--- 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.