The Power Plant Gets A Pass?

From WDEL Agreement on emissions at Indian River plant State regulators say they have reached a tentative deal to curb emissions at NRG Energy's coal-burning power plant in Indian River. The agreement in principle would allow the company to miss 2009 deadlines for limits on emissions of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. However, the company would have to surpass even more stringent limits that take effect in 2012. The company must meet limits on mercury emissions by 2009. The group Citizens for Clean Power is calling for the state to explain why NRG can't meet the 2009 deadlines and says NRG is getting a pass on emissions that cause breathing disorders.



Reaction from Citizens for Clean Power to announcement of a settlement between DNREC and NRG: Citizens for Clean Power thanks Lt. Gov. Carney for his insistence at today's Cancer Consortium meeting that DNREC install air surveillance monitors in the Indian River region. We are concerned that DNREC may give NRG a "pass" until 2012 to cut sulphur dioxide (SOx) and nitrous oxide (NOx), two of the most dangerous chemicals coming from the plant. SOx and NOx cause asthma, heart and lung disease; they are implicated in the formation of fine particulate matter, which causes lung cancer. We request that DNREC explain to the public why NRG is incapable of meeting the regulations as written. We insist on a thorough epidemiological study of the cancer cluster at Indian River, and the installation of not one, but numerous PM2.5 and gas analyzers around the area to properly monitor NRG's compliance with regulations. CCP will provide further comment when more details on the settlement become available.
Kit and Bill Zak, Citizens for Clean Power, Lewes DE



Maria Evans over at the WGMD blog (link) tells it like it is in two hard hitting posts,
Our Health On A Handshake and SQUEAK. Whereas the WNJ published a letter to the editor from an NRG employee who discounts that this plant is causing cancer (link)

Indian River is convenient target for cancer fears
NRG's 166 employees and our families who work and live near the Indian River Generating Station have a personal interest in the health of our community. The Indian River station, while a convenient target, has not been found to contribute to the cancer cluster The News Journal has written about. The Division of Public Health report states that "evidence that coal- burning power plants specifically cause cancer is not clear."

The report also acknowledges "significant limitations" in its
analysis.

Specifically, it did not take into account factors such as tobacco use, socioeconomic status, access to health care and exposure to pesticides and herbicides sprayed on fields. It also did not take into account migration. Sussex County is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country.

Certainly, this report has generated significant emotion and controversy. But it is solely a statistical study, not an epidemiological one. It only reports some data and
not the causes. Indeed, while lung cancer rates were shown to be higher, breast
cancer actually had lower incidence in the Indian River area than Delaware's
population at large. Clearly this research is not conclusive

We at NRG work
hard to provide the state with affordable and reliable power. Although we
support the state's efforts to better understand the health issues facing
citizens, we don't appreciate seeing the power plant blamed just because it's
convenient.
James Sadowski, Lewes