[Archived] City of Alexandria Questions EPA Consent Order on Mirant Power Plant

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	June 2, 2006 PIO# 144-06/bh	Brian Hannigan, Director of Communications or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

City of Alexandria Questions EPA Consent Order on Mirant Power Plant

The City of Alexandria today expressed its serious concern about the Environmental Protection Agency’s Administrative Order allowing Mirant Potomac River LLC to increase operations at its coal-fired Potomac River Generating Station located on the City’s Potomac River shoreline.

“The City Council is deeply concerned about the possible health effects that could result from increased operations of the Mirant power plant,” said Vice Mayor Redella S. (Del) Pepper. “The consent order allows Mirant to use unproven technology to justify substantially increased operations of this obsolete facility. The order also fails to address the significant risks to the community caused by fine particulate emissions (PM2.5) from the Mirant plant.”

“I am shocked that the federal agency responsible for protecting the public from environmental hazards would reach this questionable agreement without consulting the local government closest to those whose health is most at risk from Mirant’s operations,” said Alexandria City Councilman Paul Smedberg. “The people of Alexandria and our neighbors in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia deserve better from the EPA.”

Under the terms of EPA’s Administrative Order, Mirant will be allowed to increase daily production using day-ahead forecasted weather data in conjunction with the use of experimental Trona injection emission controls for sulfur dioxide. Trona is a chemical agent that is injected in a power plant’s exhaust stream to control sulfur dioxide emissions.

“We are not convinced that the limited testing of Trona technology conducted to date justifies such a wholesale increase in Mirant’s operations,” said Councilman Smedberg. “The Trona process is unproven at the scale envisioned by Mirant and has so far been subject to inadequate testing and monitoring. While the EPA order also requires Mirant to install local monitoring stations, the change in operating parameters appears to negate the benefit of those monitoring stations. ”

“The City of Alexandria has asked its own experts to evaluate the EPA order and report their findings as soon as possible, said Vice Mayor Pepper. “We also plan to meet with Mirant’s management to express our ongoing concern about harmful emissions.”

The Mirant plant was shut down in August 2005 after air quality monitoring revealed serious concerns about sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. The plant was restarted on a limited basis on September 21, 2005.

Last October, the City of Alexandria filed suit against Mirant in Alexandria Circuit Court, requesting an injunction requiring Mirant to abate or remove the "public and private nuisance" created by the plant and to "remediate the effects of the intrusion of noxious, harmful and toxic substances that it has caused." Last month, Circuit Court Judge Frank Hoss overruled Mirant's motion to dismiss the case.

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