Reply #3: Contact Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council about Kalama coal plant

[eridani]

The Governor and Legislature have made strong commitments to reduce global warming pollution and spur a new, clean energy economy. And ten months ago, people like you helped pass a Clean Energy Initiative. Now, the Washington Environmental Council is working with a broad coalition of groups to make sure our elected leaders take the next steps toward real global warming solutions. Unfortunately, Energy Northwest’s proposed new coal-fueled plant in Kalama , WA threatens to undermine these efforts by adding more climate pollution to the atmosphere.

Last session, the legislature passed SB 6001 which says builders of coal-fueled plants in Washington must submit good-faith plans to capture and permanently store (“sequester”) much of the climate-polluting carbon dioxide the plant will emit. But Energy Northwest has given the state’s Energy Facility Siting Evaluation Council (EFSEC) a plan that shows it has no commitment to capturing its global-warming pollution!

Tell EFSEC to reject Energy Northwest’s inadequate plan to capture its carbon emissions! Energy Northwest’s greenhouse gas reduction proposal does not meet the legal requirements for a carbon sequestration plan.

Background:

Energy Northwest is the consortium of publicly owned utilities formerly known as the Washington Public Power Supply System. Its acronym, WPPSS, was pronounced “whoops!” after it defaulted on billions of dollars in bonds due to its ill-conceived promotion and development of nuclear power plants in the early 1980s.

Energy Northwest promoted the Kalama plant as having new technology that would facilitate capture and storage of CO2, the primary global-warming pollutant.

Now it says sequestration is currently out of the question, but wants EFSEC to recommend approval of a plant whose global-warming emissions could equal those of 70,000 additional cars on Washington state roads!

SB 6001 requires EFSEC to evaluate the adequacy of a permit applicant’s plans to capture its carbon emissions. Despite the clear inadequacy of Energy Northwest’s plan, EFSEC is proceeding with its review. EFSEC is holding a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in Kalama.

Tell EFSEC that Energy Northwest’s proposal is not even worth considering!

This hearing is important. EFSEC’s process will lead to a recommendation to the governor on whether or not to give Energy Northwest the go-ahead for its coal plant. EFSEC’s approval process for this plant must not proceed without a sequestration plan that meets the standards of the law.

Tell EFSEC’s commissioners that Energy Northwest’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (available at www.efsec.wa.gov) does not meet the legal requirements for a carbon sequestration plan.

Please attend the hearing, send an email to EFSEC commissioners, or submit written comments.

•Send EFSEC an email.
http://www.actionstudio.org/public/page_view_all.cfm?option=begin&pageid=8339&tmode=0

•Provide oral comments at the public hearing, set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept, 20, at the Kalama Community Building, 126 N. Second St., Kalama, WA

•Submit written comments before Oct. 20, 2007 to:

Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council
Attn: Stephen Posner
PO BOX 43172
Olympia , WA 98504-3172


Thank you for all of your efforts!

Kerri Cechovic
Organizer
206.622.8103, ext. 212
kerri {at} wecprotects.org
www.wecprotects.org

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