Debate rages over plan to build power plant in Washington County
Fix Up or Foul Up?
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette In this view from Beagle Club Road, 600 acres of coal refuse from the former Champion Processing plant loom over the landscape west of state Route 980 in Robinson, Washington County. A power plant, which would burn the gob pile, is proposed for the site. |
The Beech Hollow Project in Washington County will pollute air and groundwater and take further toll on public health in a state where air quality already ranks among the nation's worst.
So environmental activists claim.
But the project developer, his consultants and state environmental officials say the coal-fired power plant proposed for Robinson will be one of the nation's cleanest, create jobs, eliminate a square-mile waste pile that's been an environmental puzzle for decades, and open 600 acres to economic development.
Both sides squared off last week during a Robinson Township Planning Commission hearing, where 150 people heard Robinson Power Co. LLC officials explain why it is seeking township approval for conditional-use and land-development permits. After the planning commission makes its recommendations following two more public hearings, township supervisors will hold more hearings before voting.
"This has been a huge environmental liability," said Ray Bologna, whose family owns the Champion Processing refuse site and created Robinson Power to build the plant. "Today I view the Beech Hollow Project as an environmental cleanup."
The Champion Processing refuse dump -- where coal was processed beginning in 1929 -- is the largest gob pile east of the Mississippi River.
Over the years, Mr. Bologna has tried to reduce mine-acid drainage by covering part of the dump with sewage sludge to produce ground cover. He currently collects runoff from the site to be treated before it's released into streams.
The latest idea -- a power plant fueled exclusively by coal refuse -- has drawn approval from many quarters, the state included.
"There are two environmental issues here," state Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Helen Humphreys said. "The first is air quality and the emissions issue, but the new plants are much cleaner than the older plants, and the standards for them are higher. But this also removes a gob pile, which was poisoning ground water, and the state did not have taxpayer dollars to pay for it."
The 272,000-kilowatt plant would sit alongside the dump near the intersection of Routes 22 and 980. The project would create 700 jobs during construction and 90 permanent jobs, Mr. Bologna said.
Power company consultants said the plant would meet all state and federal environmental regulations. It would remove 98 percent of nitric oxide and mercury emissions and 97 percent of sulfur dioxide. Forty grams of mercury would be released into the air per year, below the allowable limit.
Nevertheless, Mark Wayner, air-quality program manager for DEP's Southwest Regional Office, said Robinson Power still would have to buy environmental credits from other companies, not only to prevent the region's air quality from diminishing, but to bring improvements.
"They won't be adding to any pollutants," he said. "This project should not adversely affect the environment."
Nearby residents and environmental activists said the plant would generate air pollution that directly would affect West Allegheny schools just miles downwind.
Cathy Lodge, a Robinson resident whose Residents Against the Power Plant group is fighting the plant, also said project details were not advertised properly, company maps lack proper notary seals and other documents were outdated. A plan for a sewage treatment plant recently was voided, she said.
"They still don't have all their facts and figures ready to make a formal application," she said. "The public needs full disclosure, and we're not getting it. This is a very serious project with serious implications for this community."
Robinson Power presented a slide presentation describing the technology to be used to limit emissions. It also noted that all fly ash produced in the plant would be disposed on site.
But nobody from the company stated publicly what its maps reveal -- that in the next 30 years, the plant would replace about 40 million tons of coal refuse with 64 million tons of fly ash, the powdery material high in heavy-metal content that remains after coal is burned.
Dr. Barry Sheetz, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Penn State University, said the fly ash would be mixed with lime to produce concrete that would stabilize to prevent hazardous materials from reaching the soil and groundwater.
"We really do understand what's going on," he said, claiming the concrete would serve as foundation for development. "We've worked on this a long time."
But Mrs. Lodge said she's not convinced. With 64 million tons in question, she said, only a small percentage of toxins released from the fly ash could cause serious groundwater contamination.
"It doesn't matter if it is loose or in concrete form: It's in an unlined pit," she said.
"I have well water and other residents have well water. They are taking no precautions to protect us."
Tom Rathbun of DEP's Office of Mineral Resource Managements in Harrisburg, said the state would do nothing to create a new environmental risk.
He said the concrete would not leach toxins, if the ash were processed correctly, and rainwater could not penetrate it.
As such, he said, the plan would "cure" the existing coal-refuse problem, which would produce 753,000 pounds of mine acid if the land were left as it is now.
Raymond J. Hoehler, an attorney for Robinson Power, said he considered the township application to be complete, except for some anticipated "tweaking."
He said the township could not base its decision on environmental issues, which he said, fall under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
He and other Robinson Power consultants chose not to respond to most claims that residents and environmentalists made during the hearing.
But planning commission members also are demanding more information under the threat that the clock will stop in the permit process if information is not forthcoming.
"All we want is to be treated with respect," planning commission member Luke Darragh said. "The plans submitted are inadequate. I along with other members of the planning commission are dumbfounded by the extent of inadequacies in the plans."