EC

ec@lists.wvsierraclub.org

2254 discussions

Re: [EC] Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Environmental Regs Cause Nat Gas to Replace Coal for Electric Generation
by Jim Sconyers 30 Oct '10

30 Oct '10

SC and the Wetzel folks are trying to drag EPA in on the air pollution aspect of Marcellus. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ________________________________ From: Beth Little <blittle(a)citynet.net> To: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu>; ec(a)osenergy.org Sent: Sat, October 30, 2010 7:32:35 PM Subject: Re: [EC] Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Environmental Regs Cause Nat Gas to Replace Coal for Electric Generation I've really been wrestling with this, because I want to see ALL coal phased out, and I don't want the amount of gas drilling it would take to replace it. I also don't want any stupid developments like coal to liquid, windmills on every forested ridge in WV, biomass plants burning up all the trees, power lines through WV taking (supposed) renewable energy from the midwest to the east coast. So what's left. My answer is efficiency, but I don't see it happening, because of the influence of the fossil fuel industry on our government (both legislators and regulators), the influence of the fossil fuel industry on voters through misleading advertising and public relations, and the natural resistance of people to change, especially giving up their wasteful habits. What I'm left with is working like hell for regulations to minimize impacts and suing whenever possible to slow the destruction down. Maybe we can slow it down enough to cause some blackouts. That's probably the only thing that will bring any real change. If EPA regulations are going to be the reason for retiring lots of coal, maybe that is the place to go for regulating gas drilling. ________________________________ From: ec-bounces(a)osenergy.org [mailto:ec-bounces@osenergy.org] On Behalf Of James Kotcon Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2010 6:36 PM To: ec(a)osenergy.org Subject: [EC] Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Environmental Regs Cause Nat Gas to Replace Coal for Electric Generation This investment newsletter predicts phasing out 20-25 % of coal capacity by 2020, due solely to mercury, NOx and SO2 regulations. Natural gas (and some renewables) will be taking up the slack. How do we get ready for this? JBK ________________________________ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1153 / Virus Database: 424/3228 - Release Date: 10/30/10 _______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC(a)osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec

1 0

Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Environmental Regs Cause Nat Gas to Replace Coal for Electric Generation
by James Kotcon 30 Oct '10

30 Oct '10

This investment newsletter predicts phasing out 20-25 % of coal capacity by 2020, due solely to mercury, NOx and SO2 regulations. Natural gas (and some renewables) will be taking up the slack. How do we get ready for this? JBK

3 3

TransGas hearing results
by James Kotcon 29 Oct '10

29 Oct '10

The hearing before the WV Air Quality Board over our appeal of the air permit for the TransGas Coal-To-Liquids plant was held Wed & Thursday. I just got off a conference call with some folks over the results. The comment below reflect my understanding of what happened, so someone please correct me if I get it wrong. Basically, the AQB listened carefully to our arguments, and appeared to grasp some key points made by our wonderful attorney, Elena Saxonhouse. One of our major issues is the claim by DEP & TransGas that the facility is a "Minor Source" rather than a "Major Source". Major Sources have significantly more stringent requirements for an air permit, including requirements that the facility model pollutant dispersion, and that they determine the "Best Available Control Technology" (BACT). TransGas did not include certain emissions in their application, which kept them under the threshold for Major Source. DEP approved the permit as submitted by TransGas, arguing that any emissions not included in the permit would be violations of the permit. Our concern is that, once the plant is built, these emissions could be added to the permit as a minor modification and they would continue operating as a major source without meeting the intent of the Clean Air Act. One major source of emissions is a "flare" used to burn off waste gases. Unfortunately, flares are inherently hard to monitor, and DEP simply assumed that the emissions would be small and therefore the facility as a whole would meet the Minor Source limit. The Air Quality Board seemed receptive to our argument that, to be adequately protective, the air permit had to either measure the emissions to show they were under the limit, or they would have to assume that they could be larger than DEP assumed. Another major source is that Transgas never included emissions from a wastewater treatment plant. They argued that the plant has not been designed yet, and that they may ship the water off site to another facility, and therefore the emissions should not be included in their air permit. We argued that simply omitting the emissions from a required step in the process was not permitted under the Clean Air Act, as it would allow any major source to avoid major source requirements simply by segmenting the facility into tiny little parts, when the whole facility was still a major source. While the Air Quality Board listened carefully to two full days of testimony, and we have good legal arguments, we should not assume that the AQB is a friendly body. Closing briefs will be filed over the next few weeks, so we do not expect a decision for a couple months. On a related note, I hope you all saw the announcement this week by Gov. Manchin that TransGas had settled on an "engineering and procurement contractor". In addition, they had reached an agreement with the Affiliated Construction Trades union to assure that the plant would be built by union labor. We remain very skeptical that this plant would ever get financing, and it was not clear that the EPC contractor or anyone else has actually committed to building anything. The facility's air permit is under challenge (by us), none of the other needed permit applications have even been submitted, and many key features still do not have a final design (e.g., waste water treatment). So even if the air permit were approved, they are still a long way from ever getting anything built. We should not assume we have already lost, but neither should we take for granted that such a crazy idea will be easily rejected. Endless pressure, endlessly applied! Jim Kotcon 304-2903-8822 (office) 304-594-3322 (home)

1 1

Fwd: WV Governor, TransGas Development Systems Announce Coal to Gasoline Project
by Paul Wilson 29 Oct '10

29 Oct '10

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: DAVID E ORTMAN <deortman(a)msn.com> Date: Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 12:16 AM Subject: RE: WV Governor, TransGas Development Systems Announce Coal to Gasoline Project To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com, coal-campaign-alerts(a)lists.sierraclub.org FR: David E. Ortman, Seattle, WA Regarding coal to gasoline, Scientific American was not impressed in 2007. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=worse-than-gasoline Apparently some are proposing to use nuclear energy to power the damn conversion process! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:59:37 -0400 From: pjgrunt(a)GMAIL.COM Subject: Fwd: WV Governor, TransGas Development Systems Announce Coal to Gasoline Project To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *Frank Young* <fyoung(a)mountain.net> Date: Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 4:21 PM Subject: [EC] Fw: Governor, TransGas Development Systems Announce Coal to Gasoline Project To: ec(a)osenergy.org, wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com, WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com In Mingo County, coal to liquids- long awaited announcement .................... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: **<governor(a)wv.gov> Date: Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 2:35 PM Subject: Governor, TransGas Development Systems Announce Coal to Gasoline Project To: trouserdude(a)gmail.com Oct. 28, 2010 *GOVERNOR, TRANSGAS DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS ANNOUNCE COAL TO GASOLINE PROJECT **TransGas president says that coal to gasoline project will be first in the nation and a model for the country to regain its energy independence and put Americans to work* Contact: Melvin Smith, 304-558-2000 or Adam Victor, 917-816-3700 or adamvictor(a)transgasdevelopment.com CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After four years of continuous effort, Gov. Joe Manchin and TransGas Development Systems President Adam Victor, along with several state and local representatives, today announced that the company has selected its Engineering Procurement Contractor (EPC) and technology provider for its coal to gasoline facility that will be built in Mingo County, West Virginia. This facility will be the nation’s first and largest of its kind in the world. Representatives from the state Building and Construction Trades Council, along with representatives from the EPC contractor and the project technology provider were also present for today’s announcement. The project will be built by SK Engineering & Construction and will utilize the technology of Uhde GmbH, one of the world’s largest construction companies, using premier coal gasification technology. The governor commended the efforts of TransGas Development Systems, SK Engineering and Uhde GmbH for their partnership with the state of West Virginia. “This project indicates how serious we are about matching our abundant coal resources with the technology available to produce clean energy. West Virginia is fully committed to being a leader in energy self-sufficiency and this development shows that we are dedicated to using our coal resources as prudently as possible. This project’s success will truly be far-reaching for the coal industry,” said the governor. During today’s meeting, Victor reminded officials that four years ago, he was on the verge of relocating his operations overseas after facing years of challenges while trying to convince officials across the Northeast to make the tough decision to support necessary energy infrastructure development. Only after Mr. Victor met Governor Manchin did he realize that West Virginia could be a place where energy infrastructure could be built and supported by state and local officials. “Four years ago, TransGas found, in Governor Joe Manchin, a leader who understood the importance of coal as the primary asset to developing America’s future energy independence. Moreover, he understood the need to forcefully address the many fallacies that have arisen surrounding the environmental effects of mining and using coal. “Governor Joe Manchin also understood that a fleet of coal to liquid plants would form the cornerstone of a resurgence of American industrial might – built by skilled American unionized construction tradesmen, working in close concert with project owners. Simply put, if not for the governor, we would not have invested the time, nor effort into this project and this project would not exist today,” said TransGas president, Adam Victor. Victor praised the governor for bringing the construction trades union together with his chosen contractor and technology provider to ensure that this project will be built by skilled West Virginia workers, on time and under budget. This project will convert regional coal into 756,000 gallons of premium grade ultraclean gasoline a day. Put in proper perspective, less than fifty of these Coal to Gasoline facilities nationwide would eliminate 100 percent of America’s need to import foreign gasoline; create nearly 150,000 jobs and make the United States a net exporter of gasoline. SK E&C (www.skec.com) is an arm of SK group (www.sk.com), Korea's third largest corporation and one of the leading business organizations in the world. SK is made up of 40 companies including seven that are listed on the Korea Stock Exchange. SK has a presence on six continents and 25,000 employees. SK E&C is one of the world’s most qualified engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance services organizations. Their experience includes Korea’s largest oil refinery, the Cadereyta and Madero Refinery upgrades in Mexico, full-scale refinery projects in Kuwait, Brazil and Ghana. Udhe GmbH is one of Germany's ThyssenKrupp AG's 670 companies who employ almost 200,000 employees worldwide. In addition to a 50-year history of developing gasification technologies, Udhe is one of the world's leading engineering groups specializing in the design of chemical, refining and other industrial plants in all four corners of the globe with more than 2,000 plants to its credit. More information on TransGas Development Systems LLC is available at http://www.transgasdevelopment.com/ . Contact: Adam Victor, 917-816-3700 or adamvictor(a)transgasdevelopment.com # # # Cheers, Daniel Chiotos Keeper of the Mountains Foundation Operations Director http://www.mountainkeeper.org 179 Summers St, Suite 234 Charleston, WV, 25301 (304)886-3389 - cell (304)205-0920 - office* <http://appalachiarising.org/> "WE ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE MOUNTAINS, LOVE THEM OR LEAVE THEM, JUST DON'T DESTROY THEM. IF YOU CARE TO BE ONE TOO, CALL 304-542-1134 OR 304-205-0920."* - Larry Gibson _______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC(a)osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec -- 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 "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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 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/ -- 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 "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

Fw: Governor, TransGas Development Systems Announce Coal to Gasoline Project
by Frank Young 28 Oct '10

28 Oct '10

In Mingo County, coal to liquids- long awaited announcement .................... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <governor(a)wv.gov> Date: Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 2:35 PM Subject: Governor, TransGas Development Systems Announce Coal to Gasoline Project To: trouserdude(a)gmail.com Oct. 28, 2010 GOVERNOR, TRANSGAS DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS ANNOUNCE COAL TO GASOLINE PROJECT TransGas president says that coal to gasoline project will be first in the nation and a model for the country to regain its energy independence and put Americans to work Contact: Melvin Smith, 304-558-2000 or Adam Victor, 917-816-3700 or adamvictor(a)transgasdevelopment.com CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After four years of continuous effort, Gov. Joe Manchin and TransGas Development Systems President Adam Victor, along with several state and local representatives, today announced that the company has selected its Engineering Procurement Contractor (EPC) and technology provider for its coal to gasoline facility that will be built in Mingo County, West Virginia. This facility will be the nation’s first and largest of its kind in the world. Representatives from the state Building and Construction Trades Council, along with representatives from the EPC contractor and the project technology provider were also present for today’s announcement. The project will be built by SK Engineering & Construction and will utilize the technology of Uhde GmbH, one of the world’s largest construction companies, using premier coal gasification technology. The governor commended the efforts of TransGas Development Systems, SK Engineering and Uhde GmbH for their partnership with the state of West Virginia. “This project indicates how serious we are about matching our abundant coal resources with the technology available to produce clean energy. West Virginia is fully committed to being a leader in energy self-sufficiency and this development shows that we are dedicated to using our coal resources as prudently as possible. This project’s success will truly be far-reaching for the coal industry,” said the governor. During today’s meeting, Victor reminded officials that four years ago, he was on the verge of relocating his operations overseas after facing years of challenges while trying to convince officials across the Northeast to make the tough decision to support necessary energy infrastructure development. Only after Mr. Victor met Governor Manchin did he realize that West Virginia could be a place where energy infrastructure could be built and supported by state and local officials. “Four years ago, TransGas found, in Governor Joe Manchin, a leader who understood the importance of coal as the primary asset to developing America’s future energy independence. Moreover, he understood the need to forcefully address the many fallacies that have arisen surrounding the environmental effects of mining and using coal. “Governor Joe Manchin also understood that a fleet of coal to liquid plants would form the cornerstone of a resurgence of American industrial might – built by skilled American unionized construction tradesmen, working in close concert with project owners. Simply put, if not for the governor, we would not have invested the time, nor effort into this project and this project would not exist today,” said TransGas president, Adam Victor. Victor praised the governor for bringing the construction trades union together with his chosen contractor and technology provider to ensure that this project will be built by skilled West Virginia workers, on time and under budget. This project will convert regional coal into 756,000 gallons of premium grade ultraclean gasoline a day. Put in proper perspective, less than fifty of these Coal to Gasoline facilities nationwide would eliminate 100 percent of America’s need to import foreign gasoline; create nearly 150,000 jobs and make the United States a net exporter of gasoline. SK E&C (www.skec.com) is an arm of SK group (www.sk.com), Korea's third largest corporation and one of the leading business organizations in the world. SK is made up of 40 companies including seven that are listed on the Korea Stock Exchange. SK has a presence on six continents and 25,000 employees. SK E&C is one of the world’s most qualified engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance services organizations. Their experience includes Korea’s largest oil refinery, the Cadereyta and Madero Refinery upgrades in Mexico, full-scale refinery projects in Kuwait, Brazil and Ghana. Udhe GmbH is one of Germany's ThyssenKrupp AG's 670 companies who employ almost 200,000 employees worldwide. In addition to a 50-year history of developing gasification technologies, Udhe is one of the world's leading engineering groups specializing in the design of chemical, refining and other industrial plants in all four corners of the globe with more than 2,000 plants to its credit. More information on TransGas Development Systems LLC is available at http://www.transgasdevelopment.com/ . Contact: Adam Victor, 917-816-3700 or adamvictor(a)transgasdevelopment.com # # # Cheers, Daniel Chiotos Keeper of the Mountains Foundation Operations Director http://www.mountainkeeper.org 179 Summers St, Suite 234 Charleston, WV, 25301 (304)886-3389 - cell (304)205-0920 - office "WE ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE MOUNTAINS, LOVE THEM OR LEAVE THEM, JUST DON'T DESTROY THEM. IF YOU CARE TO BE ONE TOO, CALL 304-542-1134 OR 304-205-0920." - Larry Gibson

1 0

Fwd: ENEWS: Climate Change and the Future of Coal
by James Kotcon 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

Climate Change and the Future of Coal: A Legal Perspective presented at WVU College of LawMichaelB. Gerrard the Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice atColumbia Law School, will present "Climate Change and the Future ofCoal, " at 11 a.m., Monday, Nov. 1 in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom atthe WVU Law Center. For full release, see: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2010/10/26/climate-change-and-the-future-of-coal-… RESEARCH

1 0

Re: [EC] Fwd: Article - Patriot Coal reports $46M third-quarter loss
by Jim Sconyers 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

Can't make money mining coal in WV - who'd a thunk it! And our recent hammering them on selenium will ramp up the cost of mining considerably. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ________________________________ From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> To: ehansen(a)downstreamstrategies.com; pbjmwood(a)gmail.com; jim_scon(a)yahoo.com Sent: Mon, October 25, 2010 10:03:05 AM Subject: Fwd: Article - Patriot Coal reports $46M third-quarter loss Note: Forwarded message is attached. The attached news article may suggest why Patriot is a little desperate. JBK

1 0

shutting coal-fired plants in Colorado
by Jim Sconyers 22 Oct '10

22 Oct '10

http://www.wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/201010210966 Shutting down coal plants on Colorado. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last.

1 0

climate change deniers at the highest levels - scary
by Jim Sconyers 21 Oct '10

21 Oct '10

FYI Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: John Blair <Ecoserve1(a)AOL.COM> To: COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Sent: Thu, October 21, 2010 3:44:40 PM Subject: Fwd: [air-mail] Coal waste Thanks again to environmental consultant extraordinaire, Alex Sagady for his sharp eye on these things. Check out the Valley Watch website at: http://valleywatch.net John Blair "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Mahatma Gandhi 800 Adams Avenue Evansville, IN 47713 812-464-5663 In accordance with title 17 U. S. Code, Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. Begin forwarded message: From: ajs(a)sagady.com > >Date: October 21, 2010 11:28:33 AM CDT > >To: air-mail(a)yahoogroups.com > >Subject: [air-mail] Coal waste > > > > >In FR Today: >Coal Combustion Residual Surface Impoundments; Data Availability, >64974-64976 >http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-26657.htm > > > > > > > >__._,_.___ > > >Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional >Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) >Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully >Featured >Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe > > >__,_._,___ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE list, send any message to: COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE-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

1 0

Fw: Coal ash in water worries officials
by Jim Sconyers 20 Oct '10

20 Oct '10

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Midge Sweet <sweetmidge(a)GMAIL.COM> To: COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 10:23:01 AM Subject: Re: Coal ash in water worries officials Dear Friend – Since taking office, President Obama has directed his Administration to craft policies to create a clean energy economy and protect our environment and public spaces. There is no better example of the achievements made towards those goals and the harmony between them than in the Southwest. For example, just two weeks ago, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the first ever Solar Energy projects on public lands, the first projects in a series to be built on public lands after complete environmental analyses by the Department of Interior. We would like to invite you to join a conference call Thursday, October 21st at 5:00 PM ET to have a conversation with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other Administration officials about clean energy and the environment in the Southwest. We would like to tell you about some of the initiatives this Administration has started, and then we would like to take your questions and hear your ideas and stories. Please feel free send this invitation out widely to your networks. You can also RSVP by sending an email torfee(a)who.eop.gov. We are looking forward to it. Call-in Information: Date: Thursday, October 21th, 2010 Time: 5:00 PM EDT Number: (800) 762-6085 Name: Southwest Energy and Environmental Call This call is for information purposes only, and not for press or attribution. Thank you. Greg Nelson, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement ________________________________ Dear Friend – Since taking office, President Obama and his Administration have made environmental protection a top priority and have authorized new initiatives to protect our natural resources and great outdoors. In the Midwest, actions such as the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Clean Air and Water Initiatives, and the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative all show the commitment the President and his Administration have made to protecting the environment and air and water conservation. This president also recognized the power of actively engaged citizens to contribute new ideas and has committed his Administration to engaging communities to hear their ideas on issues important to them. As part of that commitment, we would like to invite you to a conference call this Friday, October 22nd at 3:30pm to have a conversation with Administrator Lisa Jackson and other Administration officials about environmental protection and the Midwest. We would like to share with you some of the initiatives this Administration has started, and take your questions and hear your ideas and stories. Please feel free send this invitation out widely to your networks. You can also RSVP by sending an email torfee(a)who.eop.gov. We are looking forward to it. Call-in Information: Date: Friday, October 22, 2010 Time: 3:30 PM EST Number: (800) 230-1092 Name: Midwest Environmental Call This call is for information purposes only, and not for press or attribution. On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 9:46 AM, Lisa Evans <levans(a)earthjustice.org> wrote: More contamination from Duke Plants in NC: > >Coal ash in water worries officials > >Mecklenburg urges state to get stricter on Duke discharge at Mountain Island. > >By Bruce Henderson >bhenderson(a)charlotteobserver.com >Posted: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010 > >Coal ash is showing in settling ponds next to Duke Energy's Riverbend Steam >Station at Mountain Island Lake. The discharge is laden with heavy metals that >can be toxic at high levels. 2008 OBSERVER FILE PHOTO - JEFF WILHELM > > >Charlotte-Mecklenburg says state regulators should enforce stricter standards >over what a coal-fired Duke Energy power plant is putting into Charlotte's main >water supply. > >Twice this year, including this month, county staff have detected arsenic above >state standards in Mountain Island Lake near an ash pond discharge pipe from the >Riverbend plant. In May, at the same place, staff members found zinc at nearly >four times the standard. > >Arsenic and zinc are among the metals found in coal ash. The metals could cause >cancer and other diseases if they're swallowed in high doses. > >Duke's discharges into Mountain Island, Lake Wylie and Lake Norman are under >scrutiny as its state permits come up for renewal. A public hearing on permits >for the Riverbend, Allen and Marshall plants, which pipe an average of 23 >million gallons a day from their ash basins into the Catawba, will be held >tonight in Mooresville. > >The N.C. Division of Water Quality has proposed permits that require Duke to >monitor several metals, but doesn't set limits on how much is too much. A state >official says limits are applied only when samples show a "reasonable potential" >to break water standards. > >"The absence of limits in the permit does not mean (the plant) will be allowed >to violate water-quality standards," said Sergei Chernikov, a state >environmental engineer. > >Duke, too, says limits aren't needed because the state already scrutinizes its >discharge. > >"Test after test, sample after sample, shows that Mountain Island Lake has very >good water quality and is protected by current regulations," said Dave Mitchell, >Duke's environmental managing director. "Adding limits just for limits' sake >doesn't protect the lake any more" than current procedures. > >But David Caldwell, an environmental supervisor for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm >Water Services, said the state is counting on the size of 2,914-acre Mountain >Island to dilute Duke's wastes. > >"That stuff is sitting on the lake bottom in sediment," he said. "It's got to go >somewhere." > >One of those places is in fish, which take in metals that accumulate up the food >chain. Samples taken nearly a decade ago found high levels of mercury, a toxic >metal also found in coal ash, in Mountain Island fish. > >The county has asked the state to set limits for 14 metals in Riverbend's >discharge, take samples more frequently and monitor water upstream and >downstream of the plant. Mecklenburg also wants the state to analyze fish tissue >once a year. > >"It just seems to make good, common sense to be monitoring this," Caldwell said. > >Duke says Riverbend, which dates to 1929, is scheduled to be closed by 2015. > >Charlotte-Mecklenburg made a similar request for the Allen plant, which >discharges into Lake Wylie. The county cited Duke's own sampling that found high >levels of copper, arsenic and selenium, an element that can be toxic to >wildlife, in its discharge water. > >Duke says it regularly samples water upstream and downstream of its plants and >analyzes fish, as the county asked, reporting their findings to the state. The >utility says it would be redundant to add those requirements to its discharge >permits. > >Chernikov, the state engineer, said the water-quality division does a >statistical analysis of previous water samples to learn whether limits should be >placed on pollutants. The analysis is prescribed by state and federal rules, he >said, and assumes worst-case conditions to err on the side of protecting >environmental health. > >Under their proposed permits, Riverbend, Allen and Marshall would have metals >limits only for copper and iron. > >The permit for the Marshall plant proposes new discharge limits for selenium >beginning in mid-2012. The delay is intended to let Duke prepare for the >stricter regulation, Chernikov said. > >Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, whose Mountain Island water intake is >downstream from the Riverbend plant, won't be filing comments to the state, a >spokesman said. The lake supplies drinking water for about 700,000 people in >Mecklenburg County, Mount Holly and Gastonia. > >"This is our primary water source," said Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman, who >has also called for limits on metals. "There's not really a fallback." > >Merryman's own tests earlier this year also found high levels of arsenic near >the Riverbend discharge. Tests of fish tissue found no metals above state >guidelines. > >Duke's new permits contain one major change that pleases environmental advocates >like Merryman. For the first time, Duke will be required to monitor the >groundwater around its ash basins and fix any contamination it finds. > >Duke has already found contamination in wells it voluntarily sank close to its >ash ponds at all three plants. Naturally-occurring iron and manganese accounts >for much of the contamination. > >The difference now is that Duke will be under state orders to fix groundwater >violations it finds in a new, outer ring of wells around the ponds. The utility >could face fines if it doesn't comply. > >The water-quality division directed Duke and Raleigh's Progress Energy last >December to install the wells at their 14 coal-fired plants by the end of this >year. Groundwater monitoring will be added to the plants' discharge permits as >they're renewed. > >The Environmental Protection Agency is also mulling tougher rules on ash. > > > >Read more: >http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/10/19/1771891/coal-ash-in-water-worri… > > > >Lisa Evans >Senior Administrative Counsel >Earthjustice >21 Ocean Ave. >Marblehead, MA 01945 >T: (781) 631-4119 >F: (212) 918-1556 >www.earthjustice.org > >*please consider the environment before printing > >The information contained in this email message may be privileged, confidential >and protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, any >dissemination, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If you think that >you have received this email message in error, please notify the sender by reply >email and delete the message and any attachments. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >To unsubscribe from the COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE list, send any message to: >COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG > >Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: >http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp > -- Midge Sweet Georgians for Smart Energy Coalition 404-688-5430/w • 404-667-4476/cell www.georgiansforsmartenergy.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE list, send any message to: COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

1 0

Jump to page:

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

EC