How can volunteers get involved? Tasks/opportunities for new volunteers: Provide questions on energy issues that arise from work at the chapter level and would help advance that work. Learn about key energy and global warming issues, policies and technologies. Identify local experts to assist with team efforts. Assist Energy Chairs in working with chapters to disseminate information and resources. Team involvement can be a ladder of engagement for new volunteers to become Energy Chairs in their chapters. Tasks/opportunities for experienced volunteers: Many experienced volunteers will be Energy Chairs or serve similar chapter functions. Provide access to the team for new volunteers and general members. Help shape the team agenda and priorities. Provide own technical knowledge and experience. Distribute results widely through all available Club communication methods and entities. Help develop and shape chapter energy and global warming efforts. Tasks/opportunities for leaders: Organize and manage the team. Insure access and accountability to chapter and other volunteers, other Club entities, the Activist Network Support Team and the National Board. Set an agenda, assign subteams and tasks, and shape reports and other outcomes. Establish a budget and seek funding. Seek assistance from other Club entities, including the Energy Technology Team. Coordinate with other areas of the Club working on forest, lands, transportation, environmental justice, fair trade, public involvement and governance issues. 7. What resources does your team want to share and/or develop? Driven by needs expressed by Energy Chairs and by other Club entities, particularly chapters. 8. Who is on your core team? Core team members are: Joan Saxe, ME Wallace McMullen, KY [others TBA, please send nominations to phred(a)sunlightdata.com by Monday, March 16] 9. Notes and Questions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

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[Fwd: FW: Full story and slideshow onColumbus Dispatch]
by Regina Hendrix 10 Mar '09

10 Mar '09

FYI. A part of this story ran on the front page of the Gazette this A.M. Regina

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EC March 2009