MVCAC March 2011

mvcac@lists.osenergy.org

4 participants
8 discussions

Help! Morgantown City Council Resolution
by dfvet＠aol.com 29 Mar '11

29 Mar '11

Hi. I'm urging all Morgantown green groups to please write a letter encouraging the City Council to pass the resolution that calls for a temporary cessation of the issuing of new gas drilling permits. The resolution will be considered tomorrow, Tuesday at 7PM. Send reps to the meeting if you can. The WVDEP is already overwhelmed and no protective law was passed during the legislative session to provide funding to the WVDEP nor give the agency any teeth for enforcement. Here is the link to see the resolution. Help if you can. A strong message needs to be sent to the governor and the legislators, particularly as there is a gubernatorial election coming up in May. Thank you. Dee Fulton http://savethewatertable.org/2011/03/resolution-for-the-establishment-of-a-…

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Google Alert - "longview power"
by Paula Hunt 27 Mar '11

27 Mar '11

Sorry for another message, but I found this to be so funny, I just had to share it with all of you. I have signed up for Google Alerts for Longview, and this is the latest one: >Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:01:14 +0000 >Subject: Google Alert - "longview power" > >Web1 new result for "longview power" > ><http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Longview-Pow…>Longview >Power<http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Longview-Pow…> >Plant | Facebook >Welcome to Longview Power Plant on Facebook. Join now to write >reviews and connect with Longview Power Plant. ><http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Longview-Pow…>www.facebook.com/pages/Longview.../107984229258192 > Too bad FacePlant doesn't have a place where you can sign up as an enemy rather than a "friend." - paula

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SC Mercury Hair Testing Event Thursday, March 31
by pj hunt 25 Mar '11

25 Mar '11

From the Sierra Club via Jim Kotcon and Nicole Goode: ..................................................................................................... Check this out! Be one of the 40 volunteers to get tested. Better yet, we still need 3-4 volunteers to help with the event. JBK >>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>> Hello everyone, The Sierra Club is holding an event next week that I think may interest you or members of your organizations. We will be sending 40 hair samples from 40 volunteers for mercury testing. This is in response to a recent study published by Environment America that ranked West Virginia fourth in the nation for mercury pollution. If you could forward the event info to members of your organization, or anyone who you think may be interested, it would be much appreciated. *What: *Hair Sampling for Mercury *Where*: Toni Exquisite Hair, 918 Chestnut Ridge Road #2, Morgantown, WV *When*: Thursday March 31st 10am-5pm *Who*: Anyone, but preferably women aged 16-45 *Why*: A recent study published by Environment America ranked West Virginia fourth in the nation for mercury pollution. It is estimated that one in six women of child-bearing age in America has enough mercury in her bloodstream to put her child at risk of developmental and learning disorders and lowered IQ, should she become pregnant. While a teaspoon of mercury is enough to poison an entire 20-acre lake, coal-fired power plants in the United States emit hundreds of thousands of pounds of it into the atmosphere every year. The mercury then finds its way into our streams and waterways through rain and snow, where it builds up in fish, and then the animals-- and humans-- that eat the fish. http://www.environmentamerica.org/news-releases/toxic-free-communities/stop… Thank you!! Nicole Good WV Sierra Club Morgantown, WV (304) 208-5013 Here is a link to an op-ed piece from a similar event in Kentucky. http://www.kentucky.com/2011/03/23/1681384/ky-voices-mothers-to-be-beware.h…

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US EPA Topics
by Duane 25 Mar '11

25 Mar '11

PA UPDATES NATIONAL AIR TOXICS ASSESSMENT DATABASE On Friday, March 11, EPA released its most current update to the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA), a tool that helps federal, state, local governments and other stakeholders better understand the progress being made in reducing air toxic emissions nationwide and the potential health risks from exposure to the air toxics emissions for 178 pollutants. Between 1990 and 2005, air toxic emissions were reduced by about 42 percent from industrial and mobile sources. To learn more about NATA, go to http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/natamain/index.html EPA ISSUES AIR TOXICS PROPOSAL TO REGULATE POWER PLANT AIR POLLUTION AND MERCURY STANDARDS On March 16, EPA proposed the first-ever national emissions standards of toxic air pollution from power plants responsible for half of the mercury and over half of the acid gas emissions nationwide. The new air toxics proposal would require power plants; mainly older coal- and oil-fired plants that have yet to install emissions controls such as scrubbers, to install widely available pollution control technologies, cut harmful emissions of mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel and acid gases and improve public health by preventing premature deaths, heart attacks, and aggravated asthma symptoms. EPA EXTENDS GREENHOUSE GAS REPORTING DEADLINE EPA has issued a final rule extending the 2010 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program data deadline from March 31 to Sept. 30. Sources must register with EPA's online reporting system: the Electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting Tool (e-GGRT) by Aug. 1. This will allow EPA more time to test the system for efficiency, and the opportunity for large industrial sources to provide feedback, and become more familiar with the tool prior to reporting. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/extension.html For information on the GHG Reporting Program: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html

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<MVCAC> Please attend this urgent meeting, Sunday @ 6:30 PM
by Duane330＠aol.com 12 Mar '11

12 Mar '11

NOTE: Check out our web-site: _http://www.monvalleycleanair.org/home.shtml_ (http://www.monvalleycleanair.org/home.shtml) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NOTICE: MON VALLEY CLEAN AIR COALITION MEETING SUNDAY AT 6:30 PM. MARCH 13, 2011 LOCATION: UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP, 429 WARRICK STREET. A-FRAME BUILDING ON UPPER (EAST) SIDE OF UNIVERSITY AVENUE BETWEEN CAMPUSES, A FEW BLOCKS SOUTH OF THE COLLEGE OF LAW. AGENDA................ 1. Review of Organizational Status As A Non-Profit Entity 2. Review of Regional Air Quality 3. Status of Longview and Ft. Martin power plants 4. Status of TrAIL and PATH transmission lines 5. Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP) v. Marcellus Natural Gas Industry Emissions (_www.gasp-pgh.org_ (http://www.gasp-pgh.org) ) 6. Other items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This meeting is open to anyone who may wish to participate. Please contact Duane Nichols, if you have questions or comments. 304-216-5535, _duane330(a)aol.com_ (mailto:duane330@aol.com)

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Group Meeting Set For Sunday At 6:30 PM
by Duane330＠aol.com 10 Mar '11

10 Mar '11

NOTICE: MON VALLEY CLEAN AIR COALITION MEETING SUNDAY AT 6:30 PM. MARCH 13, 2011 LOCATION: UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP, 429 WARRICK STREET. A-FRAME BUILDING ON UPPER (EAST) SIDE OF UNIVERSITY AVENUE BETWEEN CAMPUSES, A FEW BLOCKS SOUTH OF THE COLLEGE OF LAW. AGENDA................ 1. Review of Organizational Status As A Non-Profit Entity 2. Review of Regional Air Quality 3. Status of Longview and Ft. Martin power plants 4. Status of TrAIL and PATH transmission lines 5. Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP) v. Marcellus Natural Gas Industry Emissions 6. Other items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This meeting is open to all interested persons. Please contact Duane Nichols, if you have questions or comments. 304-216-5535, _duane330(a)aol.com_ (mailto:duane330@aol.com)

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Response to Global Warming
by Duane 01 Mar '11

01 Mar '11

Tell Congress: "The air we breathe is not up for negotiation." Take action. The Pittsburg-Post Gazette: "The breadth and range of the assaults [on the EPA] were breathtaking." The New York Times: "The House budget bill not only reduces financing for the Environmental Protection Agency but also prohibits its regulation of greenhouse gases." The Detroit Free-Press: The budget passed by U.S. House Republicans…is rash and dangerous. Dear Friend of MVCAC. RE: US Congress The House and Senate leadership appear to have reached a temporary two-week budget extension, thankfully, without the EPA attacks in the House spending bill. But the longer term budget battle is only delayed, and so far, the House leadership is refusing to back down on their spending bill that guts core environmental safeguards. Please let your representatives hear from you today. The House-passed bill poses a reckless threat to the air we breathe. It represents skewed values that favor polluters over children's health. The House spending bill cripples the EPA by slashing its budget by 30%, while fossil fuel subsidies continue. It bars the agency from curbing carbon pollution, and cuts clean energy research and development that is crucial for job creation and economic revival. The spending bill even blocks the air pollution standards aimed at cleaning up toxic pollutants, like mercury. People of faith have a responsibility to speak out against this attempt to hold our environment and our health hostage to special interests and sacrifice 40-year-old environmental safeguards. The moral voice of the faith community needs to be heard now more than ever. Will you help me stop this dangerous bill in the Senate? The fossil fuel industry's lobbyists are walking the halls of Congress at this moment. It's up to us to defend our families, neighbors, and future generations. Please tell your elected officials that the air we breathe is a God-given human right, not a political bargaining chip. Sincerely, The Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham Interfaith Power & Light lnterfaith Power & Light is a national campaign of The Regeneration Project with affiliates in 38 states. 220 Montgomery Street, Suite 450, San Francisco, CA 94104 You can reach us at (415) 561-4891. Make a tax-deductible gift to Interfaith Power & Light.

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TrAIL is here, PATH is down
by Duane330＠aol.com 01 Mar '11

01 Mar '11

Grid Manager Halts Development of PATH Transmission Line Good news! This morning, the regional electric grid manager, Pennsylvania-New-Jersey-Maryland Interconnect (PJM), issued _a statement_ (http://pec.citizen-networks.org/site/R?i=34IaP9JtMlpWhlit2X5dYg..) saying that they've ordered development of the PATH transmission line to halt. (As a reminder, "PATH" is a multi-billion dollar proposal to build a 275-mile long 765-kV transmission line starting at the Amos coal plant in West Virginia, through West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. In Virginia, it would have crossed through Frederick, the tip of Clarke, and Loudoun counties) The Death Knell for PATH? Time will tell. PJM cited the results of new tests that had been ordered by the Hearing Examiner assigned to the case by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). The new tests required PJM to use the most current economic forecasts and Demand Response commitments, as well as incorporate potential new generation resources: "Preliminary analysis reveals the expected reliability violations that necessitated PATH have moved several years into the future. Based on these latest results, the Board has decided to hold the PATH project in abeyance in its 2011 RTEP. The Board further directs the sponsoring Transmission Owners to suspend current development efforts on the PATH project..." ~Statement of Terry Boston, President and CEO, PJM This sort of up-to-date, scenario analysis is something that PEC has consistently asked of PJM since 2006. In the PATH case, our push for a better analysis was joined by the SCC staff, allies at Sierra Club, and countless citizen intervenors across three states. Hats off to the Virginia SCC for ordering the additional tests, and to everyone who has stayed involved, written a letter, passed a resolution, spoken at a public hearing or made _a donation_ (http://pec.citizen-networks.org/site/R?i=x8znsQoMFHv291gAu1WclA..) to support PEC's work on energy and transmission. Having been involved in a number of transmission line fights over the past 5 years, it's really gratifying to see something go the way it should, versus the way the utility wants. There is always the chance that PATH will reapply, but today is a very good day. Very Best, Bri West Piedmont Environmental Council, Warrenton, Virginia _bwest(a)pecva.org_ (mailto:bwest@pecva.org) , 540-347-2334

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MVCAC March 2011