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UPDATED: Allegheny County Council Votes Unanimously to Approve Mon Valley Air Pollution Episodic Regulations | Group Against Smog and Pollution
by DUANE NICHOLS 23 Sep '21

23 Sep '21

https://gasp-pgh.org/2021/09/13/allegheny-county-council-votes-yes-on-mon-v… UPDATED: Allegheny County Council Votes Unanimously to Approve Mon Valley Air Pollution Episodic Regulations, Fitzgerald’s Signature Makes Them Official Note: This story was updated at 6:16 p.m. Sept. 14 to reflect information from Allegheny County Council’s meeting and again on Sept. 23 to reflect that the new rules have been signed into law by Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Allegheny County Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a long-sought Mon Valley Air Pollution Episode rules. The vote came after Council’s Health and Human Service committee affirmatively recommended the episodic weather regulation Sept 8. The regulations were signed into law by Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Sept. 15. The aim of the new regulations? To reduce particulate matter in the Mon Valley during periods of stagnant weather patterns, which are often a driver of subpar air quality and exceedances of state and federal standards. For those who might not be familiar: The proposed reg will require facilities in the defined Mon Valley area that produce more than 6.5 tons of pm2.5 annually and/or more than 10 tons of pm10 annually to create and submit to ACHD “Mitigation Plans” for periods when poor air quality is forecast. ACHD anticipates the new regulation affecting 18 facilities in 32 municipalities. Here’s what you need to know: During the “Watch” phase, facilities such as U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works must conduct basic checks to ensure equipment is in good working order but also ensure they have adequate staff to take actions required under the “Warning” phase. Once a “Warning” is issued, facilities must undertake the actions listed in the mitigation plans they filed with ACHD. The particular actions will be specific to each facility and approved on a case-by-case basis. The proposed change will also ban all wood-burning activities when a Mon Valley Air Pollution Watch or Warning has been issued in the defined municipalities. GASP thanks council for its yes vote. “As we’ve said: No, it’s not everything that we had hoped for but it’s progress and we thank council for greenlighting the regulation,” GASP Executive Director Rachel Filippini said. Editor’s Note: GASP submitted public comments in support of the regs.

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WEBINAR From MARCH FOR SCIENCE on Upcoming COP26 Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland
by DUANE NICHOLS 19 Sep '21

19 Sep '21

http://www.frackcheckwv.net/2021/09/19/webinar-from-march-for-science-on-up… WEBINAR From MARCH FOR SCIENCE on Upcoming COP26 Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland March for Science on to COP26 in November What You Need To Know About Congress of the Parties # 26 (COP26) Message to Our Friends and Concerned Citizens, This November, the United Nations will convene for its annual climate change conference in Glasgow. Known as COP26, the conference will provide world leaders the opportunity to revise their national climate goals under the Paris Agreement. Who participates in these discussions? How are these goals defined? Are they ambitious enough? Join experts and activists TOMORROW, Monday, September 20 at 7pm ET to talk through what’s happening and what you can do to fight for global climate action. RSVP For The Link Here. MARCH FOR SCIENCE March for Science is Supporting the Upcoming COP26

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UUFM — ORDER OF SERVICE & ZOOM Link for September 19, 2021
by DUANE NICHOLS 19 Sep '21

19 Sep '21

Subject: UUFM — ORDER OF SERVICE & ZOOM Link for September 19, 2021 > > UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF MORGANTOWN > >> 10:45 AM. 🌈 Welcome to the UUFM. We Are A Welcoming Congregation 🌅 >> >> Greeting on Sunday Morning, Welcome to Warm and Humid Weather >> >> 11:00 AM. The UUFM Uses the Principles & Sources of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) > > ANNOUNCEMENTS and JOYS & CONCERNS for EVERYONE >> >> Today we focus on the multiple issues of climate change as described by Al Gore and Dr. James Hansen > > READING — Science Note of August 14, 1912: “Coal Consumption Affecting Climate” >> >> VIDEO #1 — “Sing For the Climate,” Marblehead Unitarian Universalist Church Choir > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WHIW1820aI >> >> >> Brief Description of the Life of James Hansen, Columbia University > > VIDEO #2 — Climate Change Interview with Dr. James Hansen @ UN University, 2010 > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Si9x7WwfRU >> >> Brief Description of the Life of Al Gore, Vice President (1992 to 2000) > > VIDEO #3 — Al Gore - The Climate Reality Project and “24 Hours of Reality” (2018) > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q50vDMpq0c > >> > VIDEO #4 — The Three Pillars of the West Virginia Climate Alliance (2021) > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkEwM5c5EMA > > VIDEO # 5 — Children’s Climate Change Song (The Time is Now) > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3yL_1L85Mk > > CLOSING WORDS — Update and Closing Covenant > > >>>>>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>>>>> > > UUFM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. > > Topic: Al Gore & James Hansen Describe Climate Change > Time: Sep 19, 2021 10:45 Opening, 11:00 AM Service > > Join Zoom Meeting > https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83226703958 > Future Sunday Services > September 26: From a Tucker County Lumber Camp to the Cleveland Polka Scene with Frankie Yankovic, 11:00 a.m. Zoom Session with the UUFM Congregation here in Morgantown. Polka Music has evolved in the United States and is alive and well in the mid-western states. ACCESS — Zoom link to be provided. > > See also: UUFMWV.org > > > > >

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Q & A — Longview II Permit Application for CCGT Plan in Monongalia County, WV
by DUANE NICHOLS 13 Sep '21

13 Sep '21

From: "Andrews, Edward S" <Edward.S.Andrews(a)wv.gov> > Date: September 13, 2021 at 3:04:10 PM EDT > To: Duane Nichols <Duane330(a)aol.com> > Subject: Longview II Permit Application for CCGT Plan in Monongalia County, WV > > Mr. Nichols: > > This email is a follow-up response to your comments made on January 13, 2020 regarding Longview Power II, which is now Mountain State Clean Energy LLC (MSCE), proposed construction of two natural gas fired combined cycle combustion turbines next to the existing Longview Power Plant near Maidsville. The following is the agency's response to your comments, which is in blue text. > > Comment 1. 1. Inadequate notice and confusing advertisements plague this project. The WV-DEP should hold a public hearing and advertise it widely (WV, PA, MD) as it affects many communities in multiple states. > > Response: The notices that MSCE had published in The Dominion Post on December 12, 2019, and on March 12, 2021 meet the required criteria in 45 CSR 13 & 45 CSR 14. > > Also, the DAQ had notified the appropriate Federal Land Managers over the nearest Class I Areas to the project (Doddy Sods, James River Face, Otter Creek Wilderness Areas & Shenandoah National Park on February 14, 2020 and April 14, 2021. > > Once a preliminary determination regarding this project has been made by the agency, the agency will publish a Class I advertisement in the local newspaper (The Dominion Post ) as required by our permitting rules. Also, the agency is required to provide notice to local governing (e.g. County Commission of Monongalia County) and planning bodies (e.g. Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization) that has jurisdiction over the location that project will be located within. EPA Regional Administrator and appropriate officials with the PA DEP are required to be notified by the agency once the DAQ has made a preliminary determination regarding this application. The agency takes your suggestion for a public meeting under consideration. > > Comment 2. The single advertisement that we have seen was in the Morgantown Dominion Post on December 18th. It is dated in the upper right corner as “Dec. 8” and near the bottom appears this line “Dated this the 13th day of December, 2019.” Hence, this is confusion and unclear what the deadlines are for public comment. > > Response: MSCE revised their revised application on March 12, 2021 and published a class I legal ad in The Dominion Post, which should have cleared up any confusion you may have had with the December notice. > > Section 8 - Public Review Procedures of 45 CSR 13 (Rule 13) and Section 17 - Public Review Procedures of 45 CSR 14 will be followed for this permit application (Rule 14). Section 8.2. of Rule 13 requires the DAQ to continue accepting comments as long as the application is on our list. NSR Permit Applications (wv.gov) > > The ad you notice in the December 12, 2019 edition of the Dominion Post and the ad in the March 12, 2021 edition of the Dominion Post are requirements of Notice level A of Section 8.3. of Rule 13 and Section 17.1 of Rule 14. Once the DAQ makes a preliminary determination on this application, the DAQ will publish a legal ad allowing the public to make comments on our finding and recommendations (e.g., preliminary determination and draft permit) for 30 day comment period in accordance with Section 8.4. of Rule 13 and Section 17.4. of Rule 14. > > Comment 3. There are nine (9) PSD pollutants listed, making this a major polluter to add to the existing large scale power plants right here in northern Monongalia County. > > Response: Applicants seeking to obtain an air permit from this office must disclose the pollutants and amounts to be released from the facility in their notice to the public. MSCE satisfied this requirement in our rule. > > Comment 4. The estimated Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS) at 9.96 tons per year are almost certainly underestimated, given start-ups, excursions and other upsets. Over two (2) tons of toluene per year is excessive. This will add to the high level of HAPS from the exhausts of coal trucks on the Ft. Martin Hill (300 trucks per day). > > Response: Excursions or upsets are not permitted in our permits. MSCE did account for start-ups and shutdowns in their emission estimates. In the revised March 2021 application, the potential to emit HAPs from the project is 23.3 tons per year. The project site is located next to Longview Power and under common control. Thus, the HAPs from both sites are required to be aggregated for applicability purposes to determine if the site is a major source of HAPs. The HAP potential from Longview Power is 15.87 tpy, which makes the total of both sites a potential to emit 39.19 tons per year of HAPs. Therefore, the project is classified as a Major Source of HAPs. > > Comment 5. The emissions given must be considered when added to the existing emissions in that area as we are already overwhelmed with coal fired power plant associated pollutants from the Longview I and the Ft. Martin power plants. Longview is already paying annual assessments for polluting the atmosphere. > > Response: In this application, MSCE has been required to conduct cumulative analysis for NOx and PM to ensure that the proposed emission units don't cause or contribute to a predicted exceedance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAAS) and PSD increment levels for Class II areas (e.g., Monongalia County). A list of these background sources (off site inventory) can be found in Table 7-6 of the application, which includes the emission units at Longview Power and Fort Martin Power Stations. > > Comment 6. The heat rejected and air emissions from three (3) power plants creates unacceptable conditions for the Ft. Martin community as well as Maidsville, Star City, Bakers Ridge, Stewartstown (all in WV) plus Pt. Marion, Bobtown, Garards Fort, and Greensboro (in PA). Clouds of vapors, pockets of pollution and streams of emissions are present, some seen and some unseen. Less than 40 % of the heat energy going into these plants becomes electricity, so over 60% is rejected to become atmospheric heat or water vapor. Condensation results in the raining down of pollutants which collect in yards, on homes and in the air for residents to breathe. > > Response: MSCE has proposed that the DAQ consider two different manufacturers of the combustion turbine in this application (General Electric and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems). Of the proposed model units in this application, both of these manufacturers claim that their units have an efficiency of greater than 64% a net combined-cycle bases. 64% of the energy consumed by the units is transferred into electricity and transmitted to the power lines leaving the plant. https://www.ge.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7ha > https://power.mhi.com/products/gasturbines/lineup/m501j > > Comment 7. The deep valleys of the Monongahela River, Dunkard Creek and Cheat River are the primary danger areas were pollutants accumulate, and during inversions become concentrated and highly dangerous to the residents. Modeling will demonstrate this for steady state conditions, but these conditions will be extreme during power plant start-ups, excursions and other upsets. > > Response: MSCE has modeled emissions from cold, hot and warm startup event and shutdown events as continuously events over a five year ( 2014 through 2018) period as a demonstration to the DAQ that start-up and shutdown events from their proposed units do not pose a issue with the air quality in the local area (Monongalia County) with regards to maintaining the attainment status for the NAAQS and PSD increment levels. > > Comment 8. Continuous or intermittent emission monitoring on a frequent basis is highly needed if this plant is to go forward, not just for this plant but monitoring with alarms to detected emissions from any and all three of these plants, including the emission from the road(s) and coal handling operations in the area. > > Response: MSCE is required in this application to demonstrate an analysis of the ambient air quality in the local area of the pollutants that the proposed source could affect. If not enough data is available then the source is required to collect additional data to adequately complete this analysis of the ambient air in the local area. Our permitting rule does not require additional monitoring once a satisfactory analysis of the ambient air quality has been made by the applicant. > > Actual NOx emissions from the combustion turbines are required to be monitored on a continuous basis by the source. > > The WV DEP and PA DEP operate, record and report ambient concentrations of pollutants such as ozone, SO2, NOx, and PM2.5 from four monitoring sites within 30 km of the proposed site. EPA uses this data to forecast and report Air Quality (Air Quality Index - AQI). Air Quality Index (AQI) | AirNow.gov Changes to any of our monitoring site locations would require EPA approval. The selection of a monitoring site is not an activity that falls under the roll permitting section of the DAQ. > > Comment 9. The carbon dioxide and methane emission will be excessive and the State of West Virginia is oblivious to these. Have you no sense of right and wrong, considering that you are being paid as public servants. The facts that the Governor and the Director of DEP as political actors are only concerned about serving industry, does not relieve the staff and technical employees from performing rational and complete duties to protect the people of WV, PA, MD and the US from hazards, unhealthy conditions, and global threats. > > Response: Under 45 CSR 14, MSCE application represents a significant increase and net increase of one or more NSR pollutants ( CO, NOx, VOC, Ozone, PM, PM10, PM2.5) and a significant increase in one of the six greenhouse gases (CO2). Thus, MSCE is required to prepare and submit a Best Available Control Technology analysis for CO2 emissions from the facility. > > Thank-you for your remarks that pertain to Permit Application R14-0038. Should you have any additional questions about this application, please contact me. > > Sincerely, Edward Andrews, P.E., Engineer > WVDEP/Division of Air Quality > 304-926-0499 Ext 41244 > 601 57th Street, SE > Charleston, WV 20304 > > >> On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 11:02 AM Andrews, Edward S <Edward.S.Andrews(a)wv.gov> wrote: >> Mr. Nichols, >> >> Thank-you for your comments. The DAQ will response to your comments once the application is deem complete. Currently, the status of this application is incomplete. >> >> Should you have any questions, please contact me. >> >> Edward S. Andrews, P.E. >> >> Engineer >> >> West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection >> >> Division of Air Quality >> >> 601 57th Street, SE >> >> Charleston, WV 25304 >> >> 304.926.0499 ext. 1214 >> >> From: Duane Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> >> Sent: Monday, January 13, 2020 3:48 PM >> To: Andrews, Edward S <Edward.S.Andrews(a)wv.gov> >> Subject: [External] Longview II Permit Application for CCGT Plan in Monongalia County, WV >> >> >> >> CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify sender. >> >> ATTN: Edward S. Andrews >> >> WV Dept. of Env. Protection >> >> Division of Air Quality >> >> 601 57th Street, SE >> >> Charleston, WV 25304 >> >> >> >> RE: Longview II Permit Application for CCGT 1200 MW, Maidsville, WV >> >> >> >> 1. Inadequate notice and confusing advertisements plague this project. The WV-DEP should hold a public hearing and advertise it widely (WV, PA, MD) as it affects many communities in multiple states. >> >> >> >> 2. The single advertisement that we have seen was in the Morgantown Dominion Post on December 18th. It is dated in the upper right corner as “Dec. 8” and near the bottom appears this line “Dated this the 13th day of December, 2019.” Hence, this is confusion and unclear what the deadlines are for public comment. >> >> >> >> 3. There are nine (9) PSD pollutants listed, making this a major polluter to add to the existing large scale power plants right here in northern Monongalia County. >> >> >> >> 4. The estimated Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS) at 9.96 tons per year are almost certainly under estimated, given start-ups, excursions and other upsets. Over two (2) tons of toluene per year is excessive. This will add to the high level of HAPS from the exhausts of coal trucks on the Ft. Martin Hill (300 trucks per day). >> >> >> >> 5. The emissions given must be considered when added to the existing emissions in that area as we are already overwhelmed with coal fired power plant associated pollutants from the Longview I and the Ft. Martin power plants. Longview is already paying annual assessments for polluting the atmosphere. >> >> >> >> 6. The heat rejected and air emissions from three (3) power plants creates unacceptable conditions for the Ft. Martin community as well as Maidsville, Star City, Bakers Ridge, Stewartstown (all in WV) plus Pt. Marion, Bobtown, Garards Fort, and Greensboro (in PA). Clouds of vapors, pockets of pollution and streams of emissions are present, some seen and some unseen. Less than 40 % of the heat energy going into these plants becomes electricity, so over 60% is rejected to become atmospheric heat or water vapor. Condensation results in the raining down of pollutants which collect in yards, on homes and in the air for residents to breathe. >> >> >> >> 7. The deep valleys of the Monongahela River, Dunkard Creek and Cheat River are the primary danger areas were pollutants accumulate, and during inversions become concentrated and highly dangerous to the residents. Modeling will demonstrate this for steady state conditions, but these conditions will be extreme during power plant start-ups, excursions and other upsets. >> >> >> >> 8. Continuous or intermittent emission monitoring on a frequent basis is highly needed if this plant is to go forward, not just for this plant but monitoring with alarms to detected emissions from any and all three of these plants, including the emission from the road(s) and coal handling operations in the area. >> >> >> >> 9. The carbon dioxide and methane emission will be excessive and the State of West Virginia is oblivious to these. Have you no sense of right and wrong, considering that you are being paid as public servants. The facts that the Governor and the Director of DEP as political actors are only concerned about serving industry, does not relieve the staff and technical employees from performing rational and complete duties to protect the people of WV, PA, MD and the US from hazards, unhealthy conditions, and global threats. >> >> Duane Nichols, Coordinator >> >> Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition >> >> 330 Dream Catcher Circle >> >> Morgantown, WV 26508 >> >> 304-216-5535, Nichols330(a)gmail.com, duane330(a)aol.com >> >> >> > > >

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"Excessive Smoke" Observed At A Major Shell Plant In Louisiana Following Hurricane Ida
by DUANE NICHOLS 03 Sep '21

03 Sep '21

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/shell-refinery-air-pollutio… One Of The Largest US Petrochemical Plants Is Spewing Excessive Smoke After Hurricane Ida Knocked Out Its Power Industrial sites often spew dirty gases into the air during emergency shutdowns and restarts, threatening nearby communities with smog and other pollution that can make it hard for people to breathe. Zahra HirjiSeptember 2, 2021, at 4:31 p.m. Zahra Hirji BuzzFeed News Reporter Last updated on September 2, 2021, at 4:31 p.m. ET Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images Vehicles drive past the petrol chemical plant near Highway 61 in Norco, Louisiana, on Aug. 30, 2021, after Hurricane Ida made landfall. A massive Royal Dutch Shell manufacturing complex in Louisiana’s St. Charles Parish is releasing nonstop plumes of smoke into the air after Hurricane Ida knocked out its power. Local, state, and federal officials are monitoring the incident. The plumes of smoke at Shell’s Norco plant are just one of a growing number of sources of industrial pollution slowly coming into view across the Gulf Coast following the Category 4 hurricane’s devastating blow to the region. Ida washed out roads, flattened homes and businesses, felled trees, and knocked out power for roughly 1 million people, including the entire city of New Orleans. At least seven people died in the region due to the storm. At this point, Shell is not saying much about the problems plaguing the Norco facility, one of the largest petrochemical plants in the country. In response to questions from BuzzFeed News, an oil company spokesperson declined to say what gases are being released or what amount of emissions have already gone into the air. The company also did not share a timeline for when the plumes of black smoke would stop. “While the site remains safe and secure, we are experiencing elevated flaring,” Curtis Smith, a Shell spokesperson, told BuzzFeed News in an email. “We expect this to continue until power is restored.” When it’s up and running, Shell’s combined refinery and chemical plant in Norco processes about 250,000 barrels of crude oil and 170,000 barrels of gasoline a day, in addition to generating billions of pounds of ethylene, propylene, and other chemicals. Like other refineries and industrial sites along the Gulf Coast, Shell shut down the plant ahead of Ida’s landfall. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images Smoke from flaring operations a refinery in Norco, Louisiana, drifts on the horizon with clouds as homes stand in a neighborhood that experienced flooding in LaPlace, Louisiana, on Aug. 30, 2021, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Industrial sites often spew dirty gases into the air during emergency shutdowns and restarts, threatening nearby communities with smog and other pollution that can make it hard for people to breathe. Back in 2017, Hurricane Harvey led to Texas chemical and petroleum plants releasing a year’s worth of pollution in a matter of days and weeks, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis. According to Shell’s Norco permit, some flaring in emergency situations is allowed, but it's unclear whether the current emission levels exceed what’s allowable under the permit. “Shell Norco is flaring,” Gregory Langley, press secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality, told BuzzFeed News in an email. “When there is an emergency condition, they are allowed to do this under their permit.” That being said, Langley added, “The flares at Shell Norco are large and produce some smoke.” Starting Thursday, Louisiana’s environmental officials will monitor Norco’s air quality using what’s called a Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory. The Environmental Protection Agency is also sending a special plane to help monitor local air emissions in Norco, agency press secretary Nick Conger told BuzzFeed News in an email. EPA has received reports of the facility flaring four types of noxious gas: butadiene, benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen, Conger added. “Excessive smoke seen in the community is a result of a lack of electricity” at the plant, EPA officials wrote in an incident summary posted online Wednesday afternoon. They noted that Shell is conducting its own air monitoring along the Norco fence line and in the surrounding community, reporting that information to emergency officials in St. Charles Parish, and company engineers “are looking at all options to try to reduce emissions to flare.” St. Charles Parish officials did not immediately respond to questions from BuzzFeed News. Shell also declined to provide information about its air monitoring results to BuzzFeed News. Norco residents say the current flaring levels aren’t normal. “This is bad,” Norco resident Peter Anderson told DeSmog. “I have never seen this many flares.” Beyond Norco, Shell is still assessing whether Ida damaged a chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana, as well as any of the company’s floating platforms and other infrastructure used for extracting fossil fuels offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Ongoing power outages, widespread storm debris, and impassable roads are complicating the ability of companies and government officials to quickly identify environmental impacts, such as emission releases and spills, triggered by the storm. At least 138 major industrial sites are located in parishes hit hard by Ida, according to the New York Times. As of Wednesday afternoon, the EPA had received 28 reports of possible spills and pollution events in places hit by Ida, including 17 possible air pollution incidents. None of them have so far required the EPA to do on-the-ground assessments. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday that there’s a mileslong black slick of oil near an oil rig in Gulf waters. The spill was identified using aerial imagery. UPDATE This story has been updated to include a response from the Environmental Protection Agency, noting that officials have received reports detailing how four types of gases are being flared at the Norco plant and how the agency is deploying a plane to monitor local air emissions. Sent from my iPad

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BIOdotEDU
by DUANE NICHOLS 12 Aug '21

12 Aug '21

Exploring Life at BIOdotEDU ..... Carbon Creation ... https://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/ahp/LAD/C4c/C4c_carbon_creation.html All the carbon atoms in the human body were created in the stars. Elementary particles, such as protons, were formed during the "big bang"; that amazing moment about 14 billion years ago in which the universe got it's start. But, as the newly created universe rapidly expanded it also cooled, and cooled too quickly to allow the formation of atoms as large and complex as carbon. Their creation had to come later in a dying star. Stars, like our own sun, generate all their vast quantities of radiation energy from simple hydrogen (a proton). At the unimaginable temperature of 100,000,000o K, protons are crushed together with such force that the fuse to form the element Helium. 41H --> 4He + 2 positrons (anti-electrons) + 2 gamma rays + 2 electron neutrinos (one of three "flavor" of these elusive elementary particles). + 26.7 MeV (Million electron volts of energy) (by comparison, a molecule on this planet has about 0.03 eV!) As most stars age their supply of hydrogen is used up and the outside of the star begins to cool, changes color, expands and the star becomes a red giant. (Note: in about 5 billion years our sun will become a red giant, expand and consume the plants Mercury and Venus!). The core of a red giant is compressed and compressed, until, at last, the forces are strong enough to begin fusing helium nuclei (called "alpha particles") together to form larger atoms such as carbon. This is called the triple alpha process and can only occur in the center of a very dense star where the temperature is at least 100,000,000o K. 4He + 4He --> 8Be 4He + 8Be --> 12C + 1 gamma ray + 7.275 MeV (Million electron volts of energy) (As a continuation of this fusion process, one more alpha particle can now be crushed together with one of the carbon atoms to form an atom of oxygen, another important atom in living organisms). All the carbon and oxygen in the human body, thus began in a dying star and are essentially the leftover ash from burning helium! BIOdotEDU © 2004, Professor John Blamire. (The nucleus of the helium atom, containing two protons and two neutrons, is also called an alpha particle, hence the name “alpha process” above.)

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WV infrastructure upgrade advocates stress high stakes as senators reach bipartisan deal | Energy and Environment | wvgazettemail.com
by DUANE NICHOLS 29 Jul '21

29 Jul '21

WV infrastructure upgrade advocates stress high stakes as senators reach bipartisan deal Article by Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette Mail, July 28, 2021 https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/wv-infrastructure… A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Wednesday finally agreed on components of an infrastructure package that would green-light $550 billion in new spending. The agreement came as civil engineering experts and clean energy advocates earlier in the day urged an influx of federal money into West Virginia to help the state navigate its economic and topographic terrain. “We’re hopeful … that a bipartisan bill will be adopted and enacted,” American Society of Civil Engineers Executive Director Tom Smith said. “We think it’s important for West Virginia.” The bipartisan infrastructure deal would invest $110 billion in new funds for roads and bridges, including $40 billion for bridge repair and replacement, $55 billion in funding to replace lead service lines and address dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), $65 billion in broadband infrastructure deployment, and $73 billion in power infrastructure upgrades. The hefty price to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure reminded Dave Meadows of Culloden, regional governor for the American Society of Civil Engineers, of the price of gas the summer he spent working in a gas station after graduating from Hurricane High School in 1970. It was 29 cents. It’s skyrocketed since then — and so too will the costs of upgrading West Virginia’s infrastructure that state civil engineers gave an overall ‘D’ grade in the American Society of Civil Engineers 2020 report card for the state’s infrastructure, Meadows said. “It’s going to get more expensive to repair that bridge,” Meadows said. “It’s going to get more expensive to repair the roads as we continue to go farther if we don’t start putting more money towards our infrastructure. This is across the board. It’s not just roads, it’s water, wastewater, dams. It’s our energy. It’s broadband, certainly.” The proposed infrastructure bill would invest $7.5 billion to build a national network of electric vehicle chargers and $2.5 billion each in zero-emission buses, low-emission buses and ferries — spending the White House predicted upon announcing the bill’s framework Wednesday would drive demand for American-made batteries and vehicles, create jobs and reduce polluted air that children and bus drives breathe to and from school daily. Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, Morgantown Mayor Jenny Selin and clean energy advocates with Moms Clean Air Force gathered in Morgantown Wednesday to call on Congress to transition to electric vehicles to protect public health and give an economic boost to West Virginia. “I would like to ask Sen. [Joe] Manchin [D-W.Va.] and all of our leaders, just like the leaders here in Morgantown, to fight for a clean energy future where kids get off electric buses feeling ready to run,” Moms Clean Air Force field organizer Liz Brandt said, contrasting electric buses with diesel buses that emit particulate matter damaging to children’s and bus drivers’ health. Manchin and 20 other bipartisan senators hailed the bipartisan infrastructure agreement in a statement Wednesday evening. “Reaching this agreement was no easy task — but our constituents expect us to put in the hard work and show that two parties can still work together to address the needs of the American people,” the senators said. The fate of the legislation, which does not include a clean electricity standard or other climate goals that Democrats have prioritized for inclusion in a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, was still unsettled and the full bill yet to be released as of press time Wednesday. “We address it as a pace that’s kind of like, I’ll say, putting a Band-Aid on it,” Meadows said of infrastructure. “But you’re not even putting enough Band-Aids on it to heal it up. You’re putting a Band-Aid on it just to kick the can down the road. That’s what we’ve been doing, we’ve been kicking the can down the road and using these small Band-Aids. The longer we do it, the more it’s gonna cost.” XXX

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We answer commonly asked questions about Colorado's air pollution
by DUANE NICHOLS 29 Jul '21

29 Jul '21

https://coloradosun.com/2021/07/29/colorado-air-pollution-faq/?mc_cid=17c04… Here’s what you need to know about Colorado air pollution — and what you can do about it A heat wave spikes ozone levels to “Unhealthy” on the Front Range, and Sun readers have questions. We sought some of the top air experts in the state for your answers. The state has issued an ozone health warning for Coloradans every day since July 5. We’ve already accumulated 37 state Ozone Action Alert Days for 2021 by the last week of July, with plenty of blazing August and September weeks left to go, after tallying 43 all of last year. State officials are all but certain we’ll blaze past the 2020 total. We asked for your questions about how bad the air pollution is in Colorado this summer, and what, if anything, you can do about it. We’ve got some of the answers, after checking in with experts from National Jewish Health, Boulder County Health, the chief air quality meteorologist for the state Air Pollution Control Division, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the EPA, and more. There were so many reader questions from Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and direct emails, that we’ll be taking on more in coming weeks. None of these expert sources are sugarcoating what’s going on this summer in Colorado. Pollution and high heat are creating problems almost daily for those with respiratory issues, and even for healthy people who exercise at the worst part of the day. So let’s get to your biggest concerns. Q: How can I tell how bad the air is in Colorado on a given day? What is the Air Quality Index, and how can I better understand what it means? A: The Air Quality Index is meant to be public-friendly, a system set up by the federal EPA and endorsed by state and local governments to give you one easily understandable number to react to. The Index combines measures of a handful of pollutants, some of which are indeed a big problem in Colorado, some of which are big problems in other cities. One of the best explainers of the numbers is here. The local AQI draws data from a number of monitoring stations throughout the metro area and foothills, giving both real-time indicators and longer-term forecasts. You might want to bookmark colorado.gov/airquality, which in turn has many links to all kinds of useful real-time material and background information. Since ozone is the worry right now, look for the link to Ozone Action Day Alerts, and you can sign up there for emails when a new alert is issued. The EPA’s AirNow website is also a great bookmark. AirNow is also a free app available in all the smartphone app stores, and you can customize it with your ZIP code for the best information. The EPA’s AirNow dashboard late in the day on July 28, 2021, showed dangerously high levels of ozone for the Denver area, with more bad days ahead. (Screen capture, Environmental Protection Agency AirNow) Remember that many of the readings making up the AQI are for an 8-hour average. If you want more real-time information to help you make decisions — such as, “Should I go on a jog or fast walk today at 4 p.m.?” — EPA’s AirNow has a NowCast feature that looks at the last two to three hours, said Colorado Chief Air Quality Meteorologist Scott Landes. A basic rule is that at an AQI reading above 100, your local government puts air pollution warnings into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, and it gets worse from there. Above 150 is just plain “unhealthy,” with two even worse categories beyond that. The components of the AQI include ozone, particulate pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Ozone is actually created when some of those other pollutants on the list combine and then get scorched under Colorado’s summer sun. Each of these pollutants can be attributed to various industries or causes (more about that below). The AQI is useful, but it’s not the whole story. We could be having a bad ozone day because it’s 98 degrees and sunny. The current AQI reports you see are usually drawing on the reading of the highest pollutant at that moment — again, recently in Colorado, that’s ozone. So if you see the AQI at 90 in Jefferson County on a hot afternoon, that likely means monitors are measuring 90 parts per billion of ozone, and that’s not good. While Colorado’s Front Range counties have slowly ratcheted down average measured ozone levels in recent years, our violations of EPA rules are actually getting worse. That’s because the EPA has moved even faster to lower the acceptable ceiling of ozone, in accordance with new science about lung and tissue damage. The EPA has since 2015 said that metro areas should not spike above 70 parts per billion (ppb) of ozone, while Colorado this summer has been hitting 80s and 90s on a regular basis. Credible scientists are pushing the EPA to lower the ceiling even further to 65 ppb, which would of course mean even more violation days in Colorado. That means the EPA keeps putting us into more serious categories of failure. Those failures eventually have consequences, such as requirements to change the vehicle fuel mix or clamp down harder on emissions from oil and gas producers. But it takes years for the bureaucracy to agree on new limitations and get them implemented, often against the opposition of industry and consumers. Q: What are the main health risks on high pollution days, and should I keep my kids indoors above a certain level on the AQI? A: The EPA’s ozone-explainer website puts it like this: “Children are at greatest risk from exposure to ozone because their lungs are still developing and they are more likely to be active outdoors when ozone levels are high, which increases their exposure. Children are also more likely than adults to have asthma.” Ozone and particulates both can irritate and inflame the airways. Inflammation causes swelling and other bodily reactions, and obviously, coughing and scratchy throats. They can irritate everyone, but it’s a common sense rule that they are even harder on people with predisposition to asthma or other chronic respiratory conditions. What to do with your kids is a dilemma many urban parents, and many urban school principals, must face nearly every day. A National Jewish study with Denver Public Schools found they could closely correlate bad air days with registered uses of asthma inhalers at school health clinics, where students store their medications. Principals have complained they don’t have strong guidance from their districts, and often make their own calls about go or no-go on outdoor recess and exercise on the worst days. The EPA and Colorado Air Quality Index starts issuing warnings when Front Range air gets above 100 on the AQI. Above 150, the AQI is considered unhealthy for just about everyone. (Screen capture, Environmental Protection Agency Air Now) The AQI numbers can be helpful here, argues the state’s Scott Landes. When the AQI is about 100, people who are already sensitive to air pollution risks need to start being more cautious. That includes young children, children with asthma problems, the elderly, and any adults with ongoing respiratory issues. Once the AQI nears 150 or above, the warning starts to cover everyone. People should save their most strenuous exercise or exertion for before noon or after 8 p.m., when ozone levels tend to cool off. That, of course, does not protect people who must work outdoors all day, which leads to some of the tougher economic and environmental questions facing the northern Front Range “non-attainment” areas that are out of compliance with federal pollution limits. Q: Do home air filters work, and if so, what should I look for in one? Yes, they do work on particulate pollution, but they can also be expensive for many families. A filter with enough fan power to cover a medium-to-large living room can be $200 to $300. Look for online reviews on noise levels, it makes a difference. Most mainstream air filters or purifiers do well on particulate pollution, the tiny woodsmoke, dust and chemical particles called PM2.5 or PM10 depending on their size. “I recommend going with the tried-and-true high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration units that can remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles, including dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and viruses,” said Bill Hayes, air quality program coordinator for Boulder County Health. “Units that also utilize activated carbon can have the added benefit of removing some odors and chemicals.” Make sure the filter you choose has the put-through power to clean the square footage of the room where you’ll be putting it, he noted. “I strongly advise against the use of ionizing air purifiers. Few of these devices have been proven effective at reducing airborne pollutants and may produce harmful ozone,” Hayes added. The recommended commercial air filters don’t work on ozone, but that’s OK. “The one good thing about ozone is that you can escape it by being inside,” Landes said. The chemical disintegrates on contact with most surfaces. There are very good answers about how to choose a home air filter starting on page 5 of this online EPA pamphlet. Q: What are the biggest causes of ozone and particulate pollution in Colorado? The biggest culprits right now are oil and gas production and refining, driving petroleum-fueled vehicles, emission from coal-fired power plants, industrial plants and wildfire smoke. But hear us out, it’s more complicated than that. Some of Colorado’s air pollution is direct. Oil and gas production, for example, causes a large amount of both the nitrogen dioxide pollution here, and the largest share of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Ground-level ozone is created when nitrogen dioxide mixes with the VOCs, and then that chemical casserole is baked by hot sunshine. That’s why ozone peaks in the afternoon. Lately scientists have learned afternoon ozone doesn’t dissipate as much as they’d assumed, because Colorado’s geography and weather patterns swirl the ozone deep into the foothills and then back onto metro areas at night. A comparison of the relative sizes of the pollution most Coloradans worry about. Note that anything PM2.5 or smaller can’t be seen with by the human eye. (Environmental Protection Agency guide to home air filters) Colorado industries have pointed to state research showing that up to 5 ppb of ozone growth measured in Colorado is the result of pollution drifting east from Chinese coal-fired power plants and California smog. “The Denver metro and northern Front Range area typically sees background levels of ozone between 40 and 50 parts per billion,” Hayes said. “The vast majority of this background ozone is from neighboring states (including California) . . . Only a very small amount is carried from offshore (China, etc.) The national standard for ozone is currently 70 ppb, so a significant amount of our ozone pollution is within our control.” As Hayes indicates, Colorado is now regularly violating the ozone limits by far more than that amount, and Gov. Jared Polis has directed his administration to not claim outside pollution as a reason to seek exemptions from EPA sanctions. So in the areas that state and local regulators could theoretically control, cleaning up oil and gas production and cutting miles driven by petroleum-powered vehicles hold the most hope for meaningful pollution cuts. The state has imposed tighter regulations requiring leak-proof oil and gas equipment; conservationists want more. Cutting miles driven is politically volatile — large employers objected strenuously to proposed rules this summer requiring cuts to the miles driven by commuting workers, and the state quickly backed off to make the program voluntary. Moving a majority of the Front Range driving fleet to electric power could make large pollution cuts, provided the electricity is generated cleanly by wind and solar plants. State leaders are pushing for rapid fleet electrification, but actual sales to the public of electric vehicles are about 6% of the total market. Gas-fueled vehicles are one of the primary sources of pollution on the Front Range and in the foothills that help cause ozone and greenhouse gases. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun) Other industries also contribute greatly to the portion of ozone created by VOCs. Readers asked us, if it smells bad, is it pollution? The answer is usually “yes.” Suncor’s refinery is a prime example — emissions from cracking open oil into gasoline and other compounds creates a huge amount of VOCs and greenhouse gases. Other “smell” industries contribute, from paint makers to parts manufacturers to electroplating. Consumer products like hair spray, shampoos and more also add greatly to the VOC problem. Q: Is there evidence of long-term damage from exercising at high ozone or particulate periods? Put another way, “If I run 10k on a polluted evening, am I in better health or worse health than when I started?” The most immediate danger is for those already experiencing asthma or other respiratory and heart conditions, experts say. But with ozone levels spiking above 90 parts per billion, and even above 100 on some recent days, everyone should be aware of the conditions and adjust their habits. Remember that ozone and particulate pollution are irritants that cause lung tissue and respiratory areas to become inflamed. “Going for a single run during a period of high ozone pollution may not cause long-term health impacts for a healthy individual, but repeated exertion on high ozone days can cause permanent lung damage resulting in decreased respiratory capacity,” Hayes said. “Prolonged ozone exposure can also impact other organs and functions.” National Jewish Health professor and researcher Jim Crooks said evidence shows healthy adults benefiting overall even when exercising in relatively polluted areas. He notes that the American Heart Association released a statement in 2020 saying “the beneficial effects of increased activity easily offset the combined potential mortality risk of increased air pollution exposure and traffic accidents, in all but the most polluted cities in the world.” None of the most polluted cities in the world are in the U.S., he added. Crooks goes on to add some caveats. Only a few studies have tried to pinpoint “exactly where that trade-off occurs,” he said. The answer, of course, depends — on the overall health of the athlete, how bad the pollution is during those hours of exercise, the intensity of the workout, etc. And those studies focus on healthy adults, he adds, rather than on children or adults with chronic disease. In other words, if you have any conditions at all or are worried about your kids, talk to a doctor. Q: Can facemasks help outdoors when air pollution is high? Does it help with ozone? Yes, masks can help, if it’s a quality mask, and if you’re talking about particulate pollution. No, if you’re talking about ozone or an ill-fitting cloth mask left over from your pandemic avoidance. “While they have been shown to be highly effective at significantly reducing the spread of the coronavirus, the face coverings that we’ve all become accustomed to wearing during the pandemic do little to protect us from most air pollutants,” said Boulder’s Bill Hayes. “They do not provide a barrier to gases such as ozone (and oxygen for that matter) and are not up to the task of filtering fine PM 2.5 particles.” Colorado’s Landes put it bluntly: N95 masks will filter out wildfire smoke particulates. Our cloth masks for COVID-19 do not.The mask fit also makes a difference, Crooks said. “Wearing a tight-fitting mask that filters out certain air pollutants may be beneficial as well, though the evidence is modest. It should be noted that cloth or surgical masks typically used to prevent COVID-19 transmission may not be tight enough around the face or filter our air pollution effectively enough.” Hayes likes to add one last suggestion: taping a HEPA furnace filter to a window-insert fan on a hot day is just as dumb as it sounds — and yet people have done it, which is why he brings it up. It won’t really work, and the fan will overheat trying to push the air through the tight filter. Then you’ll have an electrical fire to deal with on top of all the wildfires. Stay safe, Colorado. The Colorado Sun has no paywall, meaning readers do not have to pay to access stories. We believe vital information needs to be seen by the people impacted, whether it’s a public health crisis, investigative reporting or keeping lawmakers accountable. This reporting depends on support from readers like you. For just $5/month, you can invest in an informed community. Sent from my iPad

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Fossil Fuels & Health – C-CHANGE | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
by DUANE NICHOLS 19 Jun '21

19 Jun '21

Fossil fuel production and combustion is a major driver of climate change, and can also directly affect our health, Harvard School of Public Health, Updated 2021 Why it Matters: From the electricity that lights your home to the car you drive to work, modern life has relied on fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. But burning them creates climate change and releases pollutants that lead to early death, heart attacks, respiratory disorders, stroke, exacerbation of asthma, and absenteeism at school and work. It may even be related to autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/subtopics/fossil-fuels-health/

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The Future of Our Energy & Environment in Hands of Elected Officials
by DUANE NICHOLS 17 Jun '21

17 Jun '21

The Future of Our Energy & Environment in Hands of Elected Officials by ADMIN on JUNE 17, 2021 Pennsylvania is Facing Extremely Important ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT Decisions in Near Term To Editor: Williamsport Sun-Gazette, June 15, 2021 The recent column by PA State Sens. Gene Yaw and Scott Martin on “Energy production important to Pennsylvania’s environmental future” shows that they do not appreciate the urgency of the global climate crisis. Pretending that the problem does not exist will not make it go away. Even the International Energy Agency, a conservative research institute that usually tilts strongly to the fossil fuel industry, said in a recently released report that “It is past time for governments to act, and act decisively to accelerate the clean energy transformation.” The IEA recommends no new fossil fuel investments for facilities that do not already have firm commitments, and a rapid transition to electric vehicles. Yaw and Martin claim that wind and solar energy is “more expensive than electricity generated from coal, nuclear, hydroelectric and natural gas.” But the Coal Crossover report … (https://energyinnovation.org/publication/the-coal-cost-crossover-2021/ ) shows that is not true, that renewables are already cheaper than operating most existing coal-fired power plants. Yaw and Martin also claim that “… other states … pick winners and losers by subsidizing energy resources”, but they ignore the indirect subsidy given to fossil fuels by failing to incorporate the cost of carbon. Accounting for the impacts of climate change, not to mention the public health impacts, dramatically exacerbates the already high cost of coal and gas. Renewable energy will undoubtedly produce environmental benefits and has great promise in achieving reducing costs. Renewables and energy efficiency create more jobs per dollar invested than do fossil fuels. We certainly owe it to fossil fuel workers and communities to invest in the needed transition, but those investments will not occur if we continue a futile attempt to sustain the status quo. By investing in a clean energy future, both current ratepayers and our children will be the beneficiaries. >> Duane Nichols, Coordinator, Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition >> Jim Kotcon, Conservation Chair, WV Sierra Club, Morgantown, WV ### http://www.frackcheckwv.net/2021/06/17/the-future-of-our-energy-environment…

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