Power Plant Moratorium Background Information
by Curt Smith, Clean Air Issue Leader
You may already be aware from local news and the Georgia Sierran that there are between 20 and 32 new power plants being permitted in Georgia. Most of these plants are by merchant plant owners, wanting to sell power to the grid for profit and dump pollution in Georgia. Worse for our air quality is that most of these plants are of the peak-demand design, which are the more than ten times dirtier than base load plants.
Three of the new plants are coal-fired, and the rest are natural gas. Yes, natural gas is better than coal, but the Georgia EPD is permitting these plants without the catalytic converter pollution controls that even our cars require. They are large emitters of NOx (oxides of nitrogen) and formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. By the USEPA's own math, these new Georgia power plants would emit as much pollution as one million cars. One million cars' worth of pollution is alot of pollution. Put another way, if we stop these plants with a moratorium, our air won't get as dirty from population growth we're going to experience anyway.
What we are seeing is G.W. Bush's energy plan in action. Our state and neighborhoods are the dumping ground for tons of new pollutants from these gas and coal plants. With 20-30 new plants, no county or neighborhood will be unaffected. I'm not using scare tactic wording here, it's just a sad fact. For example, Atlanta can't shrug this off as a rural problem with 3 plants being permitted close to our east in Social Circle, Loganville, and Athens. The Athens plant will be within blocks of neighborhoods and a school.
The Georgia Chapter's Energy Committee is working on many facets of the power plant permit problem as well as the air pollution problems. The Governor has created a task force to look into the merchant plant problem to respond with a plan for the state. The problem is that by then most of these plants will have gotten their permits and started construction. (that is to say, the horses will be out of the barn). We feel that Georgia should follow other states lead and enact a moratorium on issuing new permits. The Governor has the power to do just that if we can convince his energy committee that there's a pressing need.
The Sierra Club has printed post cards and are distributing to neighborhood groups, other environmental groups and Sierra club groups around the state. Other groups are planning on setting up public info stands outside of Krogers and malls in the early part of January to get post cards signed and mailed back to Chapter prior to January 30. We will present these postcards to Senator Tanksley, the chair of the Governor's Energy task force. The thousands of cards from concerned Georgia citizens from around the state will be given to the Energy Task Force chair at his next meeting January 30 on the state house steps.
To get involved, contact Curt Smith (h) 404-294-6686 (w) 404-463-0973
For additional information about energy conservation, Rocky Mountain Institute has published "Mobilizing Energy Solutions and "Energy Forever"
Last updated: 15 Jan 02