NY ISO Approves Ten Year Electricity Plan

The Board of Directors of the New York Independent System Operator has approved a plan for meeting New York State’s power needs of the next ten years.

NYISO’s statement and the report

PEER Hammers NJ Governor Christie on DEP Staffing

Press Release From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)

Corporate Political Donors Control DEP Toxic Clean-Up Oversight & Rulemaking

Trenton — Key figures in a corporate pay-for-play scandal also occupy controlling positions on state “stakeholder” committees setting toxic clean-up standards which affect their business dealings, potentially saving them significant sums while effectively shielding them from enforcement actions from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). PEER is calling for removal of participating corporations from DEP “technical committees” and for an audit of their cases before DEP.

Corporations with millions in state contracts have donated large sums to an ironically named “Reform New Jersey” group that pushed for the privatization agenda of Governor Chris Christie, left. Run by key Christie advisors, Reform New Jersey appeared to violate state pay-to-play prohibitions which bar contributions in connection with award of public contracts. In late December, the group was disbanded after its contributors were revealed. Gov. Christie has denied any knowledge of its activities, despite being the keynote speaker at Reform New Jersey fundraisers.

Some of those same corporations and redevelopment consultants also sit on DEP stakeholder committees charged with re-writing regulations governing toxic site clean-up. For example, Langan Engineering (which gave $25,000 to Reform New Jersey) has a dominating delegation of nine representatives. One of its senior associates, tapped by Gov. Christie, serves on the DEP Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board, which oversees newly authorized privatized clean-ups of contaminated sites.

These slots give these firms inside access and influence that can work to shield them from oversight or enforcement by DEP. As one DEP employee recently wrote:

“Langan has been given unprecedented access to DEP records and computer databases that their competitors do not have. The big ‘joke’ at DEP is that we work for them. This despite the fact that everyone in the Site Remediation Program (hundreds of scientists and engineers) can give examples of shoddy, unprofessional, inaccurate, and even unethical product from Langan over the years.”

“At DEP, the Christie ‘streamlining’ agenda is a façade for hollowing out health safeguards and filling them in with self-regulation by the polluting corporations and their paid consultants,” stated New Jersey PEER Director Bill Wolfe. “This is the foxes running a chicken take-out restaurant from the henhouse.”

In a December 31 letter, PEER asked DEP Commissioner Bob Martin to remove the Reform New Jersey participants from agency boards and committees and to audit how the firms’ cases were being handled by DEP. Martin has yet to reply to the letter.

Not coincidentally, New Jersey DEP is in the process of lowering standards for privatized clean-ups of toxic sites, including relaxation of vapor intrusion protections and requirements for complete remediation. At the same time, the state is reeling from health problems arising at “former” toxic sites, such as most recently Pompton Lakes, that have been inadequately cleaned up.

“How is New Jersey’s economy helped by more toxic clean-ups that leave neighbors and future residents at risk?” asked Wolfe.

###

See the corporate who’s who on DEP technical committees

Read the PEER letter calling for removal and audits

View the agenda for lowered toxic clean-up standards

Look at Pompton Lakes mess

Revisit DEP role in 2009 pay-to-play corruption scandals

New Jersey PEER is a state chapter of a national alliance of state and federal agency resource professionals working to ensure environmental ethics and government accountability.

Wedgewire Screens Can Solve Entergy's Fish Egg Problem

Many nuclear power plants in the United States are going through feasibility studies to consider technologies to comply with an expected revision to Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act, which sets out rules related to fish impingement and entrainment. 316(b) requires that the location, design, construction and capacity of cooling water intake reflect the best available technology for minimizing the environmental impact on fish and other aquatic life.

In the U.S. 35 of the 104 active nuclear power reactors currently use closed-cycle cooling towers while 60 use once-through cooling technology. EPA said that while their information on impact is limited, the agency claims it does know that trillions of aquatic organisms are impinged or entrained annually. EPA also said that 40 percent of all cooling water intakes are on water bodies that have threatened or engaged species.

Installation of screens at the Oak Creek Station
 on Lake Michigan. Photo courtesy WE Energies

Existing power plants do have options besides expensive and unworkable cooling tower retrofits in order to reduce impingement and entrainment. Behavioral devices intended to scare fish away from the intake system, fish collection and transfer systems, which are intended to collect and return the species to the source body of water, and exclusion devices are three alternatives for cooling water intake structures. Exclusion devices include traveling water screens manufactured by companies such as Pro-Line Water Screen Services Inc. and narrow slot wedge wire screens constructed by Intake Screens Inc., as well as many other companies, and are deployed to keep fish, fish eggs and larvae from entering the power plant cooling system.


Indian Point Energy Center

In April the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a notice of denial for Entergy’s request for a water quality certificate for Indian Point. The DEC said the plant will not comply with the states water quality standards and that the plant’s water intake system and its releases of water back into the Hudson River are killing two species of fish. Indian Point must receive the water quality certificate in order for Entergy to request a 20-year license extension for Units 2 and 3, which are currently due to expire in 2013 and 2015. In late-July the DEC Administrative Law Judge held public meetings for both sides to voice their opinions. The appeals process is still ongoing.

According to Entergy conversions alone to the Indian Point plant would cost $1.1 billion for construction and would last until 2029 and being down a year without producing electricity total another $2 billion. Constructing cooling towers on site would require blasting 2 million cubic-yards of rock and granite over a period of four years in order to make space for the towers that are the size of two Yankee Stadiums.

Entergy has found technology that will provide better protection to the aquatic environment. Wedge wire screens are their solution for protecting fish eggs and larvae rather than cooling towers over the 20-year license renewal period. Installing wedge wire technology it would take three to five years and cost $200 million. (PowerGenWorldWide, Oct 1, 2010)

Judith Enck Statement on GE Hudson River Decision

Judith Enck

Statement on GE Hudson River Decision

Judith Enck
Regional Administrator,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

December 23, 2010

"EPA commends GE on its decision to conduct the second and final phase of the Hudson River cleanup. The decision sets us on a clear path to a cleanup of PCB-contaminated sediment that is based on the best science and will remove huge quantities of this dangerous chemical from the river.

Over the next few months, we will work with GE on technical plans for the cleanup. We are scheduled to resume dredging this spring. This is an important milestone in the progress we have made over many years in cleaning up and restoring the Hudson River for future generations."

Press inquiries: call Bonnie Bellow, 212-637-3660 or cell phone 646-369-0062
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GE announced today that it has advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it will perform the second and final phase of the Hudson River dredging project.

GE also said it will take an after-tax charge of about $500 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 to help fund the remainder of the project. As discussed on December 14 with securities analysts, GE expects that positive items, including a favorable tax settlement, will offset this charge. GE expects this step will resolve future uncertainty regarding Hudson dredging liabilities.

GE’s goal is to resume dredging in late Spring 2011. The company’s dredging team already has begun to refine the engineering design for Phase 2, based on technical discussions with EPA and the recommendations of the panel of independent scientists who evaluated the first phase of dredging. GE expects to submit the plans to EPA for review and approval in February.

For more information: Mark Behan 518-792-3856 http://www.hudsondredging.com/

Proposed Revisions To Short & Full Environmental Forms

The public comment period for proposed revisions to the Short and Full Environmental Assessment Forms (EAFs) used by governmental agencies and boards to assess the environmental significance of actions reviewed under State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) regulations has opened. These forms are a critical part of the process that determines whether a full SEQR Environmental Impact Statement is needed for a particular project or action.

Many of the proposed revisions could be considered to have EJ implications. OEJ suggests that EJ stakeholders pay particular attention to:

EAF Part One - Section D.2. Project Operations; and Section E.1. Land Uses On and Surrounding the Project Site

EAF Part Two - Section 16. Impact on Human Health; Section 17. Consistency with Community Plans; and Section 18. Consistency with Community Character
_______________________________________________________________________

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proposing revisions to both the Short and Full Environmental Assessment Forms (EAFs) used by governmental agencies and boards to assess the environmental significance of actions reviewed under State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) regulations (6 NYCRR 617). The existing EAFs are out-of-date and no longer adequately serve the purposes for which they were created.

The notice for this action can be found in the November 24, 2010 issue of the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB)
A legislative public hearing for this action will be held on January 25, 2011 at 1:00 pm in Room 129 at the offices of the NYS DEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233. Comments on the Full and Short EAF and supporting documents will be accepted by the Department until close of business, February 18, 2011. Please submit comments to Mr. Robert Ewing at the address listed below. Comments may also be submitted via the web to: depprmt@gw.dec.state.ny.us . Please include EAF Comments in the subject line of the e-mail.

The draft revised EAF forms, associated rulemaking documents and the negative declaration are published in full at the following web address: http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/70293.html

For further information, contact:

Robert Ewing
NYS DEC - Division of Environmental Permits
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-1750
Phone: (518) 402-9167
E-mail: depprmt@gw.dec.state.ny.us

DEC Urban Forestry Grants

DEC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR URBAN FORESTRY GRANTS

Tree Plantings, Green Infrastructure Can Reduce Pollution,
Improve Urban Quality of Life

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced it is making grants available to support urban forestry projects across the state. The Urban and Community Forestry grants will enhance New York’s urban landscapes with healthy trees and provide numerous environmental, health and economic benefits.

Trees, parks and other green spaces offer numerous benefits in cities and other populated areas, such as creating wildlife habitat, increasing property values, and improving the quality of life for residents and visitors. Trees also help address a number of negative impacts in urban areas by reducing water and air pollution, lowering local temperatures caused by the “heat island” effect, stopping erosion, and decreasing energy use, stormwater runoff and noise.

Eligible projects include tree inventories and management plans, tree and shrub planting and maintenance, and green infrastructure projects such as green roofs and rain gardens. Communities impacted by the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive and damaging beetle, can also seek funding for projects that include removal of at-risk trees or new tree plantings.

Applicants can include municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, school districts and not-for-profit organizations that have a public ownership interest in the property or are acting on behalf of a public property owner. Grants, provided through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund, will range from $2,500 to $62,500 depending on municipal population, with a 50/50 match requirement. Additionally, $1,000 “Quick Start Arbor Day” grants - with no match requirement - will be available to help communities generate support for a tree program with an Arbor Day celebration.

The urban forestry grant program complements DEC's ongoing initiatives to address climate change, environmental quality, environmental justice and sprawl. Grant proposals should discuss the scope of work to be done and how the project will provide environmental, economic, and/or social benefits in the community. In selecting sites, appropriate consideration should be given to under-served neighborhoods, as well as targeting local environmental issues. Applicants are encouraged to form regional partnerships and submit proposals that help to implement watershed protection and smart growth initiatives with green solutions.

DEC foresters are available to provide applicants with technical assistance (see contact information below). DEC staff will review the completed grant applications and choose recipients based on established rating criteria. Proposals will be evaluated on their cost effectiveness, projected benefits, use of recommended standards in implementation, community outreach, education, and support, and regional impact.

Applicants may obtain all necessary instructions and forms. Grant applications must be postmarked by Feb. 10, 2011, and sent to: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Urban Forestry, Division of Lands and Forests, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4253. For more information, call DEC at (518) 402-9425.

EPA Announces Requirements for Next Phase of Hudson River PCB Cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today presented GE with requirements for the next phase of the cleanup of the Hudson River. The second phase of the cleanup – which is designed to address potentially cancer-causing chemicals released for decades from two GE plants into the Hudson – would require GE to remove far more contaminated sediment from the river before sealing or “capping” any remaining PCBs. The decision follows months of consultation with GE, the State of New York and a wide range of stakeholder groups as the Agency analyzed technical information and decided how best to proceed with the second phase of the project. GE has until January 14, 2011 to review EPA’s decision and notify the Agency whether they will proceed with this phase of the cleanup, scheduled to begin in May 2011.

GE plants discharged approximately 1.3 million pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during a 30 period ending in 1977, contaminating nearly 200 miles of the Hudson River. These potentially cancer-causing chemicals can build up in fish over time, posing a serious risk to those who eat them.

The cleanup of this site, one of the largest Superfund sites in the country was divided into two phases. Under EPA’s direction, GE began the first phase in May 2009, completing it in November 2009. EPA conducted a comprehensive review of the science and considered the views of a group of independent scientific experts following the completion of the first phase.

In the first phase of the cleanup, nearly 37% of the area was capped due to the continued presence of contamination, despite multiple dredging passes that removed the great majority of the PCBs. Capping in 15% percent of the area was unavoidable because of physical barriers in the river, leaving 22% percent capped in areas without these barriers. While fish and other aquatic life are not exposed to the contamination in the capped areas, the Agency has determined that it is necessary in Phase 2 to set a stringent limit on what percentage of the total project area can be capped if dredging does not meet the cleanup goals. This limit will be set at 11% of the total project area, not counting those areas where capping is unavoidable. This limit represents a significant improvement from Phase 1 and will require GE to employ considerably more rigorous dredging procedures.
Dredging during the second phase will go deeper into the sediment and, by relying on better information and lessons learned during the first phase, will remove more contaminated sediment in fewer passes. Phase two will require GE to remove an estimated 95 percent or more of PCBs from the areas designated for dredging. If GE does not agree to conduct the Phase 2 dredging, EPA fully reserves all of its enforcement authorities, including its right to order GE to perform the dredging, or take legal action to require GE to perform Phase 2 or to reimburse EPA for its costs of the cleanup if the Agency performs the cleanup using taxpayer funds.

The documents issued by EPA today and other information about the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/hudson. Residents with questions are encouraged to contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator David Kluesner at (212) 637-3653.

Contact: Mary Mears (212) 637-3673, David Kluesner (212) 637-3653

EPA Technical Requirements for Hudson River Dredging Project

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided the General Electric Company (GE) with detailed requirements for the next phase of the project to remove sediment contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the bottom of the Hudson River. PCBs are probable human carcinogens and can also affect the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems. EPA developed the plans for the second part of the two-phased dredging project after a scientific review of data and information from the first phase of dredging by a group of independent scientific experts, and extensive input from a broad range of stakeholders.

Two hundred miles of the Hudson River are on the federal Superfund list of the most hazardous waste sites in the country. Approximately 40 miles of the upper Hudson River from Hudson Falls to Troy contains the most contaminated areas of river bottom. In 2002 EPA made a formal decision to dredge areas of this stretch. The cleanup project was divided into two phases to allow time to evaluate information from the first phase to make improvements before proceeding with Phase 2.

Enhancements, refinements and improvements made to Phase 2 from Phase 1 include:

Improved Sampling In advance of Phase 1, GE took some 50,000 samples of river sediment in order to delineate and design the dredging project. Unfortunately, many of the samples turned out to be incomplete or otherwise inadequate for the intended purposes. The result was that the quantity and depth of PCBs in the areas to be dredged was often underestimated. Phase 1 operations required multiple dredging passes in most areas.

Phase 2: With the experience gained from Phase 1 sampling, GE is resampling using improved methodology to give more accurate and complete information on the extent of the contamination in the areas to be dredged. GE began this resampling effort this past summer.
Improved Dredge Design

The Phase 1 dredging design consistently underestimated the “depth of contamination” (DoC), which is the depth of cut that the dredge operators must make on each pass. As a result, multiple dredging passes were needed in Phase 1.

Underestimating DoC led to a less efficient dredging program that took longer than necessary. The reasons for the underestimation of DoC include the incomplete samples described above, but also the inadequate accounting for a high degree of variability in the contaminated sediment layer.
Phase 2: GE will be required to adjust the DoC calculations to take into account this variability. This means the dredger will dig deeper in certain locations in order to give greater assurance that all the PCB-contaminated sediments will be captured.

Fewer Dredge Passes In Phase 1, the plan allowed for multiple dredging passes – typically three to four -- to capture as much of the PCB-contaminated sediments as possible.

One consequence of the multiple dredge passes approach was that areas that had been dredged often stayed “open” (uncovered) for months while repeated re-sampling and re-dredging took place. During this time the exposed sediments were able to get back into the water column and/or were re-deposited on the river bottom.

Phase 2: A maximum of two dredge passes will be used. In very rare circumstances, when a particularly high concentration of PCBs is unexpectedly discovered after the second pass, EPA will require a third.

Significantly Less Capping GE will be required to design the dredging project to achieve the cleanup target of 1 part per million of the most toxic PCBs, referred to as “Tri+ PCBs,” in all of the dredge areas.

Due to certain physical constraints in the river (bedrock, clay and shoreline stability considerations) and other realistic limitations on the ability of dredging to achieve the cleanup target in all areas, there will be some areas that require a cap to isolate the relatively small amount of PCBs that remain after dredging occurs.

Even in areas that require a cap, the vast majority of the PCBs will be dredged before the area is capped.
Phase 2:

EPA will limit capping at 11 percent of the total project area, not counting those bedrock/clay/shoreline areas where capping is the only option. In addition, within this 11 percent maximum of dredged area that may be capped under this performance standard, another lower limit of 3 percent has been established to even more stringently limit capping over areas where significant PCB contamination remains below the top six inches of sediment after two dredging passes. By comparison, in Phase 1, 22 percent of the total acreage dredged was capped, not counting bedrock, clay and shoreline areas.

Increased Productivity During Phase 1, a total of 283,000 cubic yards of sediment were dredged by GE.

Phase 2: The target for the second phase of the project is to dredge a minimum of 350,000 cubic yards of sediment each year. EPA expects that GE will be able to achieve even higher productivity, up to 500,000 cubic yards a year or more.

Protective Limits on Resuspension

A fundamental goal of the project is to achieve a quick and significant reduction in PCB levels in fish tissue. Since the conclusion of Phase 1, fish samples collected in the fall of 2009 showed that – as always expected – there was a short-term increase in fish tissue PCB levels during and immediately after dredging operations. But fish samples collected in the spring and fall of 2010 showed no appreciable change from pre-dredging levels, also confirming EPA’s predictions. Updated modeling and other projections provide strong evidence that anticipated rates of resuspension will not jeopardize the goals of the project; on the contrary, once the project is completed, fish are projected to show speedy and dramatic improvements as a result of the dredging.

Phase 2: EPA is setting resuspension standards that take into account both the concentration of PCBs in the river water and the amount of PCBs moving downstream.

Both measurements are made at specified locations along the 40-mile stretch of the Upper Hudson in which the project is being carried out. If, at a designated measuring location, the concentration exceeds 500 parts per trillion of PCBs (equal to the maximum amount allowed in drinking water) for five days out of any seven, then GE may be required to take various steps. These steps include a temporary slowdown of operations or, in the unlikely event of a particularly high exceedance, a possible temporary shutdown of operations.

The amount of PCBs allowed to travel down the river will not be allowed to exceed 2% of the total amount of PCBs actually excavated from the river bottom, as measured at designated locations downstream of where the dredging is taking place.

At Waterford, the farthest downstream measuring station, the load may not exceed 1% of the amount excavated. If these limits are exceeded for specified periods of time, then GE may be required to take various steps, including a temporary slowdown of operations. These standards, particularly the load standard at Waterford, will be re-evaluated, and may need to be adjusted and updated as dredging operations move from the uppermost portions of the 40-mile stretch of river into areas much further downstream.

Flexibility to Make Changes

As the Hudson River Peer Review Panel recommended to EPA, the plan for Phase 2 calls for constant evaluation of new data, and provides for adjustments as the project moves forward if needed to improve operations and meet project goals. EPA will make these determinations based on scientific data.

These and other improvements to the second phase of the Hudson River dredging project will ensure that the momentum of the cleanup work in the river continues and that the biggest sources of ongoing contamination are addressed.

For more information or to view the technical documents that contain the details of Phase 2, visit www.epa.gov/hudson . Copies of the documents can also be viewed at EPA’s Hudson River Field Office located at 421 Lower Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY.

HUDSON RIVER PCBs SUPERFUND SITE

Hydraulic Fracturing Moratorium Passes in Albany

The State Assembly voted 93 to 43 on Monday night to block new permits for the drilling practice, known as hydraulic fracturing, until May 15, 2011. The Senate approved the temporary moratorium in August.

The purpose would be to give the state more time to address safety and environmental worries, especially concerns that the drilling could contaminate groundwater supplies.  The State Department of Environmental Conservation is reviewing the potential impact of horizontal hydraulic fracturing upstate and final regulations governing drilling could be ready as early as May 2011.

Hydraulic fracturing is a type of natural gas drilling that involves shooting chemicals and water into rock formations to release natural gas. The moratorium is aimed particularly at heading off hydraulic fracturing that relies on horizontal drilling, which requires the use of chemicals and vast amounts of water. Natural gas companies have been buying leases upstate and applying for permits for years to tap the Marcellus Shale, site of one of the largest natural gas fields in North America.

Governor David A Paterson is considering whether to sign the legislation. The Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York, an industry group, urged Mr. Paterson to veto the bill. (NYT, 11/30/2010)

Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy: 25th Anniversary

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

Today is our 25th anniversary.  The Center was incorporated on November 20, 1985.

You can see a listing of many of our activities during that time at our original website, which we converted to Multiply when the original Msn Groups platform ended).  There is more activity information at our History page. My career has been very satisfying.  From my beginning in the Fall of 1979 at the Environmental Policy Center (now Friends of the Earth) until today, the adventure has been incredible.  I started out in the Washington, D.C.-based environmental movement.  Jimmy Carter was president and was just finishing a rough 4-year run.  I shook his hand at the Democratic National Convention in New York in 1980 not knowing that Washington was about to get a completely new makeover.  The Reagan era was interesting and quite the challenge for the environmental movement.  I still remember his 'no standard standard' for appliance efficiency standards.  I also remember the Air Florida crash and the Metro subway accident on the day that I was walking back from the U.S. Department of Energy after testifying on appliance standards.

Well, without sounding like the old guy in the room sharing old war time stories that nobody really wants to hear, the situation today is as exciting as ever.  We are embarking on trying to build biomass power plants in Mississippi, California and in Kenya.  The adventure continues and I am having more fun than ever.  Our team is lean and mean and green. 

I have kept the Center small on purpose and will continue to do so.  I almost died from respiratory failure in 1991 and 1996 (intubated for 4 days in ICU each time).  After getting divorced and full custody of my son when he was 2 years old, I decided that I wanted to stick around to see my son grow up.  But I also wanted to continue with my entrepreneurial environmentalism.  So keeping it small worked.  Although I still struggle with a chronic acute asthma that could kill me any day, my son is now 18 and I am still 'doing my green thing.'  Life is good.  Hey, and we just opened a new Center Hollywood blog this week.  Oh, and if you're feeling generous, feel free to click on our Donation button on our sites.

NY State Pollution Prevention Institute Invites EJ Proposals

THE NEW YORK STATE POLLUTION PREVENTION INSTITUTE is pleased to invite proposals from community organizations, municipal departments, and other public sector and non-profit entities for support under the Community Grants Program.

The goal of this program is to provide financial and technical support for projects that raise awareness and understanding of pollution prevention practices and lead to implementation at the local level. The program aims to improve the health, environmental quality, and economic vitality of New York State communities.

More information on the Institute's grants programs.

Applications are due on October 22, 2010.

For more information on the Pollution Prevention Institute.

RGGI States Issue December CO2 Allowance Notice

States Also Announce Dates for 2011 Auctions

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) today released the Auction Notice and application materials for the fourth quarterly carbon dioxide (CO2) allowance auction to be held in calendar year 2010. The materials provide potential auction participants the information needed to submit a Qualification Application and indicate their intent to bid in the December 1st auction.

In addition, the participating states today announced the dates of the four quarterly auctions to be held in 2011. The dates for the 2011 auctions.

As indicated in the Auction Notice for CO2 Allowance Auction 10, the participating states will offer for sale 43,173,648 CO2 allowances for the current control period (2009-2011) and 2,137,991 CO2 allowances for the future control period (2012-2014). States will continue to use a reserve price of $1.86 for all allowances in the December auction.

Prospective bidders can apply to participate in the auction by downloading and submitting the auction documents from the RGGI website. All prospective bidders must successfully complete the qualification process and submit an Intent to Bid to participate in the auction.

Prospective bidders are also encouraged to participate in a free webinar hosted from 2-3 PM ET on Thursday, October 7, 2010. The webinar, which is open to all, will review the RGGI auction format and qualification process. Instructions to participate in the webinar are available below.

The December 1st auction will be the tenth held since the debut of the RGGI auctions on September 25, 2008. To date, the participating states have auctioned more than 290 million CO2 allowances. Aggregate information about previous auction results, including prices, bids and participation is contained in market monitor reports issued by the independent market monitor following each RGGI auction.

Chloramine+Lead Pipes+Fluoride=Contaminated Tap Water

From an  article by Olga Naidenko, Environmental Working Group Senior Scientist

American water utilities are increasingly switching to chloramines, a mixture of chlorine and ammonia, for final disinfection of drinking water. Chloramine was supposed to be a "safer" water disinfectant than chlorine because it reduces formation of toxic chlorination byproducts. A 2005 survey by the American Water Works Association found that approximately a third of all utilities now use chloramines. Water disinfection byproducts are associated with increased risk of cancer and possibly adverse effects on the development of the fetus, so minimizing their levels in drinking water is a good thing. Yet, chloramines drastically increase the leaching of lead from pipes.

Two thirds of the U.S. municipal water supply is artificially fluoridated in an effort to prevent tooth decay. But fluoridation additives in tap water are not the same form of fluoride as found in toothpaste. Typically, water is fluoridated with fluorosilicic acid (FSA) or its salt, sodium fluosilicate, collectively referred to as fluorosilicates. In contrast, fluoride in toothpaste is usually in form of simple sodium fluoride salt, NaF.

Fluorosilicates have a unique affinity for lead. In fact, lead fluorosilicate is one of the most water-soluble forms of lead.  When fluorosilicates in water pass through lead-containing pipes and metal fixtures, the fluorosilicates extract high levels of soluble lead from leaded-brass metal parts. Researchers have found that the mixture of the two chemicals: disinfectant (whether chlorine or chloramine) with fluorosilicic acid has a drastically increased potency, leaching amazingly high quantities of lead. This lead goes into our drinking water and right on into our bodies, where they wreak havoc by poisoning our heart, kidneys and blood, causing irreversible neurological damage and impairing reproductive function.

Chlorine and chloramine are probably here to stay for some time. On the other hand, fluoride, or, specifically, water fluoridation with fluorosilicates, is quite dispensable. There is clear evidence that fluoride dental products significantly reduce the incidence of cavities. In contrast, a substantial and growing body of peer-reviewed science suggests that ingesting fluoride in tap water does not provide any additional dental benefits other than those offered by fluoride toothpaste and may present serious health risks.

In case of fluoridation and chloramines, what emerges at the end of the pipe (our faucets) is a potentially highly hazardous mixture of fluorosilicates, lead, and residual levels of disinfectants. To protect the health of our families today, we can buy a water filters to remove heavy metals and disinfection byproducts from my drinking water with a simple pitcher filter.

Water treatment chemistry is still insufficiently understood by scientists and specific water quality outcomes depend on the particular chemical interactions found in each water treatment and distribution system. To protect the health of the entire nation, we really need to consider if our current methods of water treatment can withstand scientific scrutiny, or whether they should be re-assessed so as to provide safe, healthy tap water to all Americans. (EWG EnviroBlog, 7/13/2009)

National Urban League Celebrates Centennial Founders Day

The National Urban League and more than 70 affiliates across the country are launching their second century of economic empowerment leadership at a Centennial Founders Day Celebration on Wednesday, September 29, 2010.

Shell Oil Company is sponsoring the National Urban League Founders’ Day Reception. According to Shell, they support the Urban league because it is a, "partnership that closely aligns with Shell’s firm commitment to diversity and inclusiveness at all levels throughout our organization.” The Founders’ Day Reception is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, September 27, at Le Parker Meridien Hotel, 119 W. 56th St. in New York. Actress and comedienne Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is the mistress of ceremonies, and entertainment will be provided by jazz flutist Sherry Winston.

Among other activities, the New York Urban League has scheduled an Open House and Neighborhood Day; the Charleston, S.C. affiliate will receive a proclamation from the mayor; and the Urban League of Columbus, GA, will rally to get out the vote. The Urban League of Chattanooga, TN, has a full day of activities planned, including a scholar’s fair, a Federal Reserve Bank listening tour and an open house.

To contact an affiliate for more information

Media wishing to attend the New York reception should contact Teresa Candori or call at 646-319-0891.

Report on the Secondary Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances

Now Available at RGGI.org‏

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) today published the first quarter 2010 report on the secondary market for RGGI carbon dioxide (CO2) allowances. The report was prepared by Potomac Economics, the independent market monitor retained to evaluate the RGGI CO2 allowance market.

The Report on the Secondary Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances: First Quarter 2010 is part of Potomac’s ongoing monitoring of the RGGI auctions and the secondary markets where CO2 allowances trade. The report, which addresses the period from January to April 2010, is based on data reported to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Chicago Climate Futures Exchange (CCFE), and the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), as well as other data.

WE SUPPORT CHARLIE RANGEL

2009 Annual Report on the Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances

Potomac Economics, the independent market monitor for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) CO2 allowance market, today issued its 2009 Annual Report on the Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances. The report is based on data from the RGGI CO2 allowance auctions and data reported to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Chicago Climate Futures Exchange (CCFE) and the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX).

The report is a part of Potomac Economics’s ongoing monitoring of the auction and secondary markets for RGGI CO2 allowances.

Previously issued reports from Potomac Economics

How Cooling Towers Work: Guide For the Non-Engineer

"Cooling Tower Heat Transfer 101"

By Brad Buecker

[Excerpts]

"Evaporation is utilized to its fullest extent in cooling towers, which are designed to expose the maximum transient water surface to the maximum flow of air – for the longest period of time.”1

For water to evaporate it must consume a large amount of energy to change state from a liquid to a gas.

Figure 1

Figure 1 shows process conditions that could easily exist in a cooling system. We will calculate the mass flow rate of air needed to cool 150,000 gpm of tower inlet water to the desired temperature. We will also calculate the water lost by evaporation (go to link for full calculation). So, with an inlet cooling water flow rate of 150,000 gpm (1,251,000 lb/min), the calculated air flow is 1,248,000 lb/min, which, by chance in this case, is close to the cooling water flow rate. (Obviously, the air flow requirement would change significantly depending upon air temperature, inlet water temperature and flow rate, and other factors, and that is why cooling towers typically have multiple cells, often including fans that have adjustable speed control). The mass balance of water = 146,841 gpm. Thus, the water lost to evaporation is 3,159 gpm. A very interesting aspect of this calculation is that only about 2 percent evaporation is sufficient to provide so much cooling.

Evaporation causes dissolved and suspended solids in the cooling water to increase in concentration. This concentration factor is (logically) termed the cycles of concentration (C). Cycles of concentration can be monitored by comparing the ratio of the concentration of a very soluble ion, such as chloride or magnesium, in the makeup (MU) and recirculating (R) water. Very common is a comparison of the specific conductivity of the two streams, particularly where automatic control is utilized to bleed off recirculating water when it becomes too concentrated.

Besides blowdown, some water also escapes the process as fine moisture droplets in the cooling tower fan exhaust. This water loss is known as drift (D). Where towers are well-designed, drift is quite small and can be as low as 0.0005 percent of the recirculation rate.2 Drift particulate minimization is very important, as regulations on particulate emissions from cooling towers continue to tighten. Leaks in the cooling system are referred to as losses (L).

Reference:

1. J.C. Hensley, ed., Cooling Tower Fundamentals, 2nd Edition; The Marley Cooling Tower Company (now part of SPX Cooling Technologies, Overland Park, Kan.), 1985.
2. Personal conversation with Rich Aull of Brentwood Industries.

Power Engineering, July 2010

Center Tours Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant

Center President Norris McDonald toured the Indian Point nuclear power plant for the third time on July 7, 2010. He also toured the plant in 2009 and in 2001. He is pictured below with other individuals touring the facility. The first photo [McDonald in middle] is inside the generation building and the second photo [McDonald in middle with shades] is just outside of one of the containment domes.

Wedgewire Screens- Best Available Control Technology

Cylindrical Wedgewire Screens would significantly reduce entrainment and impingement of Hudson River fish.

Wedgewire screens allow water to be “filtered” prior to entering the plants' cooling system eliminating the possibility of clogging pumps.

Fish, fish larvae, and fish eggs larger than the slot size are excluded from the intake screens.
Flow-through slot velocity (0.5fps or less) eliminates the possibility of extrusion.

Wedgewire Screens in operation at Unit 2 in April 2013/14, and at Unit 3 in April 2014/15.
Wedgewire screens can be installed in 5 years.

Wedgewire Technology offers the best environmental solution to protect human health, the environment and the fish populations in the Hudson.

The screens can be installed by 2015, and begin to further enhance fish protection efforts a full 15 years ahead of Cooling Towers.

Cooling Towers pose significant environmental and permitting problems that are highly likely to generate numerous law suits that will delay the permitting and construction if in fact they can be permitted.

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