TVA on trial for air pollution
source: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/NEWS02/807160410/1001/RSS01
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North Carolina has brought forth a lawsuit to try to make TVA meet its "clean smokestack" law and reduce the pollution that moves across the Great Smoky Mountains from Tennessee.
Testimony Tuesday included a lot of talk about how much mercury, haze and acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide and ozone-forming nitrogen oxide could be prevented from going into the atmosphere at TVA's coal-burning power plants by 2013.
"My conclusion is that their emissions are at an unreasonable rate," James E. Staudt, president of Andover Technology Partners, testified. His company has advised power plant owners, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and others on air pollution control technology.
The "responsible thing to do" would be to take advantage of available technology and reduce the pollutants on a faster timetable, he said.
To meet North Carolina's "clean smokestack" law by 2013, Staudt said in a report filed with the court, TVA would have to invest about $3 billion in capital spending, plus $221 million a year in operating and maintenance costs.
Emissions of sulfur dioxide would drop almost 70 percent, nitrogen oxide about 48 percent and mercury, 54 percent.
Testimony Tuesday included a lot of talk about how much mercury, haze and acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide and ozone-forming nitrogen oxide could be prevented from going into the atmosphere at TVA's coal-burning power plants by 2013.
"My conclusion is that their emissions are at an unreasonable rate," James E. Staudt, president of Andover Technology Partners, testified. His company has advised power plant owners, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and others on air pollution control technology.
The "responsible thing to do" would be to take advantage of available technology and reduce the pollutants on a faster timetable, he said.
To meet North Carolina's "clean smokestack" law by 2013, Staudt said in a report filed with the court, TVA would have to invest about $3 billion in capital spending, plus $221 million a year in operating and maintenance costs.
Emissions of sulfur dioxide would drop almost 70 percent, nitrogen oxide about 48 percent and mercury, 54 percent.
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