US EPA Region 4 Press Release
Contact Information:
Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421
harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
(ATLANTA - Mar. 15, 2011) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has entered into a consent agreement and final order with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that resolves EPA's allegations that TVA has violated the Clean Air Act at the Widows Creek Power Plant in Stevenson, Ala. TVA has fully cooperated with EPA throughout the enforcement proceedings and has agreed to pay a $450,000 civil penalty to resolve the violations.
As part of the settlement, TVA voluntarily agreed to retired 931 sulfur dioxide (SO2) allowances and 13 nitrogen oxide (NOx) allowances under EPA’s NOx cap and trade and Acid Rain cap and trade programs. This will result in the elimination of 931 tons of SO2 and 13 tons of NOx emissions to the atmosphere that would otherwise be permissible.
The alleged violations resulted from ongoing and pervasive duct leaks from Unit 7 at the Widows Creek Plant that were not adequately repaired and that allowed SO2 and NOx to escape into the atmosphere from 2002 through 2005.
(ATLANTA - Mar. 15, 2011) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has entered into a consent agreement and final order with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that resolves EPA's allegations that TVA has violated the Clean Air Act at the Widows Creek Power Plant in Stevenson, Ala. TVA has fully cooperated with EPA throughout the enforcement proceedings and has agreed to pay a $450,000 civil penalty to resolve the violations.
As part of the settlement, TVA voluntarily agreed to retired 931 sulfur dioxide (SO2) allowances and 13 nitrogen oxide (NOx) allowances under EPA’s NOx cap and trade and Acid Rain cap and trade programs. This will result in the elimination of 931 tons of SO2 and 13 tons of NOx emissions to the atmosphere that would otherwise be permissible.
The alleged violations resulted from ongoing and pervasive duct leaks from Unit 7 at the Widows Creek Plant that were not adequately repaired and that allowed SO2 and NOx to escape into the atmosphere from 2002 through 2005.
The alleged violations include:
· Failure to Maintain Pollution Control Devices as Required by Permit;
· Failure to Comply with Acid Rain Requirements, 40 C.F.R. Part 75; and
· Failure to Report Non-Compliance with the Acid Rain Program as part of the required Title V Annual Certifications in 2004-2005.
High concentrations of SO2 and NOx, two key pollutants emitted from coal fired utility units, can have adverse impacts on human health, and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog, and haze.
The Acid Rain Program was established under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and requires significant emission reductions of SO2 and NOx from the electric power industry. The Acid Rain program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of SO2 that may be emitted by electric generating units in the United States, and includes provisions for trading and banking emission allowances. The program is phased in, with last year phasing in the final 2010 SO2 cap set at 8.95 million tons, a level of about one-half of the emissions from the power sector in 1980.
· Failure to Maintain Pollution Control Devices as Required by Permit;
· Failure to Comply with Acid Rain Requirements, 40 C.F.R. Part 75; and
· Failure to Report Non-Compliance with the Acid Rain Program as part of the required Title V Annual Certifications in 2004-2005.
High concentrations of SO2 and NOx, two key pollutants emitted from coal fired utility units, can have adverse impacts on human health, and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog, and haze.
The Acid Rain Program was established under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and requires significant emission reductions of SO2 and NOx from the electric power industry. The Acid Rain program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of SO2 that may be emitted by electric generating units in the United States, and includes provisions for trading and banking emission allowances. The program is phased in, with last year phasing in the final 2010 SO2 cap set at 8.95 million tons, a level of about one-half of the emissions from the power sector in 1980.
**This is the same coal-fired plant that also had a 2009 spill similar, but smaller in scale, to the TVA Kingston coal ash disaster.
No one is learning any lessons apparently as big business is typically known for.
If this article does nothing else, perhaps those who read it will realize the dangers or some of the dangers in the world when we leave the guidelines and allowances up to industry.
ReplyDeleteThey push as far as they can for the profits they so desperately crave. At all costs. Even at the cost of the health and lives of the people in the state. That would include themselves, their families, friends and co-workers. It would include all people.
It would also include the farms. The food. The livestock. The food we eat. The food they eat.
The air we breathe and the air THEY breathe and the water we drink and the water THEY drink....
The morons who lead us....
Penalty = a whole $450,000.00? And to eliminate some emmissions in the future. Or agree and as soon as EPA is not watching go for it again.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else see how this works besides me? Look at all they got by with for all this time.
And they will do it again.
Not following the rules must be so easy for the power companies. I bet it's too much fun and too simple and they just can't pass up the opportunity.
And Big Mule Alabama Power wins one with the judge throwing out the EPA based lawsuit that's gone on for a decade.
ReplyDeleteMcCrary claims AP always does what is right.
Right judge in place.
Right verdict favorable to mules.
Right for them he means.
AP is one hellacious polluter.
I don't care what big honcho says.
So it only costs $450,000 to pollute our wonderful Alabama air for seven years??????
ReplyDeleteAlabama has some of the worst air in the nation because we have the worst politicians in the nation.
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch you weasels for keeping us in the bottom on everything. And ensuring none of us get to breathe anything remotely resembling air.
But hey, at least we're almost No. 1 in corruption.
Yep, $450,000 to dump on all of us.
ReplyDeletePay to pollute is the way business is done in Alabama. To hell with all you asthmatics, COPD'ers and heart patients mortality that the medical society has linked to particulate and toxic emissions. We have to have those jobs jobs jobs and keep the corporate political machine churning.
It's disgusting and should be criminal.
Don't be confused; this is one federal agency slapping the wrist of another federal agency. I've asked EPA for a copy of their agreement with TVA. Not holding my breath...
ReplyDeleteErnest Norsworthy
http://norsworthyopinion.com
emnorsworthy@earthlink.net
EN--
ReplyDeleteInteresting site you have, we'll add you to our links on R.
Please let us know how the FOIA goes.
Active link : TVA FRAUD
WINGER
I remember years back, a judge was talking on TV about how Europeans and other nations were more politically vocal then Americans. He ended his interview with "A nation of sheep will begat a government of wolves".
ReplyDelete