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EnvironmentalEffectsofthe
CoalCycle:• Mining
• Burning• Waste
StripMiningintheMountains
EffectsofMTRonHabitat“basedonstudiesofover1200streamsegmentsimpactedby
mountaintopminingandvalleyfillsthefollowingenvironmentalissueswerenoted:
•Anincreaseofmineralsinthewater—zinc,sodium,selenium,andsulfatelevelsmayincreaseandnegaLvelyimpactfishandmacroinvertebratesleadingtolessdiverseandmorepollutant‐tolerantspecies.
•Streamsinwatershedsbelowvalleyfillstendtohavegreaterbaseflow.•StreamsaresomeLmescoveredup.•Wetlandsare,atLmesinadvertentlyandotherLmesintenLonally,created;
thesewetlandsprovidesomeaquaLcfuncLons,butaregenerallynotofhighquality.
•Forestsmaybecomefragmented(brokenintosecLons).•There‐growthoftreesandwoodyplantsonre‐gradedlandmaybesloweddue
tocompactedsoils.•Grasslandbirdsaremorecommononreclaimedminelandsasaresnakes;
amphibianssuchassalamanders,arelesslikely....•CumulaLveenvironmentalcostshavenotbeenidenLfied….”(EPA2009a).
(HiddenCostsofEnergy:UnpricedConsequencesofEnergyProducLonandUseh\p://www.nap.edu/catalog/12794.html)
(USEPA2008)
Pa\ernsofCoalMiningAcLvityandEcologicalSensiLvity
AppalachianCoalProducLonbyCounty2009
(AppalachianRegionalCommission)
SedimentasapollutantinCoalCountryRiverBasins
2004 303(d) Report
BASIN
Total Impaired stream
segments
Impairmentfrom
siltation and
sedimen-tation
% of Total Segments impared by
Siltation and
Sedimen-tation
"Resource Extraction" Identified as Source of Silt/ Sed Impairment
% of Total Segments “Resource Extraction” as source of impairment for SILTED
stream segments
Resource extraction as
source of impairment
for ALL stream
segments Kentucky 50 21 42.00% 11 52.38% 22.00%
Cumberland 62 26 41.94% 21 80.77% 33.87% Big Sandy 98 84 85.71% 76 90.48% 77.55%
TOTAL 210 131 62.38% 108 82.44% 51.43%
KentuckyReporttoCongress“ListofImpairedWaters”2004
KentuckyDivisionofWaterdataindicatesthatsiltaBonandsedimentaBondirectlyassociatedwithresourceextracBonaccountsformorethanhalfofalloftheimpairmentsincoalcountrydrainagebasins
Coaldustleadstoelevatedlevelsofrespiratoryproblemsnearsurfaceminingsites.
Coun%esinAppalachiawherecoalminingisheaviesthadsignificantlyhigherage‐adjustedmortality
comparedtootherAppalachiancoun%esandtootherareasofthecountry.
• ElevatedmortalityratespersistedinAppalachiancoalminingareasa5erfurthersta8s8caladjustmentforsmoking,poverty,educa8on,rural‐urbanse>ng,race/ethnicity,andothervariables
• A5eradjustmentforallcovariates,Appalachiancoalminingareaswerecharacterizedby1,607excessannualdeathsovertheperiod1999‐2004.
MichaelHendryENVIRONMENTALJUSTICEVolume1,Number1.
25%ofMarBnCountyhasbeensurfacemined• TotalAcreageofCounty:148,000• TotalAcresSurfaceMined:37,760• NumberofSludgeDams:5QualityofLifeIndicators1980‐2005%ChangeTotalPopulaLon:13,968;12,200‐12.7%TotalCoalProducLon(mst)13,232,686;5,547,679‐58.1%AverageIncomeas%ofUSaverage81%;59%‐30.1%.MiningJobs3156;839‐73.4%MiningJobsas%oftotaljobs65.7%;21.4%‐67.4%PercentLivinginPovertyin2000:35.4%(USAverage:16.5%)PercentUnemployedinMarch,2007:8.2%(USAverage:4.5%)
KentuckiansfortheCommonwealth
RecentDevelopmentsConcerningRegulaLonofStripMininginthe
Mountains• EPAiscoordinaLngwithOSMandtheArmyCorpsofEngineersonimprovingconsideraLonofCleanWaterAct404permitsforsurfaceminingvalleyfillsandstreamburial(EnhancedCoordinaLonProcedures).
• TheCorpsisconsideringwhethertostartrequiringindividualconsideraLonforeach404miningpermitinAppalachia,insteadofusingthenaLonwide21Permit
• EnvironmentalGroupshaveaskedEPAtoconsiderenvironmentaljusLceissuesinconsideringpermitsforstripmininginthemountains.
EnvironmentalEffectsofCoal‐firedPowerPlants
CriteriaAirPolluLonDamagesfromCoal‐FiredPowerPlants
“Tosummarize:theaggregatedamagesassociatedwithcriteria‐pollutantformingemissionsfromcoal‐firedelectricitygeneraLonin2005wereapproximately$62billion(USD2007),or3.2centsperkWh…however,damagesperplantvariedwidely.”
(Thisislimitedtocriteriapollutantsanddoesnotincludeclimatechangecosts.)
HiddenCostsofEnergy:UnpricedConsequencesofEnergyProducLonandUseh\p://www.nap.edu/catalog/12794.html)
FIGURE2‐8RegionaldistribuLonofairpolluLondamagesfromcoalgeneraLonperkWhin2005(USD2007).Damagesrelatedtoclimatechange
arenotincluded.HiddenCostsofEnergy:UnpricedConsequencesofEnergyProducLonandUseh\p://www.nap.edu/catalog/
12794.htmlPrepublica8onCopy
StudyusingdatafromtheHarvardSchoolofPublicHealthfoundthat,asof2000,KYcouldexpect997prematuredeathsperyearfrompowerplantpolluBon.
AmericanLungAssociaLonStateoftheAir:2007report
concluded:• WaystoCleanUpOurAirCleanupcoal‐firedpowerplants“Oldcoal‐firedpowerplantsareamongthebiggestindustrialpolluters,especiallyintheeasternhalfoftheUnitedStates.Thetollofdeath,diseaseandenvironmentaldestrucLoncausedbycoal‐firedpowerplantpolluLonconLnuestomount.Ananalysisreleasedin2004a\ributed24,000prematuredeathseachyeartopowerplantpolluLon.InaddiLon,theresearchesLmatesthatover550,000asthmaa\acks,38,000hearta\acksand12,000hospitaladmissionsarecausedannuallybypowerplantpolluLon.”
(h\p://lungacLon.org/reports/sota07_protecLng1.htmlaccessed10/21/09_)
EPAannouncesmercuryruleforcoal‐firedpowerplants.
• U.S.EPAwillissueafinalrulerequiringstrictplant‐specificcontrolsformercuryandotherhazardousairpollutantsatpowerplantsbyNovember2011,accordingtoaconsentagreementfiledyesterdayinafederaldistrictcourt.
• "Thisrulemakingwilldrivethecleanupofcoal‐firedpowerplantsinthiscountry,"saidJohnWalke,aseniora\orneyattheNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil."ItwillrequirethewidespreadadopLonofscrubbersthatwillreducenotonlytoxicpolluLonbut[sulfurdioxide]polluLonandfineparLclepolluLon.“
(AIRPOLLUTION:EPAmustfinalizemercuryrulebyNov.2011‐‐se\lement(10/23/2009)RobinBravender,E&Ereporter)
EffluentPolluLonfromCoal‐FiredPowerPlants
NewRegulaBonsforSteamElectricPowerGeneraBngEffluent• EPAhascompletedamul8‐yearstudyoftheSteamElectricPowerGenera8ngindustryand,basedontheresults,hasdeterminedthatrevisingthecurrenteffluentguidelinesfortheindustryiswarranted.
• EPA’sdecisiontorevisethecurrenteffluentguidelinesislargelydrivenbythehighleveloftoxic‐weightedpollutantdischargesfromcoalfiredpowerplantsandtheexpecta8onthatthesedischargeswillincreasesignificantlyinthenextfewyearsasnewairpollu8oncontrolsareinstalled.Oct.27,2009
hSp://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/finalreport.pdf
• EPAdeterminedthatthereareanumberofpollutantspresentinwastewatersgeneratedatcoal‐firedpowerplantsthatcanimpacttheenvironment,includingmetals(e.g.,arsenic,selenium,mercury),TDS,andnutrients.
• TheprimaryroutesbywhichcoalcombusLonwastewaterimpactstheenvironmentarethroughdischargestosurfacewaters,leachingtogroundwater,andbysurfaceimpoundmentsandconstructedwetlandsacLngasa\racLvenuisancesthatincreasewildlifeexposuretothepollutantscontainedinthesystems.
• EPAfoundtheinteracLonofcoalcombusLonwastewaterswiththeenvironmenthascausedawiderangeofenvironmentaleffectstoaquaLclife.
hSp://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/finalreport.pdf
CoalCombusLonWasteTVAcoalashspillinTennessee
CoalCombusLonWasteRegulaLonComing
• EPAAnnouncesNewAcBontoPreventCoalAshReleases“Respondingtolastyear’smassivecoalashspillataTennesseeValleyAuthorityfacilityinKingston,Tennessee,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtecLonAgencytodaylaidoutneweffortstopreventfuturethreatstohumanhealthandtheenvironment.
Theagency’splanincludesmeasurestogathercriLcalcoalashimpoundmentinformaLonfromelectricaluLliLesnaLonwide,conducton‐siteassessmentstodeterminestructuralintegrityandvulnerabiliLes,ordercleanupandrepairswhereneeded,anddevelopnewregulaLonsforfuturesafety.3/09/2009)
(h\p://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9ew85257359003w69d/b2856087389w82485257574007409c1!OpenDocument)
CoalFiredPowerPlantsareaMajorSourceofGlobalWarming:PotenLallytheLargestLong‐TermEnvironmental
ImpactofAll.
StrategicAnalysisoftheGlobalStatusofCarbonCaptureandStorageReport5:SynthesisReport
• GlobalCCSInsLtute• WorleyParsons• Schlumberger
• Baker&McKenzie• EPRI(ElectricPower
ResearchInsLtute)
“AuditfindshighriskofCO2captureprojectfailure”
Oct28,20099:37AM|ByMichaelPerry,Reuters
• “Carboncaptureandstorageprojects,seenascrucialinthefightagainstglobalwarming,faceahighriskoffailureduetotheirhighcostsandshouldbeappliedacrossmanysectorstoensuresuccess,anauditsays.
• Theworldneedstobuild100majorprojectsforcapturingandburyinggreenhousegasesby2020andthousandsmoreby2050tohelpcombatclimatechange,saystheInternaBonalEnergyAgency.
• CarboncaptureandstoragecouldlowerCO2emissionsbyabout19%,itsays.”
• h\p://www.globalccsinsLtute.com/downloads/Status‐of‐CCS‐WorleyParsons‐Report‐Synthesis.pdf
• “TheauditsaidCCSprojectsfacedahighriskoffailure,duetothenewtechnologiesandhighcosts.
• ThecostofpowergeneraBonatacoal‐firedplantrosebyupto78%withCCS,itsaid.
• TheauditalsocitedtheunknownfuturevalueofCO2asahurdletoinvestmentinCCS.ItsaidthemarketpriceforcarbonrequiredtodevelopCCSinacoal‐firedplantwas$90/tonofCO2and$112/tonforanaturalgasplant.TheEuropeancarbonpriceclosedonTuesdayat$21/ton.“
ContribuBonoftechnologysegmentstoreduceCO2emissionsby
50percentby2050• CCSindustryandtransformaLon9%• CCSpowergeneraLon10%• Nuclear6%• Renewables21%• PowergeneraLonefficiencyandfuelswitching7%
• End‐usefuelswitching11%• End‐useelectricityefficiency12%• End‐usefuelefficiency24%Source:IEAEnergyTechnologyPerspec8ve,2008
So:
• CCSisexpensive,unprovenatscale,andfarfromamagiccure,evenifitmayhavearoletoplay.
• Weneedtousecoaloverthenexttwoorthreedecades,butasatransiLonfuelanddecliningamounts.
• PreviouslyexternalizedcostsareincreasinglybeinginternalizedasciLzensandgovernmentsrecognizetheenvironmentalandhumancostsofthecoalcycle.AndthatprovidesopportuniLesforrenewablesandenergyefficiency.
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