(link) - Department of Justice (DOJ) Announcement Friday, July 23, 2010
"Indiana-Based Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative Reaches Settlement to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations: Marks 20th Settlement Under U.S. Power Plant Enforcement Initiative"
When an Environmental Case reaches the Department of Justice, this means that a business or industry who violate Federal Pollution rules, laws or statutes, have been 'sued' by the Federal Government.
In this case; US vs. Hoosier Energy Rural Electric, The Power plants have agreed to reduce their pollution emissions by more than 24,500 tons per year. Hoosier will pay a civil penalty of $950,000.00 and spend $5,000,000.00 on their own business properties and in undoing some of the damage (mitigation) that their excess pollutants have done. I don't know how you can clean air, that is riddled with metals and other particulates (microscopic pieces of toxins that adhere to the hydrogen (water & oxygen) in the Air.
The Coal-Fire plants; Merom and Ratts Stations are in the Southwest area of Indiana.
This is a proposed settlement - lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and is subject to a 30-day Public Comment period and Final Court approval...
Citizens, I pray you know this means it is Very Important to get involved and respond during the Public Comment Period...If not, what can happen is a few people who are a part of this Co-op, will convince everyone that as a Co-op, every electric customer will end up paying for this...and won't it be better to just forego the fines, or reduce them to a couple of thousand dollars? Then, the Energy owners will pitch and moan how much it is going to cost to retro-fit their facilities; again paid for by the Victims, better known as Customers.
The "customers" at Merom have a per capita income of nearly $17,000.00. Only 86% have a high school diploma. Only 20% are employed in the coal industry, the rest are wood products, and construction. Merom residents will not have a voice, they will not have a say...That is not Environmental Justice!
I cannot locate any information on the town of Ratts, only that it is adjacent to Bloomington, Indiana.
There is no link on the DOJ website, nor on the Southern District Court of Indiana for public comments. I went to (link) The US District Court - Southern District of Indiana's Web Site ,and the only way you can communicate with them is through a PACER System. The PACER system requires a credit card for validation purposes, but practicing attorneys have membership...wonder how many Citizens in Southern District of Indiana have a credit card? This means there is not a way given to unrepresented Citizens to comment. This means, Industry will be the only ones able to comment on this proposed settlement...
Forwarded complaint to DOJ, Sierra Club and RePower America, due to the lack of available resources for Public Comment.
Showing posts with label particulate matter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label particulate matter. Show all posts
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
New Transportation Rule Proposal will reduce S0x and N0x particulates to neighboring States
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/c045295ced7dcf6885257758005b74bb!OpenDocument (link)
"EPA News Releases By Date: EPA Proposal Cuts Pollution from Power Plants in 31 States and D.C./ Rule would reduce smog and soot-forming emissions contributing to unhealthy air" Release date 07/06/2010 Contact Information Cathy Milbourn milbourn.cathy@epa.gov 202-564-7849, 202-564-4355
Back in "the day" before science took a look at the connections between air pollution and air particulates (particulates are microscopic parts of pollutants that are usually metal based and travel in air and weather patterns), it was assumed if you lived in town "A" and had a smoke stack, only town "A"'s air would be affected. Unfortunately, as the State of Arkansas learned, Air currents travel and particulate matter travels with. Arkansas achieved a status of "non-attainment" in West Memphis, Arkansas for over 5 years, because the pollutants from Memphis, TN carried over. It was not until last year, that West Memphis was put back into Attainment. Attainment is when the Air Quality of a given area is healthy and within the limits set by the EPA. There has been a push by the EPA to raise the health standards even higher. It is a fight tooth and nail with Industry to attempt to leave cleaner air for the citizens, because curbing pollution, cuts into Industry's bottom line.
For more information on the Proposed Air Transport Regulatory Actions. link are provided: http://www.epa.gov/airtransport/actions.html#jul10 (link)
“This rule is designed to cut pollution that spreads hundreds of miles and has enormous negative impacts on millions of Americans,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working to limit pollution at its source, rather than waiting for it to move across the country. The reductions we’re proposing will save billions in health costs, help increase American educational and economic productivity, and -- most importantly -- save lives.”
The proposal, if passed, and not watered down by industry, will replace and improve upon the 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ordered EPA to revise in 2008. During the Bush administration, the Clean Air Act was almost voided. CAIR (Clean Air Interstate Rule) was able to remain temporarily until EPA was assigned a new Administrator; Lisa P. Jackson. She, along with the "Will of the People", will work to finalize the updated rule proposed today; July 6, 2010.
The EPA will accept public comment on the proposal for 60 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register. The agency also will hold public hearings. Dates and locations for the hearings will be announced shortly.
Stay tuned. There is a song by Theory of a Deadman, where the lines say..."It's like one step forward and two steps back". From 2005 - 2008 we lost environmental protections that had been growing and improving since 1979. After Hurricane Katrina, many rules that regulate Industry in Environmental matters were given waivers and passes on hard won rules.
This is similar to what happened between the Automobile Industry and the EPA. The reduction of emissions and the increase of mpg in vehicles were supposed to be raised to higher standards. In the 1980's you could find many cars that would get over 50 mpg. The automobile industry basically demanded for Americans to make a choice; safety? or gas mileage?
This is not progress, it is Russian Roulette decade after decade, and our Earth/Eco-system is ailing and overtaxed. Citizens, You must get involved. You must write letters, You must comment and show up for public meetings, I beg of you.
Thank you for every "one thing" you do for the betterment of our planet. Thank you for your Public Service. Thank you for making a difference and getting Involved!
"EPA News Releases By Date: EPA Proposal Cuts Pollution from Power Plants in 31 States and D.C./ Rule would reduce smog and soot-forming emissions contributing to unhealthy air" Release date 07/06/2010 Contact Information Cathy Milbourn milbourn.cathy@epa.gov 202-564-7849, 202-564-4355
Back in "the day" before science took a look at the connections between air pollution and air particulates (particulates are microscopic parts of pollutants that are usually metal based and travel in air and weather patterns), it was assumed if you lived in town "A" and had a smoke stack, only town "A"'s air would be affected. Unfortunately, as the State of Arkansas learned, Air currents travel and particulate matter travels with. Arkansas achieved a status of "non-attainment" in West Memphis, Arkansas for over 5 years, because the pollutants from Memphis, TN carried over. It was not until last year, that West Memphis was put back into Attainment. Attainment is when the Air Quality of a given area is healthy and within the limits set by the EPA. There has been a push by the EPA to raise the health standards even higher. It is a fight tooth and nail with Industry to attempt to leave cleaner air for the citizens, because curbing pollution, cuts into Industry's bottom line.
For more information on the Proposed Air Transport Regulatory Actions. link are provided: http://www.epa.gov/airtransport/actions.html#jul10 (link)
“This rule is designed to cut pollution that spreads hundreds of miles and has enormous negative impacts on millions of Americans,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working to limit pollution at its source, rather than waiting for it to move across the country. The reductions we’re proposing will save billions in health costs, help increase American educational and economic productivity, and -- most importantly -- save lives.”
The proposal, if passed, and not watered down by industry, will replace and improve upon the 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ordered EPA to revise in 2008. During the Bush administration, the Clean Air Act was almost voided. CAIR (Clean Air Interstate Rule) was able to remain temporarily until EPA was assigned a new Administrator; Lisa P. Jackson. She, along with the "Will of the People", will work to finalize the updated rule proposed today; July 6, 2010.
The EPA will accept public comment on the proposal for 60 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register. The agency also will hold public hearings. Dates and locations for the hearings will be announced shortly.
Stay tuned. There is a song by Theory of a Deadman, where the lines say..."It's like one step forward and two steps back". From 2005 - 2008 we lost environmental protections that had been growing and improving since 1979. After Hurricane Katrina, many rules that regulate Industry in Environmental matters were given waivers and passes on hard won rules.
This is similar to what happened between the Automobile Industry and the EPA. The reduction of emissions and the increase of mpg in vehicles were supposed to be raised to higher standards. In the 1980's you could find many cars that would get over 50 mpg. The automobile industry basically demanded for Americans to make a choice; safety? or gas mileage?
This is not progress, it is Russian Roulette decade after decade, and our Earth/Eco-system is ailing and overtaxed. Citizens, You must get involved. You must write letters, You must comment and show up for public meetings, I beg of you.
Thank you for every "one thing" you do for the betterment of our planet. Thank you for your Public Service. Thank you for making a difference and getting Involved!
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