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INFO RE: Kathy Mattea and Sierra Club TV commercial?
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 20 Jun '09

20 Jun '09

Does anybody have any information about a television ad Kathy Mattea either made or is going to make with/for the Sierra Club? It may not have been run yet. If you have any info please fwd to me. Tx -- 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 This electronic mail is intended to be received and read only by certain individuals. It may contain information that is privileged or protected from disclosure by law. If it has been misdirected, or if you suspect you received this in error, please notify me by replying and then delete this message and your reply. These restrictions apply to any attachment to this email.

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MTR action alert
by Jim Sconyers 08 Jun '09

08 Jun '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Fri, 6/5/09, aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org <aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org> wrote: From: aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org <aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org> Subject: MTR action alert To: "Jim Sconyers" <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com>, "Regina Hendrix" <reginahendrix999(a)gmail.com>, "William DePaulo" <william.depaulo(a)gmail.com>, Bill_Price.SIERRACLUB(a)sierraclub.org Date: Friday, June 5, 2009, 7:34 PM Hi everyone: Apologies if I already sent this (can't recall), but I wanted to be sure you're aware of the Club's recent action alert. Obviously, it's an important time to be putting pressure on the administration, so hope you all can help. See Jim Hightower's below, too; phone calls also helpful. Thanks! Aaron Aaron Isherwood Senior Staff Attorney Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 85 Second Street, 2d Floor San Francisco, CA 94105-3441 Phone: (415) 977-5680 Fax: (415) 977-5793 Help Protect Streams and Communities The Obama administration has taken an important step toward putting an end to the reckless coal mining that has gone on for the past eight years. Carefully reviewing permits for new mountaintop-removal coal mines is essential to protect waterways. However, oversight is not enough. To truly end the destruction, we need a new rule that prohibits dumping mining waste into waterways Stopping the Desecration of Mountaintop Removal Jim Hightower Obama spaketh, and it was good: "We have to find more environmentally sound ways of mining coal than simply blowing the tops off mountains," he proclaimed. And, yea, in the mountains and down through all the valleys of the ancient land of Appalachia, hearts were filled with joy, for here was a prophet of hope who was signaling that a change was coming — at last, the endtime was at hand for the brutish coal-mining method called "mountaintop removal," which is an abomination. Even as the people rejoiced at this good news, coal barons trembled in their temples of black gold. For a decade, these mighty extractors of wealth had been allowed to accumulate unto themselves enormous profits by exploding the tops off the peaks in Appalachia, the oldest mountain range in all the land. With the top third of these awesome, forested mountains reduced to rubble, the barons used giant machines to strip out seams of coal, and then they simply shoved the rubble and toxic coal waste down the mountainsides, burying the valleys and streams below. It was a desecration — but the love of mammon made it the law of the land. Then, behold, now the prophet became president, so he was in a position to put his words into action. And act, he did. On May 15, it was announced that Barack Obama's Environmental Protection Agency had quietly approved 42 of 48 new Appalachian mining permits sought by the coal barons. Say what? The prophet of change and hope just OK-ed more desecration by coal mining profiteers? What in the name of a mysterious God is going on here? Politics. Politics at its weaseliest. Industry supporters point out that while Obama had expressed his concern about this detestable practice in last year's presidential race, he had not actually promised to halt it. Cute, huh? Once he was in office, coal executives, lobbyists and other enthusiasts for bang-and-shove mining went to work on him. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.V., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and a full-throated cheerleader for whatever his state's coal industry wants, met with the head of the EPA, the chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff. "In each of these meetings," says Rahall, "I received assurances. The Obama administration knows that it cannot turn its back on coal." Of course, that's not the question. There are many ways to mine coal besides blowing up the environment. The question is whether Obama will turn his back on the mountains, the people and his own integrity. The industry rationalizes its greed in the name of creating jobs for this hard-hit region — but mountaintop removal relies on dynamite and huge machines, not workers. In fact, thousands of mining jobs have been lost as corporations switched to this method. In all of Appalachia, there are only 19,000 jobs connected to every form of surface mining — and the tiniest fraction of those are in mountaintop removal. A much brighter job future is to develop Appalachia's boundless green-energy potential — a blue-green initiative that's supposed to be one of Obama's top priorities. The good news is that the approval of these 42 permits does not mean the debate is over, even in the White House. Some 200 other applications are pending, involving much larger projects, and it's known that top Obamans are very divided on allowing any more of this crass destruction. This is a case where public outrage can make a difference. Obama and team snuck out the 42 permits without even notifying the public, but they won't be able to ambush us on the other applications. Rather than throwing up our hands in disgust at their first action, now is the time for us to flex some grass-roots political muscle. To let him know we expect no more weaseling on his pledge to stop "blowing the tops off mountains," call the White House operator and ask for Nancy Sutley. She heads Obama's Council on Environmental Quality and needs to hear that We the People give a damn: (202) 456-1414. To find out more about Jim Hightower, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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anti PATH video
by Jim Sconyers 06 Jun '09

06 Jun '09

Excellent anti-PATH video on today's "Coal Tattoo." http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/06/05/friday-roundup-june-5-2009/ Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last.

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Fwd: State Supreme Court won't hear wind farm case
by James Kotcon 04 Jun '09

04 Jun '09

Check out the questions from our WV Supreme Court judges, Ketchum and Benjamin, at the end of this article. Although they declined to hear the case, and thereby let the wind farm proceed, the questions imply a clear bias in favor of coal, as if supporting "Green Energy" was a bad thing. For the "Friends of Coal" it is, and that gives us an idea of how far we have to go in WV. JBK >>> <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> 6/4/2009 7:29 AM >>> jkotcon(a)wvu.edu sent you this article ----- June 3, 2009 State Supreme Court won't hear wind farm case ( http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200906030496 ) By The Associated Press The state Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to hear an appeal by a group seeking to stop construction of a wind farm intended to meet anticipated power demands across the Mid-Atlantic. Read more ( http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200906030496 ) -----

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Fw: PJM leading polluter
by Jim Sconyers 02 Jun '09

02 Jun '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Tue, 6/2/09, Elena Saxonhouse <Elena.Saxonhouse(a)sierraclub.org> wrote: From: Elena Saxonhouse <Elena.Saxonhouse(a)sierraclub.org> Subject: Fw: PJM leading polluter To: CONS-ELP-TRANS-LINES-FORUM(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 12:47 PM ----- Forwarded by Elena Saxonhouse/Sierraclub on 06/02/2009 09:48 AM ----- John Howley <john.howley(a)verizon.net> 06/02/2009 08:44 AM To Elena.Saxonhouse(a)sierraclub.org cc Subject PJM leading polluter Take a look -- comments welcome! http://marylandenergyreport.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/pjms-carbon-bigfoot/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-ELP-TRANS-LINES-FORUM list, send any message to: CONS-ELP-TRANS-LINES-FORUM-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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PATH - PETITION TO INTERVENE OF SIERRA CLUB AND WEST VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 02 Jun '09

02 Jun '09

Mr. Watkins: I attach a copy of the Petition to Intervene in the PATH proceeding on behalf of the Sierra Club and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. The original and twelve copies of the petition will be filed with the Commission's Executive Secretary today. Please call me if you have any questions regarding this filing. 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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PATH APPLICATION AND RELATED FILINGS
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 18 May '09

18 May '09

ARE AT THE PATH WEB PAGE -- HERE<http://www.pathtransmission.com/meetings/westvirginia.asp> -- 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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PATH - APPLICATION TO BE FILED FRIDAY MAY15
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 15 May '09

15 May '09

FYI: Counsel for PATH today advised that -- on Friday of this week -- PATH intends to file with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, its application for a certificate of convenience and necessity to construct a 765 kV electric transmission line from AEP's John Amos plant in Winfield, WV to Maryland. We will get a hard copy and a digital copy. I will forward the digital copy on receipt, but it will also be available shortly after filing from the PSC web page. Bill -- 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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ALSO FWIW, COMMENTS BY CONGRESSPERSON SHELLY MOORE CAPITO TO 30th annual Eastern Coal Council conference
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 15 May '09

15 May '09

Coal Future: 'End Game' Is In Sight May 12 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Debra McCown Bristol Herald Courier, Va. The message was twofold Monday at the first day of the 30th annual Eastern Coal Council conference: coal is a path to American energy security, but the industry that fuels half the nation's electricity could have a short future in the current political climate. "We're in the end game here," said Kenneth Nameth, executive director of the Southern States Energy Board, as members of Congress debate legislation that would cap emissions of carbon dioxide. "Now the time has hit." Nameth recalled the early 1970s, when there was fear of global cooling caused by the burning of fossil fuel -- and then the late 1970s, when it was global warming, not cooling, that was the concern. He said the market and the need for energy -- not the latest political bandwagon on climate trends -- should determine the nation's energy future. "Are we tearing down our energy infrastructure today, or are we building it up? This week in Congress will determine that," Nameth said. "[According to some members of Congress,] we want to reduce our carbon dioxide by 80 percent by 2050. So, OK, that means Americans by then instead of 20 tons would be putting out about 4 tons a year, and so you ask yourself the question: When did we last emit about 4 tons of carbon dioxide a year? And the answer is when the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock." U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-1st, of Tennessee, told those attending the event at MeadowView Conference Center that the cost of a carbon cap-and-trade system would mean an estimated $3,000 per family in added cost of living and the loss of three million American manufacturing jobs. "The absolute worst time in the world you can increase taxes or prices is during the middle of a recession," he said. He pointed to efforts made while he was mayor in Johnson City, Tenn., heating with landfill gas, using more fuel-efficient cars and improving the energy efficiency of buildings and traffic lights, as a better model than heavy-handed taxes. *U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, of West Virginia, said the uncertainty of the coal industry's future stalls funding and investment in coal-related businesses.* * "This is an issue that is extremely important to the productivity of our communities to the individuals to the job base to the manufacturers and really to the lifeblood of our singular state but also to the region," Capito said. "We have been supplying the energy and the resources for this country to be powered that we're now going to be penalized because that's where we happen to live and have developed or have used our resources to power this country and move it to the economic prosperity we have."* Daniel Roling, president of National Coal Corp., called on those in the industry to start telling their side of the story because the political pressure is not going away. He said taxes that drive up the price of energy in the U.S. would mean jobs shipped overseas to countries willing to provide cheap power -- meaning a weaker nation, as well as a worse global environment because such nations have few environmental controls. "The mining industry needs to quit hiding under a bushel basket and start telling its story," Roling said. "The vocal minority in this country has perfected the art of getting attention. ... I believe there's a very large silent majority in the United States that needs to be heard; they need to speak up before it's too late." The conference concludes today, followed by a meeting of the Southern States Energy Board Committee On Clean Coal. dmccown(a)bristolnews.com| (276) 791-0701 -- 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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"ENERGY INSIDER" DISCUSSES AEP'S CARBON CAPTURE PROJECT
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 15 May '09

15 May '09

ATTACHED FWIW IS A DISCUSSION BY *"ENERGY INSIDER"* OF AEP'S CARBON CAPTURE PROJECT IN MASON COUNTY MAY 15, 2009 Wide-scale deployment is at least five years away. But the architects behind the first-ever power plant to attempt to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will fire up a pilot project in September in a test that could last up to three years. If the 20-megawatt trial at the Mountaineer Plant in New Haven, W.V., is deemed successful, then American Electric Power (AEP) will implement the same technology in 2011 at another facility in Oklahoma in a 200-megawatt project. After that and around 2015, AEP says that the operations that will use chilled ammonia to scrub the CO2 emissions can be ready for prime time. Those releases would then be compressed and stored permanently underground or be used to help retrieve oil deposits. Clearly, it's now possible to dramatically cut such pollutants as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. But it's also becoming increasingly real to trap CO2 in trees or bury it underground. By most accounts, energy usage will rise in the coming decades and coal will remain the primary fuel source to generate electricity. Carbon capture and storage therefore holds the key to future power plant production using fossil fuels. "We have seen over time that lab initiatives work well in a controlled environment," says Bill Sigmon, vice president of engineering for AEP. "But as you upgrade to commercial scale, it may not work as advertised. We need to go in steps to give surety. If we can get to the 200-megawatt range, then it will give us the surety we need to say that we can count on it." Power companies contribute 33.3 percent of all CO2 emissions in the United States, according to the Congressional Research Service. Older coal-fired facilities could be retrofitted so as to trap the CO2 before it leaves the smokestack. But such remedies are expensive and less efficient than building modern coal gasification facilities that have the potential to concentrate the CO2, making it easier to capture. In Wisconsin, WE Energies is piloting a 1.7-megawatt project that is only trying to capture the CO2 using chilled ammonia, which is said by AEP to be more effective than existing options. Others that include "amine" require 30 to 40 percent of a unit's output be diverted for carbon capture. But "ammonia" necessitates just 15 percent. *Powerful Initiative* AEP's endeavor is patterned after that of WE. However, it is different in that it will be the only power plant in operation to both capture and store the CO2. The utility will follow a dual course of retrofitting older plants while also building modern facilities that have the potential to capture carbon emissions. The Mountaineer plant will capture and bury 8,500 feet underground about 200,000 tons of CO2 a year -- a small portion of the roughly 8.7 million tons a year that the plant now emits. "Our partnership with AEP will result in the world's first clean coal power plant and will be applicable not only for new plants but also for existing power plants," says Philippe Joubert, president of Alstom Power Systems in France, which has developed the chilled ammonia processes now being used by both WE and AEP. Alstom says that its process has demonstrated the potential to detain more than 90 percent of CO2. It's all part of a clean coal initiative set up under the Bush administration. The program, begun in 2005 and which allocates $2 billion to the cause, provides the means to demonstrate those projects that can capture and bury CO2. The government will provide up to half the money to help commercialize viable technologies. AEP is part of the program but was unable to say just how much of the roughly $100 million price tag associated with the Mountaineer plant that the U.S. government would pay or how much could be passed through to the customers who would benefit from it all. The key question is not whether the carbon can actually be captured. It can. Rather, it is whether the CO2 can be safely stored underground and whether a given geological disposition will work or have enough capacity for such burial. In AEP's case, it says that the Mountaineer site has been chosen because it is laden with cap rock that will ensure the CO2 stays safely buried 8,500 feet under. "The technology, along with renewable energy and energy efficiency, has great promise for climate change," says Neeraj Gupta, project manager for the Mountaineer project with Columbus-based Battelle that is working on the sequestration part. "We are trying to figure out if CO2 can be injected in the deep layers and if so, where and at what cost." AEP's Mountaineer project may be a turning point. The best scenario for it would be if the technology works as advertised and it could be scaled up from 20 megawatts to the next level of 200 megawatts. The worst situation would be that the saline aquifer won't hold the injected CO2 while the chilled ammonia would not perform up to snuff, requiring too much of the unit's energy to trap the carbon. "We should probably wait and see how the AEP pilot project goes," says Frank O'Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch. "I think if Congress set a carbon cap that declines over time, it will really jump start a lot of projects like this." AEP's venture could sputter. But it could also succeed and become a harbinger of things to come with respect to carbon capture and sequestration. Today's technologies, however, may not be prevalent down the road. Lots of ideas are being tested that have yet to gain visibility. It's a slow process but one that the coal generators must pursue if they are to remain relevant. More information is available from Energy Central: - Coal Topic Center <http://www.energycentral.com/powergeneration/coal> - Emissions & Environmental Topic Center<http://www.energycentral.com/powergeneration/emissionsandenvironmental> - Chilled Ammonia Gets a Warm Reception - Tackling Carbon Dioxide, EnergyBiz, May/June 2008<http://energycentral.fileburst.com/EnergyBizOnline/2008-3-may-jun/Tech_Fron…> - Underground Solutions - Closing in on Carbon Sequestration, EnergyBiz, May/June 2007<http://energycentral.fileburst.com/EnergyBizOnline/2007-3-may-jun/FA_CO2.pdf> -- 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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