Coal-fired power plant just over N.J. border to close in 2015
- EsseXploreR
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- NJE
12 years 8 months ago - 12 years 8 months ago #1
by EsseXploreR
"It's better to regret something you did, then something you didn't do"
abandonednjurbex.blogspot.com/
A coal power plant in Pennsylvania that has been blamed for spewing pollution into western New Jersey will shut down in January 2015 because of the costs associated with new federal regulations, its owner said today.
"We don’t think the cost would cover the return," said Laurie Fickman, a spokeswoman for GenOn Energy, which owns the Portland Generating Station in Upper Mount Bethel Township.
Fickman said it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to bring the plant, located across the Delaware River from Warren County, to bring the plant into compliance.
In October, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the plant to cut its sulfer dioxide emissions by 81 percent by 2015.
Also, new regulations, known as the Mercury Air Toxic Standards, take effect in 2015 and would require the plant to reduce its mercury emissions.
The 53-year-old plant has been singled out by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as well as the EPA for creating a majority of the sulfur dioxide pollution in northern New Jersey.
In Knowlton, directly across the river from the plant, ash coats windowsills on certain days and many residents blame their asthma on the emissions, said René Mathez, a township committteeman.
"The frustration has been real, and there was real hope that it would get cleaned up," Mathez said. "None of us are happy people are going to lose jobs, but it’s just not right that plant was affecting the health of so many people."
Environmentalists also welcomed the announcement of the plant closure.
"Closing this dirty coal plant is a major step forward in improving New Jersey’s air quality," said Jeff Tittel, the executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. "This plant is the largest source of pollution in Northwest New Jersey and now the people of New Jersey will be able to breathe easier."
DEP officials hailed GenOn’s decision as "good news in terms of improving air quality in our state.
"These upwind emissions reductions will help New Jersey meet national ambient air quality standards for ozone and sulfur dioxide, and will contribute to healthy air,’’ said Jane Kozinski, the DEP’s assistant commissioner for environmental management.
Portland is one of eight coal-fired plants GenOn said today it was closing. The others — a small plant in Glen Gardner and six others in Pennsylvania and Ohio — will close by mid-2015. Together, the plants total 3,140 megawatts on the regional power grid. Portland accounts for 400 megawatts of that total.
The Glen Gardner facility is an unmanned site, featuring eight combustion turbines. Its operations are overseen by the larger Gilbert Generating Station in nearby Holland Township and burns natural gas rather than coal.
The Express-Times contributed to this report.
www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/coal-f...r_plant_just_ov.html
"We don’t think the cost would cover the return," said Laurie Fickman, a spokeswoman for GenOn Energy, which owns the Portland Generating Station in Upper Mount Bethel Township.
Fickman said it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to bring the plant, located across the Delaware River from Warren County, to bring the plant into compliance.
In October, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the plant to cut its sulfer dioxide emissions by 81 percent by 2015.
Also, new regulations, known as the Mercury Air Toxic Standards, take effect in 2015 and would require the plant to reduce its mercury emissions.
The 53-year-old plant has been singled out by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as well as the EPA for creating a majority of the sulfur dioxide pollution in northern New Jersey.
In Knowlton, directly across the river from the plant, ash coats windowsills on certain days and many residents blame their asthma on the emissions, said René Mathez, a township committteeman.
"The frustration has been real, and there was real hope that it would get cleaned up," Mathez said. "None of us are happy people are going to lose jobs, but it’s just not right that plant was affecting the health of so many people."
Environmentalists also welcomed the announcement of the plant closure.
"Closing this dirty coal plant is a major step forward in improving New Jersey’s air quality," said Jeff Tittel, the executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. "This plant is the largest source of pollution in Northwest New Jersey and now the people of New Jersey will be able to breathe easier."
DEP officials hailed GenOn’s decision as "good news in terms of improving air quality in our state.
"These upwind emissions reductions will help New Jersey meet national ambient air quality standards for ozone and sulfur dioxide, and will contribute to healthy air,’’ said Jane Kozinski, the DEP’s assistant commissioner for environmental management.
Portland is one of eight coal-fired plants GenOn said today it was closing. The others — a small plant in Glen Gardner and six others in Pennsylvania and Ohio — will close by mid-2015. Together, the plants total 3,140 megawatts on the regional power grid. Portland accounts for 400 megawatts of that total.
The Glen Gardner facility is an unmanned site, featuring eight combustion turbines. Its operations are overseen by the larger Gilbert Generating Station in nearby Holland Township and burns natural gas rather than coal.
The Express-Times contributed to this report.
www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/coal-f...r_plant_just_ov.html
"It's better to regret something you did, then something you didn't do"
abandonednjurbex.blogspot.com/
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