"Grandfathered" Coal-Burning Power Plants Slide Past Regulation to Pollute PA

The US Environmental Protection Agency has just released the 1998 Toxics Release Inventory, marking the first time that Electric Utilities have been required to report emissions. Electric Utilities were responsible for 1.1 billion pounds in total emissions, or 15% of the United States' total toxic emissions. In Pennsylvania, Electric Utilities are responsible for an even greater portion of the pollution, one third of total toxic emissions and almost two thirds of total air emissions. Pennsylvania ranks third worst in the US for total air emissions. This is largely due to over 50% of Pennsylvania's electricity being produced by coal combustion, which releases far more pollutants than other forms of energy production. The most significant gases released are Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Mercury (Hg).

All but one of the coal-burning generators in Pennsylvania began operation prior to 1977. These older plants are exempt from the Clean Air Act's provisions for newer plants that would protect people downwind from these "grandfathered" facilities. If these plants were required to adhere to modern pollution limits, their pollution levels would decrease 50-75%.

Pennsylvania boasts five of the worst 100 counties in the US for release of chemicals. All five of these counties house at least one grandfathered power plant. Old coal-powered power plants are responsible for being the single greatest source of SO2, the largest component of soot in the Eastern US, which becomes imbedded in the lungs of those who breathe it in; and for being the largest industrial source of NOx, which causes formation of ground-level ozone, which in turn burns through lung tissue, increasing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Both NOx and SO2 are also culpable for forming the principle components of acid rain. Coal-powered plants are also responsible for releasing CO2, which reacts with ozone in the upper atmosphere depleting the ozone layer; and releasing Mercury, which accumulates in waterways and in the animals that live in polluted systems, making fish unfit for human consumption. Mercury causes serious neurological damage, particularly to developing fetuses and young children.

There are currently two bills in Congress that will remedy the grandfathered plants' unfettered pollution. The bills are the Clean Smokestacks Act of 1999 (H.R. 2900) cosponsored by PA Representatives Chaka Fattah and Joseph Hoeffel, III, and the Clean Energy Act of 1999 (S. 1369). If these bills become law, the grandfathered power plants will be required to meet modern emissions levels within five years. This will keep millions of pounds of harmful gases out of our air, lungs, and bodies.

In the summer, when rising temperatures promote the chemical reactions that result in smog, ozone depletion, and asthma, Pennsylvanian's must be increasingly aware of how their energy decisions affect themselves and others. The technology is readily available to decrease the pollution we are all forced to contend with. Environmentally benign solutions include ending the lethal loophole, purchasing electricity produced in an environmentally sound manner, and reducing energy consumption.

Oil Spill Raises Serious Questions

When I first heard reports about the February oil spill at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Southwest Philadelphia, these questions came to mind: Why were there oil pipelines and landfills in a place meant for wildlife? Why weren’t the pipes monitored? Why did it take a hiker to discover the spill?

These questions led to bigger questions-- Why do government agencies and big business wait until disaster before they act? Is there a way to legislate, or encourage, proactive measures?

The Heinz Refuge is a freshwater tidal marsh - a rare environment, with plant and animal life so diverse it has been compared to a tropical rainforest. A refuge is not scenic and pristine, like a park. A refuge exists because the animals are already there, wherever that may be. Tinicum is the first area of marsh between Boston & Washington, making it an important stopping point on the eastern route of migratory birds.

It is also the only refuge in the nation that encompasses a landfill filled with toxic waste.

In 1955, former owner Gulf oil gave the land to the city - not as an environmentally conscious, generous donation, but to avoid the consequences of illegal activity. Gulf, and present owner Sunoco, kept the right to 5 pipelines already running through the marsh.

On February 2, one of Sunoco’s fifty-year old pipelines started leaking and spilled approximately 174,000 gallons of crude oil over the next three days. Although initial reports say the pipeline’s age was not a factor, later reports noted that the miter joints in these pipes are no longer used, and these pipelines were Sunoco’s only with miter joints. A Tinicum park ranger said that the current standard Elbow-jointed pipes will replace the miter joints - the elbow joints will have electronic monitors to help determine if there is corrosion.

In early March, the EPA ordered Sunoco to consider installing a mechanical leak detection system that can detect a leak within a half-hour. Sunoco claims this system doesn’t work - it’s unreliable because it gives false positives. A warning light set off by the 1990 oil spill in Arthur Kill, NJ was ignored because it had misfired many times - by the time the spill was discovered, 567,000 gallons had spilled.

EPA regional administrator Bradley Campbell expressed concern about the way “the spill was discovered by happenstance, by a visitor noticing the smell of oil . . . That’s not an adequate leak-detection system,” he said. Sunoco’s only safeguard is the comparison of the number of gallons sent from the tank farm, with the number received by the refinery. Sunoco said this discrepancy would only take about a day or two to be discovered. The spill at Heinz wildlife refuge went undetected for 3 days, and was never caught by a “safeguard.”

A Dept of Environmental Protection spokesman initially said there has been no adverse impact to the community here, but it is still too early to determine the full impact on wildlife and the environment - long term effects could impact the food chain and wildlife reproduction.

The immediate, visible effects on wildlife were small because of freezing temperatures, but by the end of February, turtles began emerging in response to spring-like weather. Reports of a clean up have not been published in the major dailies since then. On March 15, a community newspaper printed an article urging folks to visit the Heinz refuge and enjoy peaceful and wonderful walks. I visited on March 18th and observed numerous trails closed, warning signs, clean-up equipment, and a parking lot full of workers’ trucks all there to clean up this spill, in addition to a missing footbridge and a Port-o-Potty floating in the water.

What still bothers me is that after speaking with the park ranger and reading several newspaper articles, not a single person at the refuge has said anything about Sunoco. They act as if this were a natural disaster that couldn’t be avoided; not as an oversight, or even an act of negligence, on the part of big business to save money by NOT proactively monitoring the refuge and updating their pipes.

Sunoco is getting off easy - the leak could have emptied directly into the river; it could have leaked into South Jersey’s water supply; or it could have occurred during migration season, when many more animals could have died unnecessarily.

A bigger spill with more deaths would have created outrage in more citizens and the national media, and would possibly change public policy. The quick disappearance of this spill from the mainstream media just means that this spill did not have the power to force oil companies into proactive roles and avoid disaster.

Geese Run Rampant in the City

The goose population in the city has exploded, They are congregating along Kelly Drive leaving tons of goose poop which threatens to destroy the cities drinking supply. Read More in the Philadelphia Daily News

President Clinton creates 4 New National Mounments.

Brownfields in Philadelphia

Last month the EPA gave the city of Philadelphia $150,000 to "continue to assess and revitalize brownfields properties."

What is a brownfield? A brownfield according to the EPA press release are "properties where real or suspected environmental contamination has prevented productive reuse and redevelopment."

There are thousands of brownfield sites in Philadelphia. Environmental contamination brings to mind barrels of toxic sludge. Brownfileds are not quite as a severe as far as the level of contamination goes. Brownfields are former industrial sites that are now vacant lots or empty gas stations with the tanks still buried. And there are a lot of them. They are so common in fact that you may walk through them everyday on your way to work and not even know it.

If a parcel of land is deemed a brownfield it is unable to be developed without expensive clean up. That is why McDonald's has chosen to demolish a building in West Philadelphia instead of opting to clean-up a near by brownfield.