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Thirty new power
plants (over 20,156 total megawatts) are
proposed, approved or under construction within
the northern Piedmont and across Virginia.
For more information contact Dan Holmes,
Piedmont Environmental Council, 540-347-2334, dholmes@pecva.org
Links:
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Statement of Issue:
Virginia continues to suffer from unhealthy air quality. Code red air quality alerts occur throughout the State, warning our citizens to stay indoors or suffer from unhealthy levels of ozone. Virginia can no longer ignore that its own actions significantly contribute to our pollution levels and that steps must be taken now to protect against further deterioration of air quality.
Background:
Virginia has been unresponsive when it comes to protecting our citizen health from poor air quality. New power plants, which will contribute significantly to the Commonwealth's air quality problems, are being permitted by State agencies at an alarming rate. These new facilities come in addition to the existing facilities already in operation in the Commonwealth. Existing facilities include eight coal-fired power plants currently operating under a grandfathered status, a special designation allowing them to avoid implementing pollution control measures that would reduce emissions dramatically.
Mobile Sources, or vehicle traffic, are also major contributors to the Commonwealth's poor air quality. Although air pollution associated with vehicle traffic is a large, the current long-range plan for transportation emphasizes new and expanded highway corridors that will also result in increased vehicular emissions. Recently, the EPA interpreted a federal appeals court decision to allow the DC Metro area to rely on a weaker plan to reduce mobile source emissions. EPA is also granting an unnecessary extension to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to develop a new plan to meet attainment of current pollution standards. This extension and other delays in development and implementation of pollution reduction measures force citizens to continue to breathe unhealthy air. It is imperative that we work to lower air pollution as the attainment of healthy air quality levels can reduce citizen exposure to pollution and is associated with reduced incidence of respiratory diseases and other associated illness.
The Commonwealth's environmental resources are also at stake. Agriculture and forest health suffer the effects of pollution at levels half the current federal standard in place to protect human health. With Shenandoah National Park considered the second most polluted park in the nation, Virginia continues to ignore issues of acid deposition, visibility and the damaging effects to vegetation by allowing new industrial sources just outside of the Park's boundaries. Also, new industrial and mobile sources of pollution threaten tourism by degrading monuments and lowering visibility at important cultural and historic sites.
With new pollution standards on the way, Virginia continues to rely on an insufficient air quality monitoring network, making it difficult to accurately evaluate the current state of the air. It will be necessary to add additional ozone and fine particulate matter monitors in order to provide enough information to reflect real air quality conditions in the large portions of the Commonwealth that do not yet have monitors. This information is vital in determining when citizens are at risk from unhealthy air quality and for providing a historical account of pollution levels.
Recommendations:
Stationary Sources:
1. Offsets of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter 2.5 for major sources.
All new sources should be required to offset emissions at a 1.0 to 1.2 ratio or greater. In light of continuing questions to the air quality in unmonitored locations in the state, mandatory offsets
should be required throughout Virginia. (See SB 1030 introduced by Senator Couric 2001 session)
2. Follow the examples from our neighboring states.
North Carolina recognized that action was needed to control emissions at the State's dirtiest power plants. In a forward thinking response, North Carolina recently went above and beyond federal requirements by signing a bill that forces mandatory emissions reductions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by over 70% from 14 major power plants by 2013. Virginia should enact similar legislation that would require it's grandfathered coal-fired plants to reduce their emissions to reflect modern standards. (See NC Clean Smokestacks bill)
3. Increase the monitoring network in Virginia
New ozone and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) monitors are needed in areas that currently lack sufficient coverage. These areas include: Central Piedmont, Southern Virginia, Western and Southwestern Virginia. Also, nonattainment (areas with poor air quality) boundaries should be drawn according to modeled airsheds instead of political boundaries, as is the current practice. (See SB 389 introduced by Senator Whipple 2002 session)
Mobile Sources:
1. Encourage the VA General Assembly to act now
Virginia's General Assembly should act immediately, requiring the Department of Environmental Quality to draft and adopt a new State Implementation Plan for Northern Virginia that begins action now in order to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards rather than seek additional time to comply with these public health based standards. (See the District Court's recent decision vacating the old State Implementation Plans)
2. Require a statewide cumulative analysis of new transportation projects before they are permitted
VA Department of Transportation and VA Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) should perform and post results of a modeling exercise and a review of the potential cumulative impacts to air quality from all new projects before they are permitted. DEQ currently performs this type of analysis in nonattainment areas, but should expand the effort to attainment areas as well. DEQ should use this information and the developed model to assist local governments in their land use decisions. (See current work on cumulative impacts of new industrial sources by DEQ)
3. Economic development dollars for transportation should focus on decreasing vehicle miles/trips
New transportation projects should be required to demonstrate a decrease in overall vehicle miles and trips before being permitted and funded. A focus on mass transit and incentives for the public to use the system should be a top priority.
Contact: Piedmont Environmental Council
Name: Chris Miller or Dan Holmes
Address: 45 Horner St. Warrenton, VA 20186
Phone: Chris (540) 347-2334 Dan (540) 672-0141
Fax: Chris (540) 349-9003 Dan (540) 672-6265
Email: cmiller@pecva.org dholmes@pecva.org
9-20-02
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