The
Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club consists of over 25,000 members.
The Chapter spans the entire state of Texas, excepting El Paso, which
is part of the Rio Grande Chapter. neil_ carman@greenbuilder.com
Located in Austin, the Lone Star Chapter's State Conservation Office
serves Sierrans as their grassroots communications center. We also provide
Sierrans with a full time professional activist staff employed to represent
Sierrans as we fight at the state level to protect and conserve Texas'
diverse and valuable natural heritage.
TXU Announces New Coal Fired Power Plants
Waco, Texas - Texas Electric Utilities (TXU) of Dallas submitted
permit applications to the TCEQ to build nine
more coal-fired boilers at nine existing plant
sites in Texas. TXU proposes to use basically
the old pulverized coal technology and most of
the plants are proposed for areas in ozone attainment
where laxer rules apply and more air pollution
is allowed.
Please read the press release from Public Citizen
sent out late Thursday afternoon April 20, 2006
which follows this text below.
Due to Governor Perry's executive memo to expedite
the permitting of new power plants in Texas last
October, the TCEQ was ordered to speed up the
permit technical review and approval process.
Here we are in the 21st century, and the Governor
and TXU are trying to meet our state's energy
needs with a 19th century fuel source - one that
will worsen our air pollution problems and damage
public health. The Governor and TXU ought to be
promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy
sources, not promoting an outmoded fuel source
that ravages the environment where the coal is
mined and pollutes the air where the coal is burned.
TXU's claim that their expansion plans will
cut air pollution emissions rings hollow. With
the serious air pollution problems in our cities,
TXU should be moving to energy sources that cause
no air emissions problems. Neil Carman, Ph.D. Clean air program director Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club
NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: April 21, 2006 Contact: Tom "Smitty" Smith (512)
797-8468 or (512) 477-1155 Robert Cervenca, (254) 875-2286
Citizens Demonstrate Opposition To TXU Announcement To Build New Coal Fired Power Plants
Many Gather In Waco Expressing Outrage And Concerns
Regarding Governor Perry's Support Of Plan
( Waco) Farmers, ranchers and environmentalists
held a press conference in Waco today to protest
TXU's announcement that the company plans to build
a total of 11 new coal plants in Texas, six of
them near Waco.
"TXU is the already the state's largest
industrial air polluter, and their increased smog
emissions currently threaten the health of every
citizen in the heart of Texas," said Tom "Smitty" Smith
of Public Citizen's Texas Office. "If these
plants are permitted their carbon emissions will
cook our climate, their mercury will cause brain
damage to our unborn children, and the fine particles
will choke the neighbors hear in Waco. This massive
assault on air quality comes at time when Texas'
environmental regulators say our power plants
need to cut smog forming emissions by 70%, but
TXU is only promising a paltry 20% in pollution
reduction."
Citizens in Waco are already faced with living
near two gas plants and now will face more pollution
by power plants at Lake Creek, Sandy Creek, Tradinghouse,
Twin Oaks at Bremond, Alcoa at Rockdale and Big
Brown.
"The Waco area will be a disaster zone
if TXU gets its way. With pollution from all these
plants we'll surely become a non- attainment area
which means our air isn't safe to breathe," said
Robert Cervenka, a local rancher. "TXU is
creating another generation of grandfathered power
plants. This isn't clean coal plant. This is the
same old dirty coal. TXU knows that tougher regulations
are coming sooner rather than later, and so they
are antiquated coal plants to while Governor Perry
and President Bush are in office."
"There is something very suspicious about
the recent blackout- the weather bureau warmed
us three days ahead of the heat wave, they could
have fired up the gas plants that are used as
standby to meet peak demand, but didn't.
Instead, they let two of their plants go down," Cervenka
said. "We question whether this "crisis" was
coincidental."
With the serious air pollution problems in our
cities, TXU should be moving to energy sources
that cause no air emissions problems.
"Here we are in the 21st century, and the
Governor and TXU are trying to meet our state's
energy needs with a 19th century fuel source -
one that will worsen our air pollution problems
and damage public health," said Neil Carman,
Clean Air Program Director of the Sierra Club. "The
Governor and TXU ought to be promoting energy
efficiency and renewable energy sources, not promoting
an outmoded fuel source that ravages the environment
where the coal is mined and pollutes the air where
the coal is burned. TXU's claim that their expansion
plans will cut air pollution emissions rings hollow."
The proposed power plants will emit an estimated
6,000 of pounds of brain damaging mercury. For
every 1,000 lbs of mercury in neighborhood there
is a 17% increase in autism in nearby schools.
Lewis Pulley, concerned citizen and neighbor
said, "the cuts in mercury proposed by TXU
at their existing plants are far less than what
the Clinton EPA and other scientists say are necessary
to protect our health of our unborn children.
Perry's short term political gain will cause generations
of pain. These polluting power plants will last
fifty years or more, and will keep Texans living
under a cloud of pollution long after Governor
Perry has waltzed off the political stage."
Other coal plants proposed in Texas have been
met with the same concerns from neighbors, including
Ruth Pilant of Riesel (near Waco) who has been
battling two proposed plants near her home.
"Why are Texans sitting back and letting
this happen," said Pilant. "Our region
can't handle anymore pollution! My health and
my grandchildren's health are suffering. I am
one hopping mad grandma!"
