Difference between revisions of "Salem Harbor Station"

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===Clean Air Act Violations===
 
===Clean Air Act Violations===
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On January 27, 2010, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) announced its intent to file suit against [[Dominion|Dominion Energy New England]] for violations of the [[Clean Air Act]] at the Salem Harbor Station.<ref name="noits">Shanna Cleveland, [http://www.clf.org/work/CECC/salemharborpowerplant/docs/2010_NOI_OpacityViolations_Dominion_CLF.pdf "Conservation Law Foundation Notice of Intent to Sue Dominion Energy of New England, Inc. for Violations of Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7604",] letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Dominion Energy New England, Inc. and Dominion Resources, Inc., January 27th, 2010.</ref> CLF has cited Dominion for 286 separate opacity violations between 2005 and 2009, citing Dominion's own quarterly monitoring data.<ref name="noits"/> Opacity is not a pollutant but a "measurement surrogate" for particulate matter ("small particles, including organic chemicals, metals and ash").<ref name="noits"/>  
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On January 27, 2010, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) announced its intent to file suit against [[Dominion|Dominion Energy New England]] for violations of the [[Clean Air Act]] at the Salem Harbor Station.<ref name="noits">Shanna Cleveland, [http://www.clf.org/work/CECC/salemharborpowerplant/docs/2010_NOI_OpacityViolations_Dominion_CLF.pdf "Conservation Law Foundation Notice of Intent to Sue Dominion Energy of New England, Inc. for Violations of Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7604",] letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Dominion Energy New England, Inc. and Dominion Resources, Inc., January 27th, 2010.</ref> CLF had cited Dominion for 286 separate opacity violations between 2005 and 2009, referencing Dominion's own quarterly monitoring data.<ref name="noits"/> Opacity is not a pollutant but a "measurement surrogate" for particulate matter ("small particles, including organic chemicals, metals and ash").<ref name="noits"/>  
  
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As described in CLF's Notice of Intent to Sue, "Once inhaled, PM can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects...  Fine particulate matter (“PM2.5”) is one of the deadliest pollutants emitted by stationary sources. PM2.5 has been linked to premature death, increased hospital and emergency room admissions due to the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, irreversible damage to the lungs of children and infants, and infant mortality."<ref name="noits"/>
+
As described in CLF's Notice of Intent to Sue, "Once inhaled, PM [particulate matter] can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects...  Fine particulate matter (“PM2.5”) is one of the deadliest pollutants emitted by stationary sources. PM2.5 has been linked to premature death, increased hospital and emergency room admissions due to the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, irreversible damage to the lungs of children and infants, and infant mortality."<ref name="noits"/>
  
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Dominion could file the suit in a U.S. District Court in Boston 60 days after the intent to sue was announced (late March 2010).<ref name="noits"/> If the lawsuit is successful, Dominion would be responsible for paying millions of dollars in civil penalties.<ref>[http://www.clf.org/press/pressreleases/pressreleasearchive/2010/2010-1-27.html "Conservation Law Foundation takes aim at aging coal plant",] Conservation Law Foundation press release, January 27, 2010.</ref> As noted in the Notice of Intent to Sue, The Clean Air Act allows "civil penalties of up to $32,500 per violation per day for violations occurring on or after March 15, 2004 and up to $37,500 per violation per day for violations occurring on or after January 12, 2009."<ref name="noits"/>
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On June 24, 2010, CLF and the citizens group HealthLink filed the federal suit, increasing the monitoring time period to through the end of 2009 and, consequently, the number of violations to 317.<ref name="clf624">Conservation Law Foundation, [http://www.clf.org/press/pressreleases/pressreleasearchive/2010/2010-6-24.html "Conservation Law Foundation sues Dominion Energy for ongoing Clean Air Act violations at Salem Harbor Station",] press release, June 24, 2010.</ref><ref name="abel625">David Abel, [http://www.boston.com/yourtown/salem/articles/2010/06/25/conservation_group_sues_over_emissions_at_salem_plant/ "Conservation group sues over emissions at Salem plant",] "Boston Globe", June 25, 2010.</ref>
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If the lawsuit is successful, Dominion would be responsible for paying more than ten million dollars in civil penalties.<ref name="abel625"/> As noted in the Notice of Intent to Sue, The Clean Air Act allows "civil penalties of up to $32,500 per violation per day for violations occurring on or after March 15, 2004 and up to $37,500 per violation per day for violations occurring on or after January 12, 2009."<ref name="noits"/>
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When asked to comment, Dominion spokesperson Dan Genest claimed that the station "operates in full compliance with all federal and state regulations."<ref name="abel625"/> Meanwhile, in 2007, the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety found that the company had not conducted required annual inspections for the previous ten years.<ref name="abel625"/> The report came after three workers were killed by an explosion of a boiler that had corroded pipes, a safety issue that would have been noted in an annual inspection.<ref name="abel625"/>
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State Representative Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) criticized the plant in a local newspaper for being a major source of pollution throughout the Salem Harbor Station’s existence.<ref name="srled">State Representative Lori Ehrlich, [http://marblehead.patch.com/articles/state-rep-calls-out-power-plant "Letter to the Editor: State Rep calls out power plant",] "Marblehead Patch", July 10, 2010.</ref> In response to Genest’s comments, Erhlich wrote, "This response has long provided shelter for the corporation from those who have clamored for clean-up. But now that Dominion's own records are being used to substantiate violations, this statement is more than ridiculous – it's outrageous. The costs to society of laxly regulated coal burning are pricey in so many ways, but remain external to the bottom line." <ref name="srled"/>
  
 
==Coal Sources==
 
==Coal Sources==

Revision as of 21:01, 20 July 2010

{{#badges: CoalSwarm| Climate change}} Salem Harbor Station is a coal-fired power station owned and operated by Dominion in Salem, Massachusetts. The plant is located on a sixty-five acre site and has been operating since 1951.[1] The cities of Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Quincy, Lynn, and Lowell are all within a thirty-mile radius of the Salem Harbor station.[2]

In January 2005, Dominion bought the Salem Harbor plant as part of a package deal (including the Brayton Point coal-fired power plant in Somerset, MA and the gas-fired Manchester Street station in Providence, RI) for $656 million from USGen New England. The plant is located on a sixty-five acre site and has been operating since 1951.[1][3] At full capacity, Salem Harbor can generate energy to power 750,000 homes, but currently only powers 300,000 homes.[1]



Plant Data

  • Owner: Dominion Energy New England LLC
  • Parent Company: Dominion
  • Plant Nameplate Capacity: 330 MW (Megawatts)
  • Units and In-Service Dates: 82 MW (1952), 82 MW (1952), 166 MW (1958)
  • Location: 24 Fort Ave., Salem, MA 01970
  • GPS Coordinates: 42.52647, -70.87691
  • Coal Consumption:
  • Coal Source:
  • Number of Employees:

Emissions Data

  • 2006 CO2 Emissions: 2,557,539 tons
  • 2006 SO2 Emissions: 8,616 tons
  • 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
  • 2006 NOx Emissions: 1,772 tons
  • 2005 Mercury Emissions: 18 lb.

In 2007, the Salem Harbor station was the third largest source of pollution in Massachusetts.[4] The plant is the source of 276,492 pounds of the 26.7 million pounds of chemicals released in the state in 2007.[4] (The plant was shut down starting November 16, 2007 through the end of the year and into 2008, following an accident that killed three workers.)

Clean Air Act Violations

On January 27, 2010, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) announced its intent to file suit against Dominion Energy New England for violations of the Clean Air Act at the Salem Harbor Station.[5] CLF had cited Dominion for 286 separate opacity violations between 2005 and 2009, referencing Dominion's own quarterly monitoring data.[5] Opacity is not a pollutant but a "measurement surrogate" for particulate matter ("small particles, including organic chemicals, metals and ash").[5]

As described in CLF's Notice of Intent to Sue, "Once inhaled, PM [particulate matter] can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects... Fine particulate matter (“PM2.5”) is one of the deadliest pollutants emitted by stationary sources. PM2.5 has been linked to premature death, increased hospital and emergency room admissions due to the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, irreversible damage to the lungs of children and infants, and infant mortality."[5]

On June 24, 2010, CLF and the citizens group HealthLink filed the federal suit, increasing the monitoring time period to through the end of 2009 and, consequently, the number of violations to 317.[6][7]

If the lawsuit is successful, Dominion would be responsible for paying more than ten million dollars in civil penalties.[7] As noted in the Notice of Intent to Sue, The Clean Air Act allows "civil penalties of up to $32,500 per violation per day for violations occurring on or after March 15, 2004 and up to $37,500 per violation per day for violations occurring on or after January 12, 2009."[5]

When asked to comment, Dominion spokesperson Dan Genest claimed that the station "operates in full compliance with all federal and state regulations."[7] Meanwhile, in 2007, the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety found that the company had not conducted required annual inspections for the previous ten years.[7] The report came after three workers were killed by an explosion of a boiler that had corroded pipes, a safety issue that would have been noted in an annual inspection.[7]

State Representative Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) criticized the plant in a local newspaper for being a major source of pollution throughout the Salem Harbor Station’s existence.[8] In response to Genest’s comments, Erhlich wrote, "This response has long provided shelter for the corporation from those who have clamored for clean-up. But now that Dominion's own records are being used to substantiate violations, this statement is more than ridiculous – it's outrageous. The costs to society of laxly regulated coal burning are pricey in so many ways, but remain external to the bottom line." [8]

Coal Sources

According to iLoveMountains.org, Salem Harbor purchases some coal from companies who practice mountaintop removal mining (MTR), though does not burn coal directly from MTR mines.[9]

In 2008, the Salem Harbor Station burned 287,610 tons of coal from Colombia. [10]

The Colombian coal comes from el Cerrejon and la Loma mines. El Cerrejon is the largest open-pit coal mine in the world.[11] The mine began a joint venture between Exxon and the Colombian government in 1982 but now is a joint venture of Anglo American (33%), Glencore International (33%) and BHP Billiton (33%).[11] The U.S. Geological Survey reports that in 2005, 59% of the company's exports went to Europe with a further 22% to North America. [12] Coal imported from Cerrejon to the U.S. is sent to five ports, which are located in Mobile, AL, Jacksonville, FL, Baltimore, MD, Salem, MA, and Somerset, MA. Each of these ports serves a major power station.[11] In Salem, MA the destination is the Salem Harbor Station, and in Somerset, Dominion's Brayton Point Station.

La Loma mine opened in 1985 and is privately-owned by Drummond Coal.[11] Aside from Salem Harbor, coal imported to the U.S. from la Loma mine mainly goes to the Brayton Point station (Somerset, MA) and a plant in Mobile, AL.[11] Plants in Newburgh, NY, Savannah, GA, and Tampa, FL also receive coal from la Loma.[11] Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also imports large amounts of la Loma's coal.[11]

Colombian Coal and Human Rights Violations

Colombia's coal mines, like many industries in the country, are filled with stories of displacement and terror. A number of entire communities in the coalfields have been displaced, including Tabaco, a 700-person Afro-Colombian village that was razed in 2001.[13] People living near the coalfields have faced malnutrition, diseases such as ringworm, and restricted access to land since the large mines opened up.[13]

The Drummond Company (operator of la Loma mine) has been the subject of numerous lawsuits regarding the murders of 70 union miners and railroad workers, collectively.[14][15][16] The murdered Colombians were killed by the notorious paramilitary group, United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), which had been hired by Drummond to act as security.[15] In addition to those killed, a lawsuit against Drummond describes "how hundreds of men, women, and children were terrorized in their homes, on their way to and from work… innocent people killed in or near their homes or kidnapped to never to return home, their spouses and children being beaten and tied up, and people being pulled off buses and summarily executed on the spot."[15]

Future of the Salem Harbor Station

On May 21, 2009, Governor Deval Patrick said at a community forum in Marblehead, MA that the state was in talks with Dominion about the Salem Harbor plant and would be making an announcement in the following weeks.[17] A spokesperson for Dominion has stated that the company is "reviewing different fuel options for Salem Harbor, and we are doing the review in coordination with the commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Green Communities Act of 2008."[17] In 2006, Salem Harbor experimented with burning waste paper.[17] Many people in the local community anticipate an announcement that Dominion will convert the power plant to biomass.[18]

In January 2010, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center awarded the town of Salem $200,000 to explore "potential reuse options" for the coal plant site.[19] The study will look into options for "alternative or green" technology at the plant as well as issues around the plant closing.[19] The mayor of Salem and State legislators, along with Dominion, have used the announcement as an opportunity to dispel rumors that the plant may close in the near future.[19] Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles, however, commented that old coal-fired plants like Salem Harbor are at a "crossroads."[19]

The study will be conducted by an outside consultant.[19] An advisory board consisting of Dominion representatives, local stakeholders, state officials and others will be created.[19] State Senator Majority Leader noted that the announcement of this study is what Governor Patrick alluded to previously.[19]

Explosion at Salem Harbor

At 8:46 a.m. on November 16, 2007, pipes burst on the lower section of Boiler No. 3 at Salem Harbor, covering Matthew Indeglia, Philip Robinson, and Mark Mansfield with highly pressurized ash, steam, and 600˚ water, burning and killing them.[1] A state investigation found the cause to a defective weld and tube corrosion; the area had not been inspected in at least nine years.[1][20] The Salem New reported that the lower area of Boiler No. 3 "was filled with so much ash that entry was blocked."[21]

On November 17, 2007, the state revoked all inspection certificates for the boilers at Salem Harbor, closing the plant for several months.[1][20] In March 2008, three of the boilers came back into service after Dominion cleaned them up.[20] In July 2008, Dominion began operating Boiler No. 3 again. [20]

On May 14, 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported ten safety violations at the plant and fined Dominion $46,800.[1] Dominion appealed the fine and citations.[1][20] On January 22, 2009, OSHA and Dominion announced an agreement where OSHA would drop four of the charges, reduce three others, and reduce Dominion's fine to $23,400.[21] Among the dropped charges was the most serious of them: "a citation that accused the power plant of allowing poor working conditions that exposed workers to "burns and serious bodily harm"."[21] In exchange, Dominion agreed to inspect and clean the lower section of each coal-fired boiler that the company owns in New England every two years.[22]

On July 31, 2008, the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety revoked the license of the plant's former engineer-in-charge Steve Dulong and found National Union Fire Insurance Company's Robert Maule "incompetent and untrustworthy."[23][24] Dulong and Maule both appealed the Department's actions; as of late January 2009, the appeals were still pending.[21]

Protests against Salem Harbor

March 1, 2009: Activists rally against coal in Massachusetts

A group of about 30 people rallied outside of the Salem Harbor generating station in protest of the public health and environmental problems caused by the station.[25] The rally was organized by HealthLink, and took place in coordination with protests at the Mt. Tom, Brayton Point, and Somerset plants in Massachusetts.[26]

Citizen Groups

  • HealthLink: HealthLink is a Massachusetts North Shore citizens group working to protect public health by eliminating toxins in the environment through research, education and community action.
  • North Shore Colombia Solidarity Committee: The North Shore Colombia Solidarity Committee was formed by people from various North Shore communities in Massachusetts in response to the news that a portion of the coal for the Salem, Mass. power plant was coming from a mine in Colombia where human rights violations were being committed against the people in the villages surrounding the mine.
  • Stop the Plant Now: Stop the Plant Now is a group in Salem and the surrounding area that would like to replace the power plant with a mixed-use facility that would include a manufacturing facility, a conference center and hotel, parking, condos, marina and office and restaurants on the harbor front.

Articles and Resources

Sources

  1. ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Steve Rosenberg, “Power struggle”, “Boston Globe”, November 6, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Children at Risk State Fact Sheets: Massachusetts", Clean Air Task Force website, accessed June 10, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Brayton Point power plant tops list for carbon-dioxide emissions", "Providence Journal", July 27, 2005.
  4. ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 "Community-specific chemical release data available for Massachusetts- New England continues trend of lower releases to air, land, and water", Environmental Protection Agency Region 1, March 20, 2009.
  5. ↑ Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Shanna Cleveland, "Conservation Law Foundation Notice of Intent to Sue Dominion Energy of New England, Inc. for Violations of Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7604", letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Dominion Energy New England, Inc. and Dominion Resources, Inc., January 27th, 2010.
  6. ↑ Conservation Law Foundation, "Conservation Law Foundation sues Dominion Energy for ongoing Clean Air Act violations at Salem Harbor Station", press release, June 24, 2010.
  7. ↑ Jump up to: 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 David Abel, "Conservation group sues over emissions at Salem plant", "Boston Globe", June 25, 2010.
  8. ↑ Jump up to: 8.0 8.1 State Representative Lori Ehrlich, "Letter to the Editor: State Rep calls out power plant", "Marblehead Patch", July 10, 2010.
  9. ↑ "What's my connection?", ilovemountains.org website, Accessed March 2010.
  10. ↑ "New England power plants that use coal and where the coal comes from", "Appalachian Voices", accessed March 30, 2009.
  11. ↑ Jump up to: 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Aviva Chomsky, "Linked Labor Histories: New England, Colombia, and the making of a global working class", Duke University Press, 2008.
  12. ↑ Ivette E. Torres, "The Mineral Industry of Colombia", U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, December 2007.
  13. ↑ Jump up to: 13.0 13.1 Aviva Chomsky, "The dirty story behind local energy", "The Boston Phoenix", October 1, 2007.
  14. ↑ International Rights Advocates, "Juan Aquas Romero, et al. v. Drummond Company Inc., et al.", Plaintiff's Opening Brief, December 11, 2007.
  15. ↑ Jump up to: 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Federal lawsuit alleges U.S. mining company Drummond paid millions to Colombian paramilitary terrorists who killed 67; including "execution" of union leaders", "Reuters", May 28, 2009.
  16. ↑ "Children of slain Colombian coal miners sue Drummond Co. in Birmingham federal court", "Birmingham News", March 20, 2009.
  17. ↑ Jump up to: 17.0 17.1 17.2 Tom Dalton, "State, power plant are in 'green' talks'", "Salem News", May 23, 2009.
  18. ↑ Andrea Fox, "Taking a position on the Salem power plant", "Salem News", June 19, 2009.
  19. ↑ Jump up to: 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 Tom Dalton, "What's the plant's fate? "The Salem News", January 28, 2010.
  20. ↑ Jump up to: 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Tom Dalton, "Honoring the power plant victims one year later", "Salem News", November 6, 2008.
  21. ↑ Jump up to: 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Tom Dalton, "Feds, power plant settle accident claim", "Salem News", January 23, 2009.
  22. ↑ "Settlement Agreement", Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, accessed March 22, 2009.
  23. ↑ Tom Dalton, "State faults engineer, outside inspector in fatal power plant accident", "Salem News", August 1, 2008.
  24. ↑ "Massachusetts Department of Public Safety report", July 31, 2008.
  25. ↑ Amanda McGregor, "Fighting the power", "Salem Gazette", March 2, 2009.
  26. ↑ "Stand at Salem" rally announcement, HealthLink website, accessed March 23, 2009.

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