Opponents of proposed San Antonio coal-fired power plant have new concern
San Antonio Express-News
When opponents of City Public Service's proposed 750-megawatt coal plant meet with regulators Thursday, it's not only what's in the facility's draft permit that bothers them. They're also upset about what's not in it.
"These are wonderful promises being made, but the permit has no specific
mercury controls," said Karen Hadden, executive director of the
Austin-based Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition.
The public will get a chance to comment on this and other issues concerning
the facility's proposed permit Thursday. Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality officials will hold a public meeting on the project at 7 p.m. in the
East Central High School cafeteria.
Joe Fulton, the utility's director of research and environmental management,
said the mercury issue is a red herring being needlessly pressed by
environmental groups.
Although not specifically addressed in the new plant's permit, he said, the
utility's efforts to meet new federal regulations for mercury will reduce its
overall output from roughly 700 pounds a year to 500 pounds a year. That's even
after the 140 pounds a year the new plant is expected to add, he said.
The Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to release the new mercury
regulations in March.
"I am confused why they make such a big issue of this," Fulton
said.
Hadden and opponents are also questioning the amount of hydrogen chloride, a
corrosive gas with a pungent odor, and silica dust the new plant will blow from
its smokestacks.
Levels of both are greater than the state's recommended standard -- called
the effective screening level. However, TCEQ and CPS officials said the
screening level is a standard to trigger more analysis and does not necessarily
indicate a hazard. In this case the higher levels will be contained to the plant
site and do not pose a threat, they added.
These are among the issues TCEQ officials expect to address at the meeting.
Eric Hendrickson, TCEQ air permitting combustion team leader, said he's
already fielded questions ranging from the plant's impact on global warming to
its potential influence on the haze at Big Bend.
Hendrickson said he thinks that overall the permit passes muster.
"For the most part CPS has stepped forward with a very strong
application," he said. "The public meeting is to convey information.
We explain what we did in the review, and we answer the questions of the public.
It's what we should do."
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