EC April 2009

ec@lists.wvsierraclub.org

9 participants
31 discussions

MIC Release in Kanawha Valley
by Regina Hendrix 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200904210312 This gives pretty thorough coverage of the August accident and reveals there was another release in September which Bayer didn't report. The citizens only learned of it because two of the employees went to the hospital afterward. Regina

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[Fwd: Re: [fom] WV Public Radio:]
by Regina Hendrix 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

I think this is a wonderful idea that Carol has.. What's the best way to go about it? If we had federal primacy, maybe we could learn what and how much is being stored here in Kanawha Valley, that is, besides large quantities of MIC and no one knows how much phosgene. Since DEP has staffing issues we could save the taxpayer some money by having EPA take over. Regina

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Fwd: E&E: 'Propaganda war' over coal escalates ahead of Hill climate debate
by Paul Wilson 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

fyi, for those of you who are not on this list. paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Fred Heutte <phred(a)sunlightdata.com> Date: Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 6:22 PM Subject: E&E: 'Propaganda war' over coal escalates ahead of Hill climate debate To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS(a)lists.sierraclub.org 'Propaganda war' over coal escalates ahead of Hill climate debate Anne C. Mulkern, E&E reporter Ads displayed at Washington subway stops and airing on national television call "clean coal" a myth. Tell that to President Obama, his Cabinet secretaries and members of Congress. Five months into an advertising war on coal, the phrase "clean coal" not only endures, it has become political shorthand. Everyone -- from Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar -- refers to clean coal or clean coal technology. Environmentalists call the "clean coal" rhetoric dangerous, saying it creates complacency about the need to move toward true carbon-free energy. Policymakers, environmentalists say, know that coal remains one of the most polluting sources of energy. The word war over coal is escalating. There are billions of dollars at stake, as Congress moves toward historic legislation that could decide winners and losers in the green energy economy. Already, there are signs of small victories by the coal camp. "To a certain extent, it is a propaganda war," said Kenneth Green, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank. "The coal industry believes the environmental community wants to put it out of business. The environmental groups are afraid the clean coal concept is appealing enough to lawmakers, it will stymie their progress in getting rid of coal." Coal's boosters and its critics are vying to shape public perception about the fuel. For coal, winning the battle could mean securing billions of dollars for years to come. Coal companies want federal money for research on removing and sequestering carbon emissions and to preserve their position as dominant players in the United States' energy supply. Meanwhile, environmentalists are hungry to minimize the role of polluting fossil fuels and capture federal money for wind, solar, other renewable power sources and conservation efforts. Both sides are spending tens of millions of dollars in the fight. A coalition of coal backers spent about $38 million on advertising last year and another $9.9 million on lobbying. That compares with the $93,000 spent annually on lobbying from 2002 through 2007. Groups that say "clean coal" is not economically viable have also escalated their efforts. After coal supporters ran television ads last fall, a coalition of environmental groups joined with Vice President Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection and started the Reality Coalition. It began airing ads declaring, "There's no such thing as clean coal." That slogan is based on the fact that no commercial-scale plant exists that removes and sequesters carbon emissions from coal. The Reality Coalition will not reveal how much money it is spending but said its advertising purchases are "competitive" with the coal industry's buys. At the heart of the battle are the phrases "clean coal" and "clean coal technology" that linguists find particularly potent. "The image is 'You can wash it, you can make coal clean,'" said George Lakoff, a University of California, Berkeley, professor of cognitive science and linguistics. "Technology is miraculous. All problems are solved by technology." Since most thought is subconscious, he said, that kind of message seeps in and affects people's attitude. Clean also means good, said Deborah Tannen, a linguistics professor at Georgetown University and author of several books, including "The Argument Culture." She said the coal fight is an example of what she writes about in that book. People get two sides of an argument and do not know which is correct, she said. Who's winning? For now, both sides in the coal fight are claiming the edge. There is evidence the coal industry has made inroads. The phrase "clean coal" made its way into four bills so far this year. Two have become law, including the financial stimulus measure that allocates $3.5 billion for research on clean coal technologies. Even when the phrase "clean coal" is omitted, coal is not left out. "Clean coal" does not appear anywhere in the discussion draft of climate legislation from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. But the rough draft talks about grants for research and development on carbon capture and sequestration, which would be funded through assessments on energy producers. That language came as the result of talks between Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.); Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; and Rep. Rick Boucher, (D-Va.), a coal industry supporter. The draft does not designate a dollar amount for those grants. Separate legislation from Boucher proposes about $1 billion annually. "Coal is America's most abundant domestic fuel, and today, coal accounts for more than one-half of the fuel used for electricity generation," Boucher said when he introduced that bill. "Given our large coal reserves, its lower cost in comparison with other fuels and the inadequate availability of fuel alternatives, preservation of the ability of electric utilities to continue coal use is essential." Dealing with coal is necessary because it provides about half of the country's electricity and because China, India and other developing nations will keep using it despite the climate change concerns, congressional aides said. "We can do obviously great things with clean energy, but if we don't figure out coal ... on the global warming side and the economics side, we will potentially lose both those battles," said Eben Burnham Snyder, spokesman for Markey's select committee. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, meanwhile, has issued qualified support for carbon sequestration research. Many see that as a significant shift. In a presentation at University of California, Berkeley, before Obama picked him to lead the Energy Department, Chu said, "Coal is my worst nightmare." "As Secretary Chu has said, we need to transform the way we use and produce energy in this country to end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and reduce the threat of pollution," DOE spokeswoman Tiffany Edwards said. "We will do that through investments in clean coal technology to reduce our carbon footprint, while also developing the next generation of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources." Chu also has said it will take at least eight years before a research project could show whether carbon capture would be commercially viable. Poll shows movement Those who accuse the coal industry of trying to falsely portray itself as green acknowledge that the phase "clean coal" has slipped into political speech. But they reject the notion that the coal industry is ready to be part of the green energy economy. When you look at the bigger picture of what Congress has done since January, the real push is toward renewable power, said Brian Hardwick, spokesman for the Reality Coalition. The economic stimulus law provides about $80 billion for renewable power programs, incentives, work on an electricity grid and conservation efforts, Hardwick said. Meanwhile, there is $3.4 billion set aside for research and development to see whether it would be commercially viable to capture and sequester coal's carbon emissions. "We're pretty happy with how that balance worked out," Hardwick said of the stimulus. The coal coalition also said it has seen a shift in its direction. In a September 2007 national poll, opinion leaders opposed the use of coal by a margin of 52 to 46 percent, said Joe Lucas, spokesman for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, or ACCCE, a partnership of industries involved in producing electricity from coal. But when the survey was repeated last October, 72 percent supported using coal and 22 percent opposed, Lucas said. Both sides developed ads they believed would influence voters, journalists and ultimately policymakers. The Reality Coalition hired famed advertising firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which had done the "Truth" anti-smoking campaign. The coalition then hired famed movie-director brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, who directed a spot in which a man sprays an air freshener labeled "clean coal." Dirt comes out of the container as a family of four coughs. The strategy called for humor to pull people into a dry, technical subject, said Mary Anne Hitt, deputy director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. "We hopefully can point out what we consider to be the whole absurdity of clean coal and also engage people on the issue who otherwise might not be paying attention," Hitt said. The coalition also put ads in Washington subway stations featuring a mermaid and space alien holding coal and text declaring, "there's no such thing as clean coal." Obama featured in coal ad But the pro-coal forces have a powerful weapon in their ad effort. Barack Obama, while running for president, spoke about coal at a campaign rally. A coalition representing coal interests repackaged his words into a television ad that is still running. "Clean coal technology is something that can make America energy independent," Obama says in the ad. "This is America. We figured out how to put a man on the moon in 10 years. You can't tell me we can't figure out how to burn coal that we mine right here in the United States of America and make it work." After Obama said those words, the ad wrote itself, Lucas said. Other observers, however, said parsing the president's words shows that he is not saying clean coal exists today. The words in the speech sound as though they were "very carefully calculated, calibrated words, with the judicious use of double negatives. I don't think those words were not chosen judiciously," said Joel Darmstadter, senior fellow at Resources for the Future, nonprofit group that conducts research on energy issues. "Don't tell me that we can't," Darmstadter said, "is different from saying, 'Yes, we can.'" ACCCE designed its ads after using polling and focus groups. The latest ad from the group shows a series of workers and tells viewers how coal powers the U.S. economy, "jobs powered by affordable energy generated by our most abundant fuel, coal, the source of half of our electricity." The ad does not refer to clean coal except for a logo at the end. Hardwick, with the "no such thing as clean coal" ad group, said he believes the ad shows the coal industry knows its "clean coal" ads are not working. And his response to the coal group's latest advertisement indicates where the ad war could be headed. If the industry is going to promote itself as an inexpensive energy source, he said, he will be asking people to consider "the real costs of coal" -- including global warming and natural resources destroyed by mining practices. "As we look to how to build our energy future," Hardwick said, "we have to determine if that's the way we want to go." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS list, send any message to: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.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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[Fwd: [fom] Mountaintop Removal Mining Comic]
by Regina Hendrix 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

Take a look at this one.

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Fwd: Fw: Achieving Aggressive Utility Energy Efficiency Goals
by James Kotcon 17 Apr '09

17 Apr '09

We may be able to use this for appeals challenging "Need" for new power lines. JBK >>> Paula Carrell <Paula.Carrell(a)sierraclub.org> 4/16/2009 3:13 PM >>> NEWS RELEASE Technical contacts: Martin Kushler, 517-655-7037, mgkushler(a)aol.com Dan York, 608-243-1123, dwyork(a)aol.com Press contact: Glee Murray, 202-507-4010, gmurray(a)aceee.org Achieving Aggressive Utility Energy Efficiency Goals: New Study Identifies Top States and Examines Factors Associated with Big Savings Results Washington D.C. (April 16, 2009): The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) today released a new report, Meeting Aggressive New State Goals for Utility-Sector Energy Efficiency: Examining Key Factors Associated With High Savings. This report presents the results of a comprehensive national review of recent accomplishments in utility-sector energy efficiency, and an examination of key factors associated with large savings achievements. In the past few years, high and volatile energy prices, soaring power plant construction costs, and increasing concerns over climate and potential carbon costs have all contributed to a new sense of urgency about the need for energy efficiency, and policymakers in a number of states have responded by setting energy efficiency savings goals at unprecedented levels. The intent of this report is to examine factors that may be important in considering how to achieve those aggressive new goals. Using a combination of expert review and an analysis of actual energy efficiency spending and savings data, the report identifies a set of 14 “top states” in the U.S. in terms of utility-sector energy efficiency accomplishments. The report then goes on to examine and discuss a wide range of factors that could conceivably affect success in this area, and identifies factors that appear to be associated with high levels of energy efficiency savings. The Utilities Program Director and lead author, Dr. Martin Kushler, summarized, “This study is intended to provide an overview of where we have been in terms of utility-sector energy efficiency accomplishments, and to help identify factors that will likely be important in achieving the aggressive new energy efficiency savings goals being established in many leading states.” Senior Research Associate and co-author Dr. Dan York added, “There is no single ‘magic bullet’ solution, but we’ve hopefully identified some elements that can help states develop strategies to meet the energy efficiency challenges they face.” Meeting Aggressive New State Goals for Utility-Sector Energy Efficiency: Examining Key Factors Associated With High Savings is available for free download at www.aceee.org/pubs/u091.htm or a hard copy can be purchased for $30 plus $5 postage and handling from ACEEE Publications, 529 14th St, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20045, phone: 202-507-4000, fax: 202-429-2248, e-mail: aceee_publications(a)aceee.org. About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit http://www.aceee.org. ###

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TRAILCO-PATH -- PJM UPDATED ANALYSIS OF "RELIABILITY" ISSUES PURPORTING TO SHOW NEED FOR TRANSMISSION LINES.
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 16 Apr '09

16 Apr '09

Attached is the PJM April 14, 2009 update of the "reliability" analysis which apparently was the basis for the decision, announced in yesterday's press release from AEP and Allegheny, to move the delivery date for PATH from June 30, 2001 to June 30, 2014. On page 3, the "update" asserts that the "retool analysis continues to demonstrate the need for the [Trail] line by June 2001." However, discussing the 502 Juntion to Prexy portion of the originally proposed Trail line, PJM acknowledges -- on page 11 -- that as part of the settlement which eliminated the 502 Juntion to Prexy portion of the line, the parties to the settlement agreed to come up with an alternative solution to any reliability issues on that portion of the line. And on page 12 of this "update" PJM acknowledges that "the magnitude of the [reliability] violations [along the 502 to Prexy line is] reduced *due to lower load forecasts*." In short, the portion of the Trail line that was cancelled can be fixed on cheaper basis because of the historic change in electric demand -- but we still need to build the rest of it because, mysteriously, it (and it alone) was not affected by the fact that demand for electricity has fallen off the table. Yeah, right, and if you believe that I have a bridge to nowhere ... -- 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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Re: [EC] from the American Scientist e-newsletter of April13th
by Paul Wilson 16 Apr '09

16 Apr '09

Last week, Congress began considering laws to establish the new carbon cap-and-trade regime proposed by President Obama, but they immediately hit opposition from Democrats in coal-mining states who fear the measures will cost jobs<http://amsciadmin.eresources.com/track/trackurl.aspx?q=SynP9lejxPWeMYgWYOLB…>. -- 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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TRAILCO: April 29 Supreme Court argument can be listened to over phone or watched over net.
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 15 Apr '09

15 Apr '09

Phone 304-558-1313 Web: mms://mediaserver.citynet.net/wvscourt FWIW -- 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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Fwd: New timeline for PATH transmission line
by James Kotcon 15 Apr '09

15 Apr '09

>>> <Elena.Saxonhouse(a)sierraclub.org> 4/15/2009 1:08 PM >>> Sorry for cross-postings; just wanted to make sure everyone got this. PATH now plans to file applications "in the second quarter" of this year. Elena Saxonhouse Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 85 Second St., 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 977-5765 (415) 977-5793 (fax) ----- Forwarded by Elena Saxonhouse/Sierraclub on 04/15/2009 10:05 AM ----- "Ginny Kreitler" <g.kreitler(a)comcast.net> Sent by: pa-transmission-bounces(a)lists.conserveland.org 04/15/2009 09:51 AM Please respond to PA Transmission Listserv <pa-transmission(a)lists.conserveland.org> To "listserve" <pa-transmission(a)lists.conserveland.org> cc Subject [Pa-transmission] new timeline for PATH transmission line FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PATH Announces Change to Transmission Line Completion Date COLUMBUS, Ohio, and GREENSBURG, Pa., April 15, 2009 – American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and Allegheny Energy, Inc. (NYSE: AYE) today announced a schedule change for their proposed transmission project. The Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH), a 765-kilovolt line extending from southwestern West Virginia to central Maryland, now has a June 2014 completion deadline. The one-year schedule change results from a recent reliability analysis by PJM Interconnection (PJM) that considered various factors, including its 2009 load forecast. PJM, the regional grid operator directing the construction of PATH, has confirmed that the project remains critical to addressing regional reliability concerns. PJM’s latest update of its reliability analysis confirms that significant overloads and voltage problems will occur in the region, beginning in 2014, if the PATH project is not completed. The PATH project team expects to file applications for approval to build the line with the West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia regulatory commissions in the second quarter. Timely approvals by the state commissions are needed to meet the new deadline established by PJM. Allegheny Energy Headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned electric utility with total annual revenues of over $3 billion and more than 4,000 employees. The company owns and operates generating facilities and delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to 1.6 million customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, visit our Web site at www.alleghenyenergy.com. American Electric Power American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio. -###- Contact: Doug Colafella Melissa McHenry Allegheny Energy American Electric Power Phone: (724) 838-6387 Phone: (614) 716-1120 E-Mail: dcolafe(a)alleghenyenergy.com E-Mail: mamchenry(a)aep.com _______________________________________________ Pa-transmission mailing list Pa-transmission(a)lists.conserveland.org http://lists.conserveland.org/mailman/listinfo/pa-transmission To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.conserveland.org/mailman/listinfo/pa-transmission or email info(a)conserveland.org with the subject line UNSUBSCRIBE - TRANSMISSION LISTSERV.

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PATH moved back 1 year
by Jim Sconyers 15 Apr '09

15 Apr '09

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/04/15/path-power-line-pushed-bac… PATH timeline pushed back one year. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last.

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EC April 2009