Folks,

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of us all. You are doing such
good work.

I am a member of the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce Vision 2020
Wellness Committee. A suggestion was make to locate a representative to
our committee who could represent clear air and clean water issues.
Might there be anyone who would be willing to join us? I know how busy
we all are but this is impt. We need to make sure this environmental
perspective is not ignored in our deliberations about health and
wellness.

We meet monthly from 8-9 am on the third Wednesday of the month at on
the ground floor of the Chamber Office. Let me know if you are
interested, and I will communicate your name to the Committee co-chairs
(Betty Parsons and Kelly Stobbe).

Be well.

Bill Reger-Nash

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/

>>> <Duane330@aol.com> 1/24/2006 10:04:57 PM >>>

Minutes of the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition
January 23, 2006
The January meeting of the MVCAC was held at the home of Larry and
Martha
Schwab on January 23, 2006. There were 13 participants in attendance.
Duane
began the meeting by asking participants to provide updates. Jarrett
stated
that he is still investigating Longview's application for a storm
water
permit. He has also been in touch with the PSC about the current air
quality in
Ft. Martin. Cindy indicated that we cannot be part of the Health
Fair, because
they do not permit private groups to participate. However, we can
have a
table at the Walk for Breath and Life again (we did this last year).
Duane
reported that Cliff and John have been asked to develop a draft flyer.

Deb provided a Treasurer's report. We currently have a balance of
$1567.00.
Expenditures in 2004 included: $2000 to the Environmental Law Center
at the
University of Pittsburgh to fight the proposed Greene County waste
coal
plant, $500 to attorney Mary Ann Maul for expenses relating to the PSC
noise task
force, $920 to Cliff Harvey for the flyers that are being developed,
and $63
for the post office box. We received a $50 donation from Joy Easton.
Jim
K. reported that the state Sierra is considering giving us money, but
they
would like to have a detailed budget from us first. He also noted
that we are
close to being out of attainment for small particulates. We will know
by the
end of the quarter.
Larry H. indicated that the EPA is considering a change in the
standards for
the emission of small particulates. According to the Denver Post, more
than
2000 studies have shown that the current standards are not strong
enough.
However, the new standards that EPA is considering are not strong
enough to
reduce the number of premature deaths due to particulate exposure in
several of
the cities that EPA studied. The EPA's proposal would cut the
permissible
daily exposure from the current 65 micrograms per cubic meter to 35
micrograms
per cubic meter. But the EPA's own scientists recommended a tougher
standard
of 30 to 35 micrograms per cubic meter. Also, the plan would leave the
annual
limit at 15 micrograms per cubic meter, even though the EPA's health
experts
called for tightening the standard to 13 to 14 micrograms per cubic
meter.
California even now limits the yearly exposure to 12 micrograms per
cubic
meter. If you think the standards should be tighter you can write to
the EPA.
Use Docket ID No. OAR-2001-0017 and submit your comments by one of the

following methods:
Federal e-rulemaking portal: www.regulations.gov
E-mail: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov
Facsimile: (202) 566-1741
Regular Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center,
Environmental
Protection Agency, Mailcode: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20460
Last Tuesday, Duane attended the hearing at the Public Service
Commission
regarding the proposed scrubbers for the Ft. Martin power plant. He
reported
that Commissioner Shaw recused himself from the hearing. Duane was
the only
citizen who made a public comment. All of the other individuals who

commented were attorneys. In his comments, Duane indicated that the
MVCAC supported
the scrubbers under the conditions stipulated by the PSC's Consumer
Advocate,
Billy Jack Gregg. Duane spoke with Mr. Gregg before the hearing and

discovered that he had negotiated all of the consumer protection
language that we
had discussed in our MVCAC meetings. The hearings led to something
called a
"stipulation," which is already in writing and includes the
amortization,
scheduling, and other details. A representative for Longview
requested that they
be part of the stipulation, but the Commissioners denied this request.
The
PSC will consider the stipulation and will act on it some time in
April. The
proposed construction period for the scrubbers is 2007-2009.
The public hearing regarding Longview's proposed transmission line
certificate will be held in Morgantown, possibly as early as the first
week in
February. Briefs are currently being prepared. Duane met with
Chuck, our noise
expert, to prepare comments on the noise standards for the proposed
plant,
which is one of the four issues that remain to be addressed if
Longview is to be
awarded a siting certificate (along with a plan for the plant,
financing
information, and property tax information). See Jim Kotcon's excellent
Letter to
the Editor from Friday, January 20 for a cogent discussion of these
issues.
Longview has asserted that it cannot address these issues until it
receives a
siting certificate, but, so far, the PSC has continued to maintain
that
Longview cannot receive a siting certificate until it addresses these
issues.
There will be an evidentiary hearing regarding the transmission and
siting
certificates in March, and we will be intervenors. The statutory
limitation for
PSC to make its final ruling on these permits is June 27. It is not
too late
to submit comments to the PSC. Paula has sent out several emails
with the
contact information. We need to find ways to encourage the public to
come out
to the hearing.
Deb made a report on our application for 501c3 status. In order to
proceed,
we needed to develop a set of Articles of Organization. She presented
a
draft version that she and Duane had created. After some discussion
and minor
revisions, Jim moved that the Articles be accepted. The motion was
seconded by
Paula, and the motion was passed by consensus. The 501c3 application

requires that a conflict of interest policy be included. Deb
requested that she be
permitted to use the policy developed by the IRS. Jim moved that we
use this
policy. Sandy seconded the motion, and the motion passed by
consensus.
Duane circulated a proposed budget. After some discussion and minor
revisions, Jim moved that the budget be accepted. The motion was
seconded by Larry
S., and the motion was passed by consensus.
Deb announced that the Sundogs program has been launched at Cheat Lake

Middle School, however, the air quality module has not yet been
developed.
Jim suggested that it was time to mount another fund raising campaign.

Duane appointed a fund raising committee, consisting of Jim, Paula,
and Donna
Weems (if possible), to develop a fund raising letter and the address
list for
mailing.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Shuster.
January 24, 2006
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