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June 22, 2010

Tenaska opponents fire up campaign efforts

Pollution and future water supply concerns dominated discussions Tuesday evening at an anti-Tenaska gathering at the Abilene Public Library.

Jeff Haseltine said he is worried about more than the up to 2 million gallons of treated wastewater per day requested for the proposed $3.5 billion coal-fired energy plant near Sweetwater.

Haseltine, organizer of the "Abilenians Against Tenaska" group, said even if the proposed Cedar Ridge Reservoir is built to supply Abilene with water, he is concerned the water could be polluted from the power plant upstream.

Tenaska projects CO2 emission levels

Nothing currently limits the amount of carbon dioxide a factory can puff into the atmosphere, a consultant with the Tenaska power company said at a hearing Thursday.

But federal regulations limiting such greenhouse gases go into effect soon — Jan. 2, 2011, to be exact.

Tenaska officials expect to have an air quality permit in hand for a $3.5 billion plant near Sweetwater before those regulations kick in, but they still asked environmental consultant William Campbell to suggest a CO2 limit for the Sweetwater project, called Trailblazer.

Activists Urge Texas Court to Force State Air Agency to Regulate
Global Warming Emissions

AUSTIN – Saying that climate change must be considered when new coal plants and other facilities are approved, Public Citizen today sued the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in the Travis County District Court to require the commission to regulate global warming gases. This case seeks to extend to Texas law the precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA, which held that carbon dioxide is a pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must regulate it.

The Issue

Seven more dirty coal-burning power plants are being rushed through the permitting process in Texas. Our health, our economy and our air quality are at risk.

Pollution from coal plants shortens the lives of 1,160 Texans each year. It also causes 196,149 lost work days, 1,105 hospitalizations and 33,987 asthma attacks every year.
Each year, 144 lung cancer deaths and 1,791 heart attacks in Texas are attributable to power plant pollution.
A UT Health Science Center San Antonio study found that autism increases by 17% for every 1,000 pounds of mercury that is emitted locally in Texas.

Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars

Narrated by Robert Redford and produced by The Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve and Alpheus Media, FIGHTING GOLIATH: TEXAS COAL WARS follows the story of Texans fighting a high-stakes battle for clean air. The film introduces the unlikely partners-mayors, ranchers, CEOs, community groups, legislators, lawyers, and citizens-that have come together to oppose the construction of 19 conventional coal-fired power plants that were slated to be built in Eastern and Central Texas and that were being fast-tracked by the Governor.

Offical movie web site. Where you can watch the trailer.

Texans Beat Big Coal, and a Film Shows How
"David had only a slingshot. Texans fighting big coal have Robert Redford."
Read New York Times article about the movie

Voices From The Community


“Increased levels of mercury in our waters – primarily from coal fired power plants – have forced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to warn pregnant women and any woman who might want to become pregnant to avoid or limit fish consumption. This year alone, an estimated 630,000 children will be born to women with unsafe blood levels of mercury, as determined by the EPA. This in utero exposure can contribute to severe mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness, and seizures.” -Dr. Kimberly Carter, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Austin, TX “Mercury gets into our waterways and into our fish and the contamination has made fish unsafe to eat in 12 water bodies in Texas. We should protect the health of the citizens of Texas, especially our children, by reducing pollution and preventing additional mercury emissions.” — Ed Parten, President of Texas Black Bass Unlimited, Houston, TX “Jo and I have been farming and ranching on this land for 45 years. Several of the proposed coal plants would be very close to us. The pollution from existing coal burning power plants already puts our health at risk. We’re both cancer survivors and both suffer from asthma. More coal plants will only make it worse. The pollution is not good for our crops, cattle or wildlife either. The Texas Farm Bureau policy is that no new coal plant permits be issued unless they meet the lowest achievable emission rate (LAER) standard. Coal plants should be no more polluting than new natural gas fired plants with the newest technology and they’re right. We’re opposed to the proposed coal plants, and urge others to join in to protect our land and our lives.” — Robert and Jo Cervenka, Ranchers, Reisel, TX