MVCAC September 2005

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Minutes of 9/26/05
by Duane330＠aol.com 28 Sep '05

28 Sep '05

Minutes - Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition Meeting Date: September 26, 2005 The monthly meeting of the MVCAC was held at 7:00 pm at the home of Martha and Larry Schwab with 13 members and two guests in attendance. The meeting began with a presentation by the first guest, Joe Molnar, who was introduced by Deb Fulton. He is working with the SunDogs program at Cheat Lake Middle School. The SunDogs program "is a hands-on, online, natural resource conservation curriculum for students in grades 4-12 which aims to give the students the knowledge and skills they need to make decisions about energy and conservation." The program was founded by Susan Hermann Gledhill and Jonathan Gledhill of Fairfax, Virginia. Joe described the program and passed around some curricular materials. More information can be found at http://www.sundogsusa.com. Duane asked Joe how we could help, and Joe indicated that there was no clean air module, so MVCAC might be able to contribute to that. He also suggested that we could provide money to help finance the program. Duane provided a brief update about Longview. The FAA gave Longview permission to build a permit that was above stack height standards. Duane stated that we have until October to appeal the FAA's decision. He proposed that we ask attorney Mary Anne Maul to read about the appeal process and determine whether she would be willing to take on the appeal for us. Duane reported that Allegheny Power has permission to design the proposed scrubbers for the Ft. Martin power plant and submit the design to the Public Service Commission. The cost of the scrubbers would be passed on to the consumer, but MVCAC supports this, because our air would be cleaner. The second guest, Patrick Kirby from Boggs Environmental, was introduced by Karen Woodfork. He discussed whether the company would provide air monitoring equipment to MVCAC. He is currently exploring the possibility of retrofitting devices that Boggs currently owns to allow for the measurement of small particulates. Patrick said that if this is not possible, larger particulates (PM 10) could still be monitored. He also stated that Boggs does not own equipment for monitoring ozone, and they would not be interested in purchasing such equipment, because they would not use it. Duane described various monitoring methods, including instantaneous, periodic, and continuous. Both he and Patrick agreed that the first two would be most reasonable for our group, although Patrick indicated that continuous might be possible, depending on how the data were collected. Patrick asked that we come up with a monitoring plan (where, when, what), which will guide the choice of the type of equipment we use. See also: _www.boggsenvironmental.com_ (http://www.boggsenvironmental.com/) Duane presented a tentative budget that he and Deb created. This included the allocation of money to activities such as legal expenses and education. He asked the group to look the budget over and determine whether it was satisfactory, or whether we wanted to move some of the money between the different categories. Paula suggested that more money be allocated to legal expenses. The group unanimously approved the budget with Paula's suggested change. Duane then proposed that we allocate some money to legal expenses related to appealing the permit for the Greene Energy gob plant. Dennis indicated that the money would go toward expenses such as expert witnesses and transcripts. Duane moved that we allocate $2000 to the appeal, Linda seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. See also: _http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/_ (http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/) Based on his correspondence with FERC, Jarrett has determined that there is no energy shortage in WV. He has now sent a letter asking whether there are any shortages in our region. Duane announced that the PSC has formed the task force to create noise guidelines for power plants. There will be two meetings of the task force, and several MVCAC members have been appointed to the task force. Duane discussed the proposed “tax increment financing” or TIF for the Suncrest Town Centre and distributed petitions that he had created that asked the County Commission to deny the TIF and support farmland preservation. He asked that people try to attend the County Commission meeting at 10:30 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 to voice their opposition to the TIF. Linda described a program that the city of Indianapolis, IN has developed in response to being out of compliance for ozone levels. The program is called Knozone, and it is designed to reduce ozone emission and to educate citizens about ways they can reduce ozone emission. Their web site includes an air quality index. Don asked for more information to share with the city of Morgantown. The Knozone web site url is: _http://www.knozone.com_ (http://www.knozone.com/) Duane informed the group that the province of Ontario in Canada has conducted a study and determined that coal-fired power generation is more costly than other alternatives when the costs of the health impacts are considered, based upon a cost/benefit study. They have a plan to phase out four of their five coal-fired plants by next year and the fifth within two years. See the following web site: _www.energy.gov.on.ca_ (http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/) Paula announced that an economic development class is looking for someone to do a point-counter point type of presentation regarding Longview. Gen Power is being asked to participate. If anyone is willing to represent our group, please contact Paula. Larry stated that he had written a Letter to the Editor regarding air issues and which appeared in the Dominion Post over Labor Day weekend. Respectfully submitted, Linda Shuster, Secretary, MVCAC [September 28, 2005] Web-sites: _www.nolongview.org_ (http://www.nolongview.org/) And this: _www.monvalleycleanair.org_ (http://www.monvalleycleanair.org)

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(no subject)
by Duane330＠aol.com 28 Sep '05

28 Sep '05

============================================================ Wednesday, September 28, 2005 @ 10:31 AM ============================================================ DEP offers pollution prevention class to help West Virginians save money CHARLESTON – If you would like to learn how to save thousands of dollars and reduce your impact on the environment, the Department of Environmental Protection will provide you with the training – for free! The DEP is sponsoring a one-day workshop presented by A Nurtured World, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to a global change in thinking so that people live environmentally sustainable, financially successful and satisfying lives. "Consumer Conservation: More in Your Wallet, Less From the Environment" will be held at the agency’s headquarters at 601 57th Street S.E., Charleston, in the Cooper’s Rock Training Room Tuesday, October 4, 2005. The class will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone interested in saving money or protecting the environment may attend. Whether you are knowledgeable about environmental issues or not, this course will be valuable. The only requirements for the course are attending the entire session, active participation and a willingness to examine your personal behavior as it relates to the environment. Attendees will learn the relative effects of consumer versus industrial activities, the types of consumer activities that have the largest impact on the environment, and how to change behavior in a way that makes a difference both for the environment and the pocketbook. Previous participants report having saved an average of $1,500 per year and, in total, reducing energy use by 5,640 KWH per year, reducing fuel use by 252 gallons per year and reducing 11,805 pounds per year of carbon dioxide. The course instructor will be Susan Roothaan, founder and executive director of A Nurtured World, Inc. She has more than 20 years of experience in the environmental field and has taught pollution prevention to thousands of individuals throughout the United States and Mexico. She is a certified ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems Lead Auditor, holds a Masters in Chemical Engineering, and has received numerous awards including the White House Closing the Circle Award for Greening Government. The DEP-sponsored workshop still has space for 40 to 50 more participants. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre- registration is encouraged and appreciated. For more information or to register, contact Greg Adolfson with the agency’s Office of Innovation at (304) 926-0499 ext. 1332 or by e-mail at gadolfson(a)wvdep.org.

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Meet Monday 9/26
by Duane330＠aol.com 21 Sep '05

21 Sep '05

To: MVCAC and friends........ Please attend the September general meeting of the MonValley Clean Air Coalition this coming Monday, September 26th. The social gathering is at 6:30 and the meeting starts promptly at 7 pm. We will meet again at the home of Larry and Martha Schwab, 3333 Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown. Agenda items to include: 1. Status of proposed Longview plant 2. FAA stack height obstruction decision/appeal 3. Status of Ft. Martin plant scrubbers 4. Air quality monitoring in Monongalia county 5. Regional & state environmental activities 6. The CCSJ social justice fair on 9/27 (we are registered) 7. The SunDogs curriculum at the Cheat Lake Middle School 8. Budget considerations.

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maybe Morgantown some day
by Duane330＠aol.com 15 Sep '05

15 Sep '05

2005 STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SEDP) GRADUATION The EPA Region 3 Student Environmental Development Program (SEDP) held its yearly graduation ceremonies at four locations this summer. Sixteen students graduated in Philadelphia, 14 in Washington, D.C., 75 in Baltimore and 15 in Wilmington. Participating students spent six to seven weeks between July and August learning about communication and public speaking and how to communicate environmental knowledge in their communities. At the graduation, students participated in a group presentation of an environmentally related topic of their choosing and the impact it can have on their lives.

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Next meeting Sept. 26th.
by Duane330＠aol.com 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

PLEASE RESERVE MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 26TH FOR THE NEXT MEETING OF THE MONVALLEY CLEAN AIR COALITION...... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In March, EPA extended the deadline for mercury controls at power plants from 2008 to 2018, and they relaxed the amount of control required. Earlier today the U.S. Senate rejected the motion by Senator Leahy (D-VT) to reverse the March decision of EPA. See the details in the article below. So friends, we are in for a long battle over mercury control. [Scrubbers on the Ft. Martin plant will help with mercury control, of course.] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> U.S. Senate Upholds EPA's Power-Plant Mercury Reduction Rule Sept. 13, 2005. (Bloomberg News Service) -- Christopher Martin in Chicago The U.S. Senate voted today to uphold an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule allowing creation of an emissions-credits trading system to reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. A majority of fifty-one senators voted to reject a resolution overturning the rule sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont. The rule was adopted by the EPA as an alternative to a proposal under the administration of former President Bill Clinton that would have required plant operators to install controls to reduce mercury emissions. The EPA in March set the first limits on airborne mercury pollution from coal-fired plants, the largest man-made source of the substance. The Bush administration wants to set up industry- supported markets for mercury so that plant operators that don't meet emissions limits can buy credits from those that upgrade their equipment, under a system known as cap-and-trade. Health and environmental groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council Club and Physicians for Social Responsibility joined 13 states in a lawsuit challenging the EPA's decision to remove mercury from a list of toxic substances regulated by the Clean Air Act. That finding would require the installation of equipment to limit emissions. Cost of Controls Power plant mercury emissions were added to the list by former EPA Administrator Carol Browner in 2000, just before the end of Clinton's second term. The EPA removed mercury from the list of toxics when it published the rule in March. Supporters of the cap-and-trade system say the marketplace is the most efficient means to cut pollution. Forcing utilities to upgrade power plants would cost as much as $358 billion over the next three years, raising power prices and harming the economy, according to an estimate by the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration, the supporters note. Opponents of the rule say a cap-and-trade market would lead to ``hot spots'' of contamination near power plants that don't install controls. They want all power plants to install controls. The EPA and the Food and Drug Administration last year recommended that women who could become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children avoid fish with high mercury levels. The department and health groups have said that mercury can damage the nervous systems of infants and children.

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Environmental mercury....
by Duane330＠aol.com 01 Sep '05

01 Sep '05

Protect Americans from mercury pollution by supporting the Leahy-Collins resolution. U. S. Senate Joint Resolution 20, introduced by Senators Leahy and Collins under the Congressional Review Act, would disapprove EPA’s delisting rule and restore integrity to the rule-making process, as explained in the email of Tuesday. If you wish to contact Senators Byrd and/or Rockefeller on this, snail mail letters are the most effective means of gaining their attention, as this can be directly identified as coming from a voting constituent...... _Byrd, Robert_ (http://byrd.senate.gov/) - (D - WV) 311 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3954 Web Form: _byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html_ (javascript:openwindow('http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html');) _Rockefeller, John_ (http://rockefeller.senate.gov/) - (D - WV) 531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6472 Web Form: _rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm_ (javascript:openwindow('http://rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm');)

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MVCAC September 2005