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