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Control coal, residents say testimonial urges tough action on PGE’s Boardman coal plant
The Dalles Chronicle
[January 14th, 2009]
By KATHY GRAY
of The Chronicle
Columbia Gorge residents want more pollution controls on PGE’s Boardman coal-fired power plant sooner rather than later.
That was the consensus of testimonial Tuesday evening from people without a financial stake in PGE’s plant at an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hearing on proposed rules for a regional haze plan. Some went further, urging DEQ and PGE to close the plant.
“The Boardman coal power plant is the largest single source of air pollution in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, where pollution impairs views 95 percent of the time and results in extraordinarily high levels of ‘acid deposition’ that attain an acidity comparable to vinegar,” said Peter Cornelison, who spoke on behalf of the Hood River Valley Residents Committee. The hearing was one of five around the state on the subject of haze pollution controls for the PGE plant.
DEQ has identified the Boardman plant as the single largest point source of pollution in Oregon, accounting for 38 percent of all Oregon industry emissions. It also has the biggest industrial effect on Oregon’s 12 Class I areas, which include national parks larger than 5,000 acres and wilderness areas larger than 6,000 acres.
Those Class I areas are the focus of the federal Clean Air Act’s regional haze plan requirements, established in 2004.
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area isn’t one of those areas, but will see related benefits. The gorge runs squarely in between the Mt. Hood Wilderness Area and the Mt. Adams Wilderness Area.
Under the federal rules, DEQ’s job is to develop a plan to protect the clearest days at the 12 Oregon Class I areas, and to improve conditions on the haziest days to “natural conditions” by 2064.
An earlier Yakama Nation-commissioned study of haze in the gorge indicates the Boardman plant is the single largest point source of pollution in the gorge during the winter months, responsible for half the particulate pollution in the gorge when air quality conditions are at their worst.
A key part of that effort would be to install stringent pollution controls at the Boardman plant. Those controls include:
• By 2011: burners to reduce emission of oxides of nitrogen by 46 percent at a cost of $32.6 million,
• By 2014: semi-dry flue gas desulfurization to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 80 percent ($247 million) and a pulse jet fabric filter for 29 percent further emission reduction,
• By 2017: selective catalytic reduction for an 84 percent emission reduction in oxides of nitrogen at a cost of $191 million.
PGE wants alternatives to this plan, up to and including decommissioning the plant as early as 2020.
PGE’s Ray Hendricks, an environmental engineer, told the DEQ that other pollution control rules — most notably state and federal carbon control rules — are under consideration and the investor-owned utility would like to be able to evaluate the costs and benefits of the pollution controls together.
“Currently the two processes are isolated from one another and we feel it’s important to get those two processes together,” Hendricks said.
The Boardman coal-fired plant has a capacity of 585 megawatts. PGE owns 65 percent, a share that provides enough power for more than 250,000 homes and accounts for about 15 percent of PGE’s resource mix. The plant is a key element of PGE’s resource diversity, Hendricks said, helping to control costs and assure reliability.
Power from the 30-year-old plant is one-half to two-thirds cheaper than natural gas, helping to lower power costs for customers, Hendricks added.
Instead of installing pollution controls on DEQ’s timeline, PGE wants two “decision points” that would allow the utility the choice to decommission the plant. Under PGE’s alternative proposal:
• By 2011: Install the burners to reduce oxides of nitrogen, the same as the DEQ plan,
• By 2012: Decide whether to install sulfur dioxide controls by 2014 (as proposed by DEQ) OR install only mercury controls (required by earlier rules) and decommission by 2020,
• By 2015: Decide whether to install selective catalytic reduction by 2017 and operate for the full life of the plant OR decommission by 2029.
The final phase is assuming the costly selective catalytic reduction is required under the haze plan’s “reasonable progress” clause. PGE officials argue that the controls would result in a major cost increase with minimal visibility benefit.
Hendricks argued that the visibility improvement under PGE’s proposal is “as good or better” than DEQ’s proposal.
“And it would allow us to include the most timely and complete information possible when making our decisions,” Hendricks said.
Audience members who testified at the event were generally opposed to giving PGE any latitude.
“DEQ, stick to the timelines in the proposed rules,” said Jurgen Hess. “I further recommend you shorten them. Require the most stringent industry controls now. Doing that means we, our children, plants and animals, fish, can all breathe cleaner air sooner.”
While the haze rules are targeted primarily at view quality, many of those in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting were more concerned about the health consequences of pollution from the Boardman plant. They questioned the DEQ closely about health consequences and any regulatory efforts to control health-detrimental pollution.
While the haze process doesn’t target health issues, DEQ officials repeatedly noted that haze-producing pollution often occurs at levels lower than those deemed harmful to health and reduction in haze-producing pollutants would have an attendant health benefit.
Several people who testified cited what they described as PGE’s poor environmental record over time.
“The best solution would be to shut the plant down now,” said David Berger, “and to get on board with the governor of Oregon’s plan to reduce emissions.”
In addition to PGE’s Hendricks, two other people testified in favor of PGE’s proposal. John Carstensen of Idaho Power Company, a 10 percent owner of the Boardman plant, said, “The decision points and the time frame are prudent.”
Gary Neal, representing Morrow County, agreed, noting than closure of the plant would have a substantial effect on Morrow County’s jobs and tax base.
“PGE has been a good corporate citizen,” Neal said.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has extended the public comment period on proposed regulation of the PGE Boardman coal-fired power plant. The new deadline to submit comments to DEQ is Jan. 30 by 5 p.m.
Written comments may be mailed to Brian Finneran, Oregon DEQ, Air Quality Division, 811 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97204, faxed to (503) 229-5675, or emailed to regionalhaze@deq.state.or.us or on the DEQ website at www.deq..state.or.us/regulations/proposedrules.htm.
A decision on the PGE plan is scheduled for a meeting of the Oregon Environmental Commission on April 23 and 24 in Portland. The meeting is open to the public.