MVCAC January 2009

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7 participants
13 discussions

Non-attainment for PM 2.5 (particulate matter)
by Duane330＠aol.com 28 Apr '09

28 Apr '09

EPA Makes Decision to Designate Areas Not Meeting Standards for Fine Particle Pollution Press Release: U.S. EPA. Date: 12/22/2008 Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn, (202) 564-4355 /7849/ Milbourn.Cathy(a)epa.gov (Washington, D.C. – Dec.22, 2008)EPA has notified 25 governors and 23 tribal leaders that certain areas in their states and tribal lands do not meet the agency’s daily standards for fine particle pollution, also known as PM 2.5. “These designations are an important step in our steady march toward cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “We will continue working with our state and tribal partners to meet these air quality standards.” EPA closely reviewed recommendations from states and tribes along with public comments before making its decision to designate 211 counties and parts of counties as not meeting EPA’s PM 2.5 standards. These areas, called nonattainment areas, include counties with monitors violating the standards and nearby areas that contribute to that violation. Affected states and tribes will be required to take steps to reduce the pollution that forms fine particles. The vast majority of U.S. counties and tribal lands are meeting these standards, but will need to continue working to maintain clean air. In 2006, EPA strengthened the 24-hour fine particle standards from 65 micrograms per cubic meter to 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air to protect public health. Nationwide, monitored levels of fine particle pollution fell 11 percent from 2000 to 2007. Fine particles can either be emitted directly, or they can form in the atmosphere from reactions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Exposure to fine particle pollution can cause a number of serious health problems including aggravated asthma, increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and premature death. More information on the designations: _http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/2006standards/index.htm_ (http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/2006standards/index.htm) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 10 Southwestern Pa. counties cited for not reaching soot pollution standards Tuesday, December 23, 2008, By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ten southwestern Pennsylvania counties are among 211 counties and 23 Native American reservations across the nation designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency yesterday as not meeting tighter federal health standards for fine particle soot pollution. Parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Lawrence, Greene and Indiana, and all of Beaver, Butler, Washington, Westmoreland and Cambria counties were declared in "nonattainment" of the daily federal pollution standards for fine particulates. Also in nonattainment are seven counties around Philadelphia in the southeastern corner of the state, three around Harrisburg, two around Allentown and Lancaster County. Because of those designations, Pennsylvania and 24 other states containing counties not meeting the health standard must submit plans to the EPA detailing how they will reduce fine particle pollution or risk losing federal highway funding. Allegheny County and most of the other southwestern Pennsylvania counties struggled to meet less stringent health-based soot standards set in 1997. What's different for the fine particle standard set in 2006 is that the more polluted areas of some counties -- like Liberty-Clairton in Allegheny County -- have been carved out as nonattainment areas, while the remainder of the counties, where soot pollution readings are lower, can avoid the negative designation. "I think it's a good idea to back off the whole county designation. It allows us to concentrate our pollution reduction efforts in those areas where they are needed most," said Dr. Bruce Dixon, Allegheny County Health Department director. "From a health perspective, for many living in our county, airborne particulates are not the foremost pollutant," he said. "But in some areas of the Mon Valley where industry is concentrated, we need to recognize that it is." Dr. Dixon said U.S. Steel Corp.'s ongoing $1.2 billion coke oven replacement project at its Clairton Works will help the Liberty-Clairton area reduce soot levels and move that part of the Monongahela River Valley toward attainment of the federal standard. "It may even achieve the standard," he said. "But if not, we will look at reductions from other industry. We want every industry to make improvements to their processes that reduce pollution. Our first target date is 2010, so we have some time." The federal standard measures soot particles that are 2.5 micrometers in size, called PM 2.5 -- so small that several hundred could fit on the period at the end of this sentence. The fine particle pollution can be emitted directly from coal-burning power plants, other industrial sources or vehicles, or form in the atmosphere from chemical reactions involving sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides. Exposure to higher levels of such soot pollution can cause a number of serious health problems, including asthma, heart attacks and premature death, as well as increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for respiratory and cardiovascular problems. The EPA designations culminate a two-year process that identified counties that failed to meet the 2006 standards and allowed states, tribal leaders, environmental groups and business and industry lobbyists to comment on the agency's proposed designations. The American Lung Association faulted the EPA for leaving five metropolitan areas and several counties with high air pollution off its nonattainment list for fine particles, saying it puts populations in those areas at risk. The five cities -- Houston, Texas; Augusta and Columbus, Ga.; Greenville, S.C.; and Fairmont, W.Va. -- all showed unhealthy year-round levels of soot pollution. In two of those cities, Columbus and Houston, fine particulate levels have worsened. "The Clean Air Act plainly requires the EPA to identify all the places where air pollution poses a threat to public health," said Paul Billings, American Lung Association vice president for national policy and advocacy. "The EPA has a responsibility to do more to protect public health when it comes to air pollution." The EPA said it "closely reviewed" recommendations from states and public comments before making its nonattainment designations. Don Hopey can be reached at _dhopey(a)post-gazette.com_ (mailto:dhopey@post-gazette.com) or 412-263-1983. First published on December 23, 2008 at 12:00 am **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000…)

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AEP application to sequester carbon dioxide
by Duane330＠aol.com 30 Jan '09

30 Jan '09

Director, Division of Water and Waste Management, DEP 601 57th Street SE Charleston, WV 25304-2345 ATTN: Jeff Knepper, UIC Programs Comments Regarding AEP's Applicaition for UIC Permit Application No. 1189-08-053 RE: AEPs Permit Application No. 1189-08-053 to geologically sequester carbon dioxide. It is essential that the permit particulars include the requirement that a "tracer" be added to the sequestered gases and/or liquids. This is necessary in order that the future status of these gases and/or liquids can be accounted for by the State, by AEP, and possibly by the federal government or the public at large. The "tracer" can be a chemical substance in extremely low concentration that is non-toxic and a substance that can be detected by chemical instrumentation. The choice of "tracer" can be made via consultation among the applicant (AEP), the State agencies involved, and the federal EPA and DOE. If no tracer is used, it will never be possible to properly or legally account for the amount of dissipation and leakage that takes place over time. Given the long term nature of this proposed storage, then accounting for the sequested material is essential. Given the fact that this project represents a new activity, over which the State has no prior knowledge or experience, it is important that a means is provided to independently track the sequestered material. Respectfully submitted by: Dr. Duane G. Nichols, Chemical Engineer Technical Representative, MonValley Clean Air Coalition January 30, 2009 **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023)

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SCIENCE, January 23, 2009
by Duane330＠aol.com 23 Jan '09

23 Jan '09

Cooking and Burning A huge plume of air pollution, called the Asian Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC), emanates from Southern Asia and persists over much of the Indian continent and the Indian Ocean during the winter. It is so large and dense that its cooling effect may balance, or even surpass, the warming effect of greenhouse gases in the region. In order to know how to mitigate this scourge, its origin must be known. There are two major sources that contribute to the ABC--biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion--whose relative importance is unclear. Gustafsson et al. (p. _495_ (http://www.info-aaas.org/util/link.jsp?e=0-jkh8dWkT3n-qkJdT6KB-x1gZzuskeKJg… eLEjlDfdQNDgEiwWG7Bw..A) ; see the Perspective by _Szidat_ (http://www.info-aaas.org/util/link.jsp?e=9hkWtoeqjSJbw-2wNomQH2ftvxBu__f9dA… WW00evvrEUQ&s=8cAH8W7w42QgXi5scbyBzCg..A&v=9QieLEjlDfdQNDgEiwWG7Bw..A) ) measured radiocarbon in particles from the cloud, and between one-half and two-thirds of the carbonaceous aerosols were from biomass burning. Thus, controlling biomass combustion, particularly residential cooking and agricultural burning, will be important to mitigate climate effects and to improve air quality in the region. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dying Trees Tree mortality rates have more than doubled in recent decades in otherwise undisturbed forests of the western United States, possibly as a consequence of ongoing regional warming. Van Mantgem et al. (p. _521_ (http://www.info-aaas.org/util/link.jsp?e=3HAdVkrSLcAEJ1VfAFh0qQB5HmnlsgC85i… W7w42QgXi5scbyBzCg..A&v=9QieLEjlDfdQNDgEiwWG7Bw..A) ; see the news story by _Pennisi_ (http://www.info-aaas.org/util/link.jsp?e=2O_odGyng9kHXsR_lt2roFsdP6gAdk9HY8… ..A) ) use a long-term set of demographic data to reveal a pervasive increase in background mortality rates for trees in seemingly healthy forest. The increases occur regardless of elevations, tree size, taxon, or fire history and cannot be attributed to processes such as increasing competition or aging of large trees. The increases in mortality are likely to have been driven by environmental changes, with ongoing regional warming and its widespread effects on the western U.S. hydrologic cycle being the most probable contributors. Changes in tree mortality rates can affect future forest structure and composition, which in turn affect ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, and thereby biological contributions and responses to climatic changes. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023)

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Forgot to attach minutes
by Linda Shuster 13 Jan '09

13 Jan '09

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Minutes
by Linda Shuster 13 Jan '09

13 Jan '09

Attached, please find the minutes from last week's MVCAC meeting in pdf format. Linda

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Re: [MVCAC] Letter to DP
by Bill Reger-Nash 13 Jan '09

13 Jan '09

Charles and Cindy, Good letter. We should all follow your lead and continue to use the Letters to the Editor of the DP, Charleston Gazette, Daily Mail and others to communicate this impt message. I agree that we also need to send these same letters, or slightly modified, to the School Board and County Commission, both of whom are selling our children's health for a few pennies. Bill WV Walks - 30 minutes or more daily Feel the power of half an hour! Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D Professor of Community Medicine West Virginia University School of Medicine Morgantown WV 26506-9190 Phone: 304/293-0763 Fax: 304/293-6685 Dept. web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed BRN's web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/wreger/ >>> "Charles Harris" <clharris(a)hsc.wvu.edu> 01/13/09 4:25 PM >>> All: Cindy and I agreed to author a letter to the editor for the DP, on the issue of non-attainment and children's health. We attach our draft of this letter for your consideration. Please feel free to send us any suggestions or changes you would like to see. We will then edit and send it out for final approval....then to the newspaper. Larry and Cindy Charles L. Harris Professor of Biochemistry West Virginia University School of Medicine 304-293-7749

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Re: [MVCAC] Letter to DP
by Charles Harris 13 Jan '09

13 Jan '09

All: Cindy and I agreed to author a letter to the editor for the DP, on the issue of non-attainment and children's health. We attach our draft of this letter for your consideration. Please feel free to send us any suggestions or changes you would like to see. We will then edit and send it out for final approval....then to the newspaper. Larry and Cindy Charles L. Harris Professor of Biochemistry West Virginia University School of Medicine 304-293-7749

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Burger power plant in Ohio Valley
by Duane330＠aol.com 13 Jan '09

13 Jan '09

NOTE: FirstEnergy's Burger power plant is located approximately 30 miles north of the Mitchell and Kammer plants in the Ohio River valley. The emissions from the Burger and Cardinal plants will be carried via the prevailing winds over our region. See details below. Duane Nichols >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Difficult Choice for FirstEnergy at Burger Plant: Scrubbers or Shutdown Decision on plant’s fate due by end of the year By GABE WELLS, Wheeling News-Register, Posted: December 23, 2008. SHADYSIDE - As many as 100 local jobs hang in the balance as FirstEnergy Corp. decides whether a Belmont County power plant is worth the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to bring the facility into compliance with governmental standards. FirstEnergy spokeswoman Ellen Raines on Tuesday said the company will decide by the end of the year whether to continue operations at the R.E. Burger Power Plant south of Shadyside. She said the company is facing massive expenses for the construction of a new scrubber stack at the plant. Increasing costs for natural gas and other upgrades to bring the facility in line with federal environmental standards also are factors in the decision. It was announced in May 2007 that the company had plans to install an Electro-Catalytic Oxidation system on units 4 and 5 of the Burger Plant. Combined, those units produce 312 megawatts of electricity, or enough to serve about 190,000 homes, the company states on its Web site. The ECO system is designed to control multiple pollutants that result from electricity production at coal-based generating plants. It was developed by Powerspan Corp. of New Hampshire, in which FirstEnergy has a minority ownership interest. Information released at that time states the Burger Plant ECO scrubber system would reduce sulfur dioxide, mercury, other gases resulting from combustion and fine particulates. It further was expected to produce marketable ammonium sulfate fertilizer co-product to be sold in the fertilizer market. An ECO commercial demonstration unit has been operating at the Burger Plant since early 2004. And the Ohio Coal Development Office has contributed more than $5.5 million to the demonstration project. Design engineering for the Burger Plant ECO system was set to begin in 2007, according to FirstEnergy, with the system to begin operating in the first quarter of 2011. The cost of the system was estimated at $168 million. The news that Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy - a diversified energy company that serves 4.5 million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey - might discontinue operations at the Burger Plant came Tuesday after a federal appeals court reinstated one of President Bush's clean air regulations while the Environmental Protection Agency makes court-mandated changes. In July, the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out the Clean Air Interstate Rule, which required 28 mostly Eastern states to reduce smog-forming and soot-producing emissions that can travel long distances in the wind. The court said the EPA overstepped its authority by instituting the rule, citing "more than several fatal flaws" in the regulation. However, a three-judge panel decided to reinstate the rule while the EPA develops a new clean air program. The judges did not give EPA a deadline to come up with new regulations, but warned the agency that this decision is not an "indefinite stay" of its July ruling. The EPA had predicted that the Clean Air Interstate Rule would prevent about 17,000 premature deaths a year by dramatically reducing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. In addition, the EPA said the rule would save up to $100 billion in health benefits, eliminate millions of lost work and school days and prevent tens of thousands of nonfatal heart attacks. Raines stressed that no decision has not been made concerning the Burger Plant's future. She also said employees at the R.E. Burger plant will be told of FirstEnergy's decision before the announcement is made public. "It's obviously a tough economic environment to make those decisions," Raines said. "We want to make sure we are fair with our employees by talking with them first. This was related to environmental compliance, and if nothing changes we will have to give a federal judge our decision before the end of the year. "What is true is that we have made no announcement," she added. "When we make a decision we will talk to our employees, then we will talk to the news media." >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FirstEnergy Wants More Time to Think By GABE WELLS, Wheeling News-Register, Posted: January 2, 2009. SHADYSIDE, OHIO - Officials with FirstEnergy need more time to think. They've requested an extension of the time period allotted for them to decide whether to close the R.E. Burger plant or spend hundreds of millions of dollars in mandatory upgrades. FirstEnergy announced Wednesday it is has requested an additional 105 days to make a decision regarding the future of two coal-fired units at the Shadyside plant. If the extension is not granted, the company plans to shut down the two main units at the facility, where more than 100 jobs hang in the balance. The company was to make a decision by Wednesday as to whether it would install scrubbers and other environmental equipment or commit to shutting down the facility in two years. The company filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio requesting the additional time to make the decision. On Wednesday, FirstEnergy spokeswoman Tricia Ingraham said, should the extension not be granted, company officials also would have to decide whether to continue operating the Burger Plant's "peaking unit," which is a backup unit used only about 30 days each year. "We certainly hope the judge will grant the extension, and this is a step to keep the plant open," Ingraham said. Ingraham and FirstEnergy President of Fossil Operations Charles D. Lasky both said Wednesday that difficult economic times have contributed to the uncertain future of the Burger Plant. "We are asking the court for an extension, which would provide us with more time and hopefully more economic and regulatory clarity to make this important decision," Lasky said. The Burger Plant employs 102 people. It began operations in 1944, with additional units completed in the 1950s. The two units that may shut down provide enough electricity to serve 190,000 homes. **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://news.aol.com?ncid=emlcntusnews00000002)

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Re: [MVCAC] Nonattainment letter to EPA
by Charles Harris 13 Jan '09

13 Jan '09

This is a great letter and will also help Cindy and I with some details for our letter to the editor. I did note one typo in the line before the summary: change "at" to" act". Larry Charles L. Harris Professor of Biochemistry West Virginia University School of Medicine 304-293-7749 >>> "James Kotcon" <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> 01/12/09 6:41 PM >>> Attached is the draft I promised to provide at the meeting last week. I got a little more technical that may be necessary, but as I reviewed the history and technical documents, it looked like there were some issues worth bringing up. Technically, the public comment period was up on Oct. 2, but a letter of support can not hurt. And I propose a copy to both EPA and the DEP. If anyone has any suggestions for improvement, or comments on the letter, let us know. If not, send this puppy in. Jim Kotcon

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Nonattainment letter to EPA
by James Kotcon 12 Jan '09

12 Jan '09

Attached is the draft I promised to provide at the meeting last week. I got a little more technical that may be necessary, but as I reviewed the history and technical documents, it looked like there were some issues worth bringing up. Technically, the public comment period was up on Oct. 2, but a letter of support can not hurt. And I propose a copy to both EPA and the DEP. If anyone has any suggestions for improvement, or comments on the letter, let us know. If not, send this puppy in. Jim Kotcon

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MVCAC January 2009