[Archived] Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille and Congressman James Moran to Hold Press Conference Calling on Mirant to Release Hazardous Emissions Data

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	March 17, 2006 PIO# 072-06/sjm	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille and Congressman James Moran to
Hold Press Conference Calling on Mirant to Release Hazardous Emissions Data

City of Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille and Congressman James Moran will hold a press conference on Monday, March 20, at 11 am, near the main entrance to the Mirant Potomac River Power Generating Plant (“Potomac River Plant”), located at the corner of North Fairfax and 3rd Streets, to call on Mirant to release full information regarding the Plant’s “trona” injection tests.

On January 16, Mirant produced a report on the “trona” injection tests conducted on Unit 1 of the Potomac River Plant. The City received a copy of the redacted report on March 6. “Mirant is refusing to release to the City important information regarding the injection of “trona” into the coal burning process. This redacted report is virtually useless. It has no substance,” said Mayor Euille. “We require and demand that Mirant be forthcoming with all information regarding any and all conducted tests.”

Mirant’s Potomac River Plant, operating at full capacity, is the largest single source of air pollution inside the Beltway. On average, the plant emits 16,120 tons of sulfur dioxide, 2,500 tons of nitrogen dioxide and 83 pounds of mercury each year. This level of sulfur dioxide pollution exceeds federal air quality standards by nearly 14 times the allowable limit in a 24 hour cycle. The “trona” and system which would inject it into the coal burning process have never been fully evaluated and will likely increase the plant’s emission of dangerous, PM2.5 particulate matter.

Late last summer, the plant shut down after its own study confirmed what local residents and city officials had long suspected, that the power plant was in serious violation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards and presented a severe health threat to the region. Mirant has since been taking steps to bring all five of their boilers back online. They are currently under a Department of Energy order to operate one unit full time and cycle two additional units part time and are looking for ways to re-engage all five boilers to full time operational status. If Mirant is successful, dangerously high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and small particulate matter will again be emitted into the community’s air.

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